FSBO BLOG

It has been said that Real estate listings online with photos receive 300% more traffic than listings without photos.  I know that no matter what I am searching for online (houses, cars, couches on Craigslist, etc..), I skip right over any listing that does not include a picture.  So why are there still so many listings out there without photos (FSBO.com is happy that approximately 85% of its listings contain at least one photo)?

Some owners will say they do not own a digital camera, or do not know how to post photos online.  Others may cite privacy issues, or not having enough time to do it themselves.  No matter what the excuse, it is crucial that you post photos to your listing online.  It will first get buys to stop and view your listing, and it will then let them know that you are serious about selling since you made the effort to create a complete and professional listing online. 

Listings without photos send a message to everyone viewing it that you possibly have something to hide…   my suggestion is to take that guess work out of their hands, and post as many photos as you are allowed.  FSBO.com currently allows for unlimited photos on every FSBO.com listing.

 

The US real estate market is seeing an influx of new buyers coming from overseas to purchase property.  Because of the sinking value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, a home bought by a foreigner comes with a discount averaging 30%, the National Association of Realtors estimates.  Based on the information I heard recently at the Inman News Real Estate connect in San Francisco, these foreign buyers are buying in larger metro cities for investment purposes only. 

For the past few years the online real estate community has been targeted heavily by scams, most of which are from people posing as buyers from overseas.  As a For sale By Owner, not represented by an agent, I just wanted to make you all aware that some of the overseas messages you receive from your FSBO.com listing could be legit.  Please use your best judgment when dealing with these type of inquiries as you would not want to miss an opportunity to sell because you immediately discard someone as a scammer.     

So, do YOU see America as being “For Sale” as the rest of the world does?  It appears our largest brewing company Anheuser-Busch is…..

 

Â

The bill recently passed by the Senate and Congress will provide mortgage relief to some 400,000 struggling homeowners.  It will allow them to get more affordable mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).  The FHA could insure $300 billion in such mortgages. Banks would first have to agree to take a large loss on the existing loans in exchange for avoiding an often-costly foreclosure.

The bill should help those who are threatened by foreclosure, and allow them to keep their home by proving they can afford a new loan.  The bill will also offer a $7,500 tax credit to first time homebuyers.  This incentive could help get more first time buyers to get out there  looking and making offers.

More information can be found on the USA Today Website at:  http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-07-26-senate-housing_N.htm.

Â

There have been a few articles written recently debating the accuracy of certain company’s foreclosure data. Mainly regarding the prices associated with foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings.  FSBO.com has been partnered with Foreclosure.com for more than 5 years, and could not be happier with the reliable data that they provide our customers and the speed at which they respond to any customer service issues we send their way.  Please take a minute to read each of the two articles below

Foreclosure.com Article:  “Free foreclosure listings: What is right and wrong”

Inman News Article:  “When prices are too good to be true”

Both articles received blog comments from industry professionals, Realtor’s, and CEO’s of similar Foreclosure websites.  I am curious to hear what actual consumers think about all of this.  Do you feel tricked, or mislead by sites such as the ones mentioned in the articles?

Â

FSBO.com is pleased to announce that we have a new Video Player available to all of our Home Sellers. The new player allows the seller to Email, Link, and Post their personal property video anywhere on the web. The player provides Embedded Code so you can post it on your personal Websites or Blogs, as well as a unique URL (web Link) that you can send and post.  The seller’s contact info and link back to the FSBO.com listing will automatically be entered into the player so potential buyers seeing your video on other sites can contact you, see information on the home, as well as get direct access to your listing on FSBO.com.

Sample Video:

FSBO.com can accept the following video formats: AVI, MPEG, and MOV (Quicktime) *note – at this time we cannot accept .FLV file formats. There is no max time, however in our experience the most impactful videos are between 1 and 3 minutes long.

In regards to resolution, all videos are compressed and converted into a flash video format using an ideal resolution and frame rate for web delivery. There is no minimum or maximum resolution requirement for the source video.

Please feel free to leave a comment with a link to your video, blog, or personal real estate site to show others your Real Estate video.