Mary Reynolds

It may seem that Realtors want all the power, but consider this. You are a home seller. Everyone who wants access to your information can get it. They are not screened, they can come to your door at any hour of the day or night. All of a sudden, selling your home becomes a nightmare.

Access to the MLS is given to Realtors who are registered and follow a code of ethics. We follow a procedure to gain access to a home. We respect the privacy of the seller. Realtors also do a pre-screening of buyers. Most of the time Realtors try to bring only true buyers to a home.

Open houses are the way that Realtors make available to the public homes that are for sale. Look at local websites for open house announcements. Go on sites such as Realtor.com to view properties and then contact a Realtor to help you gain access. It gives sellers a confidence that they are safe in opening their home to others.

The home buying process is difficult in the best of circumstances. it is emotional to both buy and sell a home. Having a Realtor mediate a sale is both smart and economical. Realtors will negotiate hard for their clients and, in most cases, a fair price and smooth transaction transpires. - Tue Mar 25 2008, 20:33

I just had this happen to one of my buyers, Christine. It can be negotiated. Have your realtor contact the appraiser. Find out why they didn't agree with your purchase price. Then contact the lender. Have your agent send them some comparable prices in your area. Lenders are wary of home prices and want to be sure that their clients aren't paying too much. But some lenders are over protective.

In this day and age we Realtors are working harder than ever to make transactions work. It is not unusual for appraisals to come in low. It is the pendulum swinging back from appraisals that came in high in the seller's market. Your agent will have the materials to prove that your are paying a fair price.

Remember, if your purchase price comes in much lower than the rest of the community, you will bring prices down in the whole neighborhood, which then reduces your equity right off the bat.

Good luck!
Mary - Tue Mar 25 2008, 20:14

The MLS is an abreviation for the Multiple Listing Service. It is a venue for Realtors to let other Realtors know what properties are for sale. As Realtors, we subscribe to the local MLS in our communities. It is quite expensive to belong and it allows us to enter our listings and to view listings of other agents.

In recent years, the MLS has been released to all through the internet. Although it is paid for by Realtors, it is now available to the public. Internet sites like Realtor.com have taken the MLS listings and used them to bring in buyers.

If anyone is interested in viewing the MLS in San Diego County, they can view it through my webstie which ishttp:// www.marymovesyouonline.com. Feel free to browse all you like. If you have any questions, please let me know. - Tue Mar 25 2008, 19:55