Mike Carlier ABR CRS GRI

When folks decide to sell their house, they often interview several real estate agents. Generally their decision on who will list their home is based on one or more of the following criteria:

1. Who will work harder, spend more time and money, trying to sell my house?
2. Who says my house is worth the most?
3. Who works for my favorite broker?
4. Who will charge the lowest commission rate?

No matter who you choose, there will be more that is the same than different. All will likely stick a sign in your front yard, and buyers will not care whose name is on it. All will likely enter your home’s listing in the applicable multiple listing database. Your home will then be seen by almost all active buyers. That is, if you have an asking price that is near market value.

Now, here’s how to reduce the amount you end up paying the listing agent. Find an agent who is not available to handle calls from interested buyers or their agents. That will reduce the number of showings and delay the time until an offer is received. Time on market is often what triggers price reductions, often necessary, sometimes not. Make sure that your listing agent is a not an experienced negotiator so the final selling price (if you actually get an offer) is lower. If the selling price is lower, the commission you pay will be less. You may even avoid paying a commission completely – if your house does not sell.

I am surprised that Ronald Raegan is not widely recognized as the initial force that made home equity something to spend. He removed the deductibility of interest on consumer credit. He allowed home mortgages to continue to be deductible, and that was the first step in making second mortgages and home equity lines of credit socially acceptable. He was directly responsible for that shift. Until the change in tax laws, you could deduct interest on your car loan, as well as revolving credit account interest. After the change, to continue deductibility, you needed to tie all your debt into your home.

In order to fix this problem, we need to make some changes, and there are two alternatives. We can restore deductibility of all consumer interest, or we can remove the deductibility of home mortgage interest. While both work, one would obviously be more popular.

25 years ago, a retiree typically had two major assets, the cash value in his life insurance and the equity in his home. Today we are much wiser and more sophisticated. The average retiree today has an old boat, thoughts of a short sale, and an opportunity to maybe return to the work force. That is the economic Raegan legacy.

Lindy's Blazing Inferno AKC/CKC CDX JH MX MXJ NJP WC FDCH 6/5/93 - 7/14/09

Blaze was the first born and the last to go in a litter of eleven wonderful pups. She was active for all but he last three weeks of her 16+ years. An assortment of age-related maladies teamed up to take her from us.

Blaze was a decent obedience trial dog, earning CDX in both the US and Canada. She was a very good pheasant dog, and, despite her tendency to play in the water too much, managed to earn a junior hunter title and a working certificate. She loved flyball and, of course, agility. She competed in regular classes through 2007, and graduated to preferred in 2008. Her last title was novice jumper preferred, which she earned shortly after her fifteenth birthday. The picture was taken on June 5, 2009, her sixteenth birthday. Her loss followed Smokey by just five days. Our home is now empty, and I have lost my favorite office assistant.

Said to be one of Minnesota's largest and most respected, the Apple Valley July 4 parade begins at 1PM. It will follow the traditinal route along Pennock Avenue to 145th Street, and west to Apple Valley High School. This is just one of the many community activities that contribute to making Apple Valley a great place to live, work, and play over its forty year history.

Lindy's Blazing InfernoCDX JH MX MXJ NJP, just celebrated her sixteenth birthday with a little agility practice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm_t1s7jLyA

Blaze is the last of our litter of eleven pups. She has served as my my "office assistant" for the eight years that I've been in the real estate business.