A. Curent Lstings and Sold Listings: www.Har.com/JingHarlan 

Working Hard for sellers & buyers and landlords & tenants!

B. Having a Good Realtor on Your Side:

 When buying or selling a house, it is important to work with a trustworthy realtor. My dear clients, I hope you will consider me for all your real estate needs. I would like not only to be your door opener, but also I would like to be your real estate advisor! You will benefit from my work and get ''peace of mind" with the services I provide!

C. For SalebyOwner.com Founder Uses Agent to Sell Home by Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, August 09, 2011

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1. Work with a realtor: http://www.har.com/hartv/?v=147

2. It's a good time to buy: http://www.har.com/hartv/?v=92

3. Don't go it alone, go with a realtor: http://www.har.com/hartv/?v=210

4. Sale By Owner? not an good idea: http://www.har.com/hartv/?v=89

5. Yes, I am a good realtor: http://www.har.com/hartv/?v=94

6. Why use a realtor? http://www.har.com/usearealtor/dispWhyUseaRealtor.cfm

7.  For Buyers: http://www.har.com/usearealtor/dispBuyers.cfm

8.  For Sellers: http://www.har.com/usearealtor/dispSellers.cfm

9. Consumer Satisfaction: http://www.har.com/usearealtor/dispCustomerSatisfaction.cfm

10. Code of Ethics: http://www.har.com/usearealtor/dispCodeofEthics.cfm

C. For Sellers & Buyers:

**Real Estate Math: What Can Increase and Decrease a Home’s Value

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Little things can make a big difference in how much you ultimately sell a property for, according to a group of New York brokers who say just a few small, smart improvements to a home can increase the sales price by 5 to 10 percent.

They’ve calculated it down to a science. In a recent New York Times article, “To Sell an Apartment, No Detail Is Too Small,” brokers in New York City share how seemingly small defects in a home can drastically affect the home’s final sales price and how just a few small staging upgrades–like throw pillows–can actually increase the value.

Here are some examples of what these New York brokers have found that can impact a sales price. (Keep in mind these are based on New York rents so the prices reflected below may be higher than many other markets.)

WHAT CAN DECREASE A PROPERTY’S VALUE

• Chipped plaster or broken bathroom tiles: Knock $500 to $5,000 off an offer
• Dirty rugs: Subtract $5,000
• Clutter: Subtract 5 to 15 percent from sales price

WHAT CAN INCREASE A PROPERTY’S VALUE

• Fresh towels and throw pillows (estimated cost: $700): Add $25,000 to sales price
• New lights (cost: $2,000 replacing lighting fixtures and $250 for a professional lighting designers expertise): Add $32,500
• Professional paint job (estimated cost: $10,000): Add $50,000 to the sales price
• Replacing cabinets (estimated cost: $20,000 on new kitchen cabinets and paint): Add $107,000

** .record of the default — initially as much as 200 points — stays on a credit report for seven years. http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010080201?OpenDocument

**  10 Reasons to Buy a Home
Time magazine is being overly pessimistic in its recent cover piece that called into question the benefits of homeownership. In fact, now is a great time to buy. And, what's more, tomorrow will be a great time to own, because the fundamental strength of homeownership hasn't changed.

Why is now a great time to buy? Here are 10 reasons:

1. You can get a good deal. Prices are down 30 percent on average. They're at a level that makes sense for people's income.
2. Mortgages are cheap. At 4.3 percent on average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your costs to own are down by a fifth from two years ago.
3. You can save on taxes. When you add up the deductions for mortgage interest and others, the cost of owning can drop below renting for a comparable place.
4. It'll be yours. The one benefit to owning that never changes is that you can paint your walls orange if you want (generally speaking; there might be some community restrictions). How many landlords will let you do that?
5. You can get a better home. In some markets, it's simply the case that the nicest places are for-sale homes and condos.
6. It offers some inflation protection. Historically, appreciation over time outpaces inflation.
7. It's risk capital. If the economy picks up, you stand to benefit from that, even if you're goal is just to have a nice place to live.
8. It's forced savings. A part of your payment each month goes to equity.
9. There is a lot to choose from. There are some 4 million homes available today, about a year's supply. Now's the time to find something you like and get it.
10. Sooner or later the market will clear. The U.S. is expected to grow by another 100 million people in 40 years. They have to live somewhere. Demand will eventually outpace supply.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Brett Arends (9/16/10)

**.4 Tips for Setting the Right Sales Price
Sellers think their homes are worth more than their real estate professional recommends, and buyers think these same homes are worth less.

It’s a difficult disconnect that makes selling properties a challenge. Successfully marketing a home requires that the price be set carefully -- or it will languish on the market. Among the considerations:

• How many homes are for sale in the neighborhood? The more homes on the market, the more important it is to list at the lower end of the scale. "I want buyers to ask why is this house priced so competitively," said NAR President-elect Ron Phipps of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. "I want the answer to be an offer."

• Take short sales and foreclosures into consideration when pricing. If the competing properties are in lousy condition, they are less of an issue, but if they are well taken care of, yet priced 25 percent below market, they can be a serious factor.

• Negotiate decisively. "Buyers are not interested in back-and-forth negotiations these days," Phipps said. "They are less emotional and more disciplined. They will walk away."

• Cut the price when you have to. If no one shows up for an open house, if no one calls and if there are no offers, then the price is too high. That means it's time to make a meaningful price cut.

Source: The Washington Post, Associated Press (09/18/2010)

There are many reasons to buy as we all know. but there are 4 Reasons to Sell Now too:
Selling a property in this tough market can seem like a challenge. Here are four factors that actually make this a good time to post a For-Sale sign.

• Sell low and buy low. Because all property values are down, the loss on the property a home owner sells is really only a paper loss because the next property he buys also will be a bargain. If he buys smartly, when prices come back up in a few years, he’ll be in better shape.
• Down-payment help is widely available. While nothing-down loans have disappeared, it is easy to find down-payment assistance for lower-income and first-time home buyers. Programs vary all over the country, but one good way to find them is to search online for “down-payment assistance programs” and the name of your region.
• Your uncle has money to share. Besides the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit and the $6,500 move-up credit, there are an array of energy tax credits that can make home improvements pay off in cash.
• Good help is available. Really talented real estate practitioners, contractors, and designers are available and eager for business.

Source: McClatchy Tribune, Kate Forgach (02/07/2010)

One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale) Page 7 D:

(1) Buyer accepts the property in its present condition.

(2) Buyer accepts the property in its present condition provided Seller, at Seller's expense, shall complete the following speccific repairs and treatments:____________ 

The 2^nd option can only be used if there are known specific repair items at the time the contract is written.  This does not prevent the buyer from requesting repairs later on during the option period on an amendment to the contract.  Below is an article from TAR discussing this: Clarification of new Paragraph 7D in One To Four Family Residential Contract
TREC Broker-Lawyer Committee member Dawn Moore, an attorney with Allegiance Title Company, offers this explanation of the new language in Paragraph 7D of the One To Four Family Residential Contract (Resale) (TAR 1601, TREC 20-8), which became mandatory Sept. 1:

To prevent a potentially fatal contract-drafting error, TREC approved a change to Paragraph 7D of the One To Four Family Residential Contract (Resale). Paragraph 7D establishes the agreement between seller and buyer as to one of the material terms of the contract: acceptance of property condition.

In order to bind the seller to the buyer, the buyer must make a firm offer complete with all material terms to which the seller can agree. If the buyer has no repairs in mind when making the original offer, the buyer checks Paragraph 7D(1). If the buyer knows of a specific item that needs repairing (either because it's visible, shows up on the seller’s disclosure, or is otherwise disclosed to the buyer prior to inspections), the buyer checks Paragraph 7D(2) and inserts the specific repair. During the option period, the buyer may submit an amendment to either provision. If the seller does not accept the buyer’s amendment, the buyer may terminate the contract.

Note: Paragraph 7D(2) calls for specific repairs. If the agent fills in anything other than a specific repair, TREC sees it as the agent practicing law without a license. This contract is an “as is” contract with an option.