Todd Tramonte

Great Questions. It seems like what you are looking for is a discount company that still provides Full Service. You might want to check out 4DallasHomes.com. They do everything (MLS, showings, scheduling, marketing, signs etc) including representing buyers. They just charge a lower flat fee at closing which is much lower than the typical 6% for this market. No additional fees for anything period. They are great. If you have not signed an agreement with any one realtor, you are not obligated to work with any one realtor. It is very important that you find a full time professional agent to represent you when either selling or buying. There is immense value in the consultation and counsel of a local expert who pays attention to your specific needs. If you are not happy with an agent, find one that will make you happy. This is a huge deal and can save you thousands of dollars and much stress. Good Luck. - Fri Nov 2 2007, 10:47

Dallas is an incredible city with much to offer. Sometimes too much for a new resident. Our team works with a lot of families relocating to our area and we have helped people purchase homes ranging from two-story new construction with five bedrooms to one bedroom condos in down town. Moving from NYC, you'll love our property values. Taxes aren't fun, but you won't have any state or city income taxes to deal with. An average home price in our area is about $200,000. You can expect to get a nice older home at that price that will have around 1,800 square feet, two bathrooms and a good sized lot. This is if you are willing to be fifteen minutes or so from town. There are plenty of other option if you chose to spend more. We have hiking and biking trails, lakes and plenty of entertainment including the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. If you are a Giants, Nicks and Yankees fan, you'll love cheaper tickets and still get to see your favorite teams a fwe times a year. You can get a really good feel for the average home in Dallas by searching the attached site for homes through our local MLS. Feel free to contact me with any of your relocation needs. - Wed Aug 22 2007, 16:28

Selling a home can be stressfull at times. You must defer to your real estate professinal on many difficult decisions. The short and sweet answer here is YES. Remaining in the home during a showing is detrimental to the sale. Buyers need to feel free to express their true opinions. As the saying says, "A confused mind says NO." We need to keep our buyers minds free of confusion, alarm and frustration. If you refuse to leave, try walking around the back yard while they are in the home. The best option is to leave and give them plenty of time to start "mentaly moving in." Let their kids pick their bedrooms. We would all like to think that we make rational decisions when making a purchase of this size, but in reality the huge majority of buyers buy based on emotion. Everything that you do from start to finish in the process of selling a home should point towards a buyer having wonderfully happy thoughts of the grand life that lay ahead in their new home. - Wed Aug 22 2007, 16:20