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An agent may represent either a seller or a buyer only; he cannot represent both especially if he’s dealing with only one property. There are two types of agent; a listing and a selling agent. If you are looking for a house to buy; you should look for a “selling agent”, if you are selling your house then what you need is a “listing agent. Both specializes on their own field and you must remember not to confuse yourself. But sometimes the agent can do both jobs only if the buyer or seller agrees with the set-up and will sign a written consent. Moreover, in dealing with these agents you should be extra careful and you may want to do a background check regarding what company he’s connected, experience and track record in terms of successful transactions.
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Normally stated in a written listing agreement to sell property, the agent should only represent the seller. The agent will only be allowed to represent the buyers under a written consent from the seller. In the same manner that an agent representing a buyer is not allowed to represent a seller unless the buyer agrees otherwise. When the transaction starts, the agent is expected to be reasonably careful and diligent to his client as well as to the other people involved in the transaction. He is also responsible to make sure that any deal should always be done in good faith and with all honesty.

Real estate web design is fast becoming popular among professionals involved in home buying and selling. Many home buyers have turned to use the Internet as their main tool in their search for their dream homes. Because of this, an effective real estate web design has given some real estate brokerage a tough competition. Right now, DC Living, a Washington DC area real estate brokerage is seeking to have the same advantage and join the market. Their former website has been completely overhauled so to speak. Many other features were added to add attraction and offer better services to target costumers.

by Stefan Swanepoel

We all know that 2000 – 2005 comprised one of the hottest real estate markets on record in which the industry enjoyed tremendous growth. But are there any consequences to the industry?

“Definitely” says Stefan Swanepoel, author the annual Swanepoel Trends Report in his latest 2007 edition. “During this period of growth the country experienced a buying frenzy fed by low interest rates, a plate full of (more…)

The real estate boom over the past two decades has been felt all over North America, especially in major centres across the United States and in Canada. However, in each of these cities and towns, the types of real estate properties that are of most interest to home buyers and real estate investors is surprisingly quite different. For example, Miami residents are most interested in waterfront villas and tall residential high-rise buildings along the water and marinas. For New Yorkers, finding the perfect loft or condo residence close to where they work is usually the most important factor. Boston residents find brownstones and town houses the most interesting and unique type of housing available in the United States while Seattle is most interested in master-planned condo communities that provide extravagent amenities and condo features. However, whatever type of property you are looking to live in, every city will have.

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CLEVELAND (CNNMoney.com) — All over Slavic Village, Cleveland, a neighborhood with the one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, empty houses have invaded once vibrant streets.

Many of the owners left behind live near abandoned houses that shelter squatters and worse. Crime has soared and owners would leave, if they could, but their homes have plunged in value. Leaving would mean starting from scratch.

“[The remaining residents] are hard working citizens who have seen the value of their most valuable assets, their homes, plummet,” said Jim Rokakis, treasurer of Cuyahoga County.

Some of them soldier on, fighting back to reclaim their neighborhood and restore some of the value to their homes.

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When talking about real estate and property ownership in the United States, there is a common fear among home owners and real estate investors that we are upon a real estate market crash within the next decades. Already proving that no market can continue to expand and increase in value forever, San Francisco and Las Vegas have seen recent dips in property values over the past two years. While many home owners and ‘self-made’ investors are calling fowl by banks who were offering ‘too good to be true mortgages’ and selling off their properties at a loss, many savvy real estate investors know that in any type of market (either boom or crash), there is money to be made in the long run.

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One of the biggest concerns when I talk to real estate agents is, What are the chances that my site will be found? After seeing the most recent survey on top real estate sites on the internet, I would say very good. Very, very good.

The big boys that we who follow the real estate market closely do not have the penetration in the market that we would assume.

When the top 10 sites comprise only 5.34 percent of the real estate searches, that is a huge win for the long tail. It also means that branding by the big boys is important but not overwhelming. Instead, focusing on the local seaches in your area has a great chance of being an effective strategy for the long term.

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(Photo source:http://www.islandsproperties.com/properties/4beachhouse-nearb.htm)If you are considering to open a new business and you don’t know yet what type of business you wanted to venture at the moment. Then, you may want to consider investing your money to real estate. Though, return of investment is not that fast because it will take a year or more before you can actually harvest the fruit of your earnings. Properties have appreciation rate annually by 5to10% depending on the status of the economy, don’t worry even if it takes a long time before you can earn; the rate of return when purchasing a house is greater than any other investment you are planning to do.

The collapse of the many real estate developers and owners who operate many malls in the US sent shivers down the spine of many estate agents and industry experts who got a wake-up call as to the extent of the real estate market troubles that are plaguing them to this day. These are some of the largest rental property owners in many US states and them falling victim to the faltering economy are a staunch reminder that recovery is to be long and painful. People are also finding it harder to cope with the economic conditions due to more troubles on the economic sides and with the social impacts of such economic woes. (more…)