Everyone knows that Spring is the best time to sell Real Estate. It came and went. Were you planning to make a move this year? Every year around June and October I see and hear the same thing again and again and recent history was no exception. Many sellers take their homes off the market, apparently adjusting their plans: some delaying them until Fall or next Spring, others perhaps giving up entirely. That is obviously their choice but I always wonder why ...

Bright MLS has released their Housing Report for single family homes in Delaware County PA covering year-to-date statistics through May 2019. If you would like more information about this or any other County in the Delaware Valley, please contact me or visit AndrewWetzel.com. As with all Real Estate statistics, two things are true. First, individual zip-codes can vary significantly from the County. Real Estate is local and results can vary from neighborhood to neighborh...

An offer to buy Real Estate consists of three sections: the price, the terms and the contingencies. Contingencies are “conditions” or requirements which one person places on another as part of their offer to do something. “I will do this if you will do that”. Contingencies provide options if something, like an inspection, raises concern. The potential list of contingencies is endless, the expectations may or may not be realistic and the right to terminate the offer may not be negotiable...

Since 1996 I have been helping Sellers whose properties did NOT sell with other agents. I have literally spoken to and helped hundreds of Sellers understand why their properties did not sell before their listing contract expired. Sellers have different reasons for wanting or needing to sell and there are often consequences when they do NOT achieve their goal. Sadly, many of them NEVER had a realistic chance to sell in the first place. Let me discuss this further. Reas...

Let me start with an analogy. I am a football fan and I find it fascinating that the game has gotten so complicated that coaches roam the sideline with huge, color-coded charts telling them what to do in various situations. For example, after scoring a touchdown, should they try a 2-point conversion or just kick the “extra-point”? Many Real Estate agents have a “mental” chart that they use when a house is NOT selling. Unfortunately, most of them have a “one-size f...

What I have Learned in Over 22+ Years in Real Estate!When hiring an agent, pick the one who lets you sleep better knowing they have the training, experience, knowledge, integrity and character to work in your best interestSellers are either motivated by time (they want to sell sooner rather than later) or money (they want or need to meet a certain goal)If you are selling to buy another house, what is the cost of taking longer to sell?The fee/ commission is negotiable but you have to compete ...

PA state law requires that a seller disclose known “material defects” (as described on page 1 of the form) in writing to a buyer before entering into an agreement of sale. Sellers should complete the form in a timely manner so that it is available when a buyer wants to make an offer as they need to review it and accept it. Unavailable or incomplete forms can frustrate a buyer and delay or prevent them from making an offer. While it is expected and assumed that a seller will m...

I want to buy a house. How and where do I start? I wish more buyers felt comfortable enough to ask Real Estate agents for advice when starting their home search. Instead, they typically search online for several weeks before contacting a professional. Shopping is fun but what is the goal? Does it help or hurt the process? How best can this time be spent? An effective and efficient house search requires planning and preparation. Serious buyers will...

What is showing “feedback” and why do listing agents and sellers complain when the buyer’s “exclusive agent” doesn’t respond to feedback requests or tell them anything substantial about their showing experience and why the buyer is not making an offer? I have used the analogy that buying and selling Real Estate, or, for that matter, any type of serious negotiation, is like playing poker: you have two or more people trying to satisfy themselves while knowing little if anything abou...

Let me start with some background and definitions. Of course you know that this is not legal advice!According to RELRA, the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act of 1980, Chapter 2, the word “agency” is defined as a relationship whereby the broker or licensees in the employ of the broker act as fiduciaries for a consumer of real estate services by the express authority of the consumer of real estate services. The legal definition of agency from merriam-webster.com is “a conse...