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Ava Terry

Questions To Ask A Flat Fee Broker

04-11-09
Ava Terry
Questions To Ask A Flat Fee Broker
At closing is there any back end percentage that goes to the listing broker flat fee broker)?

Some flat fee brokers have a small up front fee and a percent commission (usually 1/2%) on the back end if the property sells. With Huntsville Flat Fee MLS there is no back end commission if the property sells.


Are you the local broker or a referral service?

Only a real estate broker licensed in Alabama can list your property on the MLS. If you are not speaking to the local broker then you are probably speaking to a referral service company. Many times they will not let you speak to the listing broker or see the contract that you will need to sign. Here are some questions to consider when working with a referral service: What does the contract look like? Are there back end fees? What kind of person is the local broker? Do they answer their phone? Can I speak to the local broker? We are a local broker in Alabama and not a referral service.


Who gets the leads from the MLS and Realtor.com? Are they passed to anyone else? If they come to me then what is the process?

Some flat fee brokers have a business model that is based on them taking all buyer leads that come in for your property and trying to represent those buyers or selling the lead to another broker. Thus you lose a lot of opportunity to sell with no commission. Avar Realty let you choose how leads are handeled. We can pass them throught to you or to a licesned professional.

Avar Realty and http://huntsville.helpmesell.com are Members of the Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Realtors and North Alabama MLS Service. We are the premier flat fee discount brokerage for Huntsville and North Alabama. For more information contact one of our flat fee agents.


75% of home sales take place through the MLS Alabama

04-07-09
Ava Terry

What does a listing on the Realtor® Multiple Listing Service and on Realtor.com mean to you selling your home in Alabama According to recent studies, over 75% of home sales take place through the MLS Alabama . Unless your home is listed in the MLS you are missing out on over 3/4 of the New York market!

Avar Realty gives your home the same marketing exposure enjoyed by homes listed by REALTORS® in the Multiple Listing Service. More exposure translates to higher demand and ultimately a higher sales price for your home.

With flat fee MLS, you pay just a fraction of the traditional cost of listing your home in the MLS. Why pay 5%-6% or more when what you really need is marketing exposure? For a low flat fee, you now have access to Realtor's number one selling tool.

To order a flat fee MLS listing for your North Alabama home for as low as $329.99 go to our Help Me Sell Website to order program.

  • MLS Listing- Listing in the exclusive Realtor® MLS - the nation's number 1 real estate resource responsible for over 80% of home sales nationwide .
  • Realtor.com Listing- Listing on Realtor.com, the official website of the National Association of Realtors®. The world's largest database of homes for sale with more than 350 million page views monthly and over 2.2 million property listings nationwide.
  • Property Webpage- Free webpage on Help Me Sell Website and upload of up to 17 color photos. Your Help Me Sell Website allows visitors to preview your home online, make online inquiries directly to you. , slide show photo images, hear audio podcasts, view your contact phone number, print PDF flyers and more...
  • NEW! - Google® Street View / Satellite Mapping
    Satellite and street level view mapping of your property allows home buyers to pan around your neighborhood to get a clear picture of your property location and even the surrounding neighborhood. Street level mapping, where available, shows your property's photo as well as homes surrounding your property.
  • *Listing on Leading Search Engines and Real Estate Portals- Property webpages submitted to leading search engines and real estate portals like Google.com, Yahoo Real Estate, AOL real estate, Microsoft Windows Live, Cyberhomes.com, Edgeio, Hotpads, Homescape, MyRealty, Oodle, PropSmart, Trulia, VAST and more...
  • RSS Feed- Exclusive ClassifiedFlyerads.com Distribution to leading real estate web portals and desktop feed readers.
  • Lockbox- Supra MLS The only MLS Authorized Lockbox to make showing your home safe and convenient
  • Yard Sign- Professional real estate Sign with Contact Owner at (your phone number)" riders. Lead-in signs available.
  • Full access to Local Agent
  • CMA is included
  • Color Flyers- Print unlimited color flyers from 3 different templates with photos in PDF format. Flyers can be distributed via Information tubes attached to real estate yard signs or handed out at Open House.
  • Member's Only- Exclusive Member's Only area for access to professional real estate listing and disclosure forms, home selling checklists, and more. Filled with tons of tips, tools and tactics for selling your home.
  • HomeSelling Tips- Avar Exclusive Home Selling E-Guide in PDF format for download.
  • And more...

Avar Realty and http://huntsville.helpmesell.com are Members of the Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Realtors and North Alabama MLS Service. We are the premier flat fee discount brokerage for Huntsville and North Alabama. For more information contact one of our flat fee agents.

Huntsville Leads the State in Jobs Announced and Population Growth

04-02-09
Ava Terry

Huntsville Leads the State in Jobs Announced and Population Growth

Download the List of 2008 New and Expanding Industries (PDF) »

The Huntsville/Madison County community once again led Alabama in both population growth and new and expanding jobs, according to data recently published by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama Development Office.

The Huntsville Metro, which includes Madison and Limestone Counties, saw the state’s greatest population increase in 2008. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the metro grew by 9,323 people or 2.4 percent. The metro area now has 395,645 residents, which makes this metro area the 27th fastest growing area in the nation.

Also, Madison County led the state in new and expanding jobs with 3,464 jobs announced, according to the Alabama Development Office, the State of Alabama’s economic development agency. The State does not include the areas of Huntsville that extend into Limestone County. The number of jobs for Madison County including those jobs is 3,811. The runners-up included Jefferson County and Mobile County with 2,088 and 1,677 new and expanding jobs, respectively.

For a complete listing of Chamber Member News, Continue
Please email your announcements to jsoutherland@hsvchamber.org

Avar Realty and http://huntsville.helpmesell.com are Members of the Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Realtors and North Alabama MLS Service. We are the premier flat fee discount brokerage for Huntsville and North Alabama.

Benefits of Flat Fee Listing Service to Sellers and Realtors

04-01-09
Ava Terry

Benefits of Flat Fee Listing Service to Sellers and Realtors

The REALTOR®s MLS is far and away the best way to sell properties fast and for a good price. The Internet ranks second (ahead of other media) in value and power vs. reasonable cost.

Approximately 80% of buyers nationwide arrive via the REALTOR® Multiple Listing Service. Getting your property listed on the REALTOR®s MLS is the key to sales success. That's because thousands of real estate sales persons will be working for you. There is no real estate commission to pay unless there is a successful sale at the sales price you approve, payable at closing.

A FSBO Listing The chance of a buyer reading your newspaper ad or driving by your house is slim. Plus, if a Real Estate Salesperson drives by your house with clients, they will normally only show your home if it's listed on the MLS, as for various reasons they prefer not showing FSBO properties. So using our MLS Flat Fee Service will give you the necessary MLS exposure to sell your home quickly and save big money at the same time. Also, most showings occur via the REALTOR®'s on-line computer system, and not drive-bys or attributable to open-houses, media or marketing ads.

Newspaper and glossy home magazine advertising is generally speaking not too effective but statistics from National REALTOR®s Assn (NRA) indicate about 12% of home buyers arrive via newspaper advertising.

Open-houses, occasionally a buyer does come via an open house, only 5% from open houses according to statistics from the National REALTOR®s Association will bring a buyer.

More information is available on our websites Avar Realty and http://huntsville.helpmesell.com We abide by all Alabama Real Estate Commission laws and guidelines. We cooperate fully with all real estate professionals. We are Members of the Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Realtors and North Alabama MLS Service.

North Alabama MLS Now Offers Auction Listings

03-31-09
Ava Terry

MLS Participation

Recently the North Alabama MLS has recognized that the auction sale is becoming a viable method for selling real estate. NAMLS, The North Alabama MLS and Valley Mls the consumer related web page are now listing auction properties for sale. The MLS exposes a property immediately to all area real estate agents.

Huntsville, Alabama is Experiencing Dramatic Growth in the sale of Real Estate at Auction In recent years the United States economy has experienced dramatic growth in the sale of real estate at auction. In fact, the auction of real estate in Huntsville will experience in double digit growth in the next few years.

Auctions Create Urgency and Competition
Auctions are exciting events, forcing qualified buyers to a single moment of decision. Buyers must seize the opportunity on auction day. Competitive bidding increases interest and prices. Most importantly, real estate sales are confirmed within minutes - sales that could have otherwise taken months or even years to generate and finalize.

Auction Advantages
Why auction? Property owners have begun to recognize the advantages of the auction alternative - among them, speed, increase in price through competitive bidding, reduction in the cost of carrying a property, immediate attention focused on a specific property, and creation of a sense of urgency to buy.

Success on Auction Day
On auction day, buyers come prepared to BUY. Registration forms, information brochures, contracts, title work and everything necessary to conduct the sale is in place. Buyers know the amount of deposit required at the time of the sale, and financing commitments have often already been arranged. Once the bidding begins, it moves quickly to a final, successful sale.

Properties That Sell Well at Auction
Most properties, but certainly not all, are saleable at auction. Sound residential, commercial, and investment properties as well as desirable vacant land will do well at auction. Properties that have been on the market for a long period of time may be revitalized through the auction process. Unique and specific use properties, however, may not lend themselves readily to auction. Each property must be evaluated individually to determine whether it is best suited for auction or for sale through conventional means. Our staff will analyze your property closely to ensure success for both the seller and buyer before we list the property.

Marketing Your Property Before or After the Auction
Many times a buyer who wants a property will make an acceptable offer before the auction date to avoid the competitive atmosphere of an auction. It's also possible to market your property even if it doesn't sell at auction. The auction advertising campaign has already exposed your property to a large segment of the buying public. In some instances, after an auction sale an agreement will be entered into with one of the active bidders at the sale.

Avar Realty is the premier flat fee discount brokerage service for North Alabama. Auction is was one of the disposition options that we offer our clients. Avar Realty is the Help Me Sell affiliate in Madison County, Alabama.