Matching Buyers with Sellers for over 40 years

Zillow “Zestimates” vs CMA (Comparable Market Analysis)

Many homebuyers rely on real estate apps like Zillow and Redfin for quick and (hopefully) accurate home value estimates, but unfortunately Zillow “Zestimates” are not appraisals and often miss the mark either overvaluing or undervaluing a home’s actual market value by as much as 20% which can translate into a lot of wasted time and money overall. A Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) from an experienced and qualified Realtor is often the best indication of value for a few reasons: (1) it is far cheaper and faster than a formal appraisal, and (2) it is often more accurate than appraisals and far more accurate than Zillow, Trulia, or Redfin estimates.

Listing Yourself as a FSBO (For Sale by Owner)

People do not hire agents because they cannot sell their own homes (because they absolutely can!), people hire agents like us because an agent will get you the best price in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of stress and hassle. You might be tempted to avoid a real estate agent, save the commission, and just sell your home yourself—also known as “for sale by owner” (FSBO). While tempting, in most cases the risks of going it alone likely outweigh the benefits. Risks include having few potential buyers (let alone qualified buyers), making emotional decisions, not knowing how to negotiate properly, and not having enough free time to dedicate to finding a buyer. One of the biggest risks of FSBO is not having the experience or expertise to navigate all of the legal and regulatory requirements that come with selling a home.

98% of homes that sold in the market place involved both a listing agent and a buyer’s agent, and the 2% that did not utilize an agent sold their homes for 9-17% less than what they could have gotten by using a professional Real Estate Agent like me marketing the property. 84% of For Sale By Owner Properties eventually list a real estate agent, wasting valuable time and money that could have been saved by getting your home on the Big Bear MLS to maximize exposure in one of the best markets Big Bear has ever had. Don’t wait and miss a vital opportunity.

Your Home Listing Expired & Didn’t Sell

I am so sorry you had an agent that failed you. You wanted to sell, you interviewed agents, you signed a listing contract, you took your home to the market, but your agent failed to deliver where they should have in a market that was booming. I want to help. Now, you may be telling yourself that you want to sell it yourself as a FSBO (see above), you may decide you ultimately don’t want to move, or you may decide to relist with the same agent. I understand loyalty to an agent because you know them personally or have been working with them for a while, but be careful in listing with them blindly. The average time it takes to sell a house in California is 70 days, 35 days to get the offer and an additional 35 days to close. That is approximately 13.6% faster than the national average. But in Big Bear Lake, it’s even more spectacular, 30 days to close, 45 days with a lender.

Meaning, if your home was on the market for six months, that agent could have and should have sold the property 4 times over in a period when they could not do it once. Let’s get you the deal you deserve. Contact us for a FREE Consultation and Market Analysis of your home