Patti Hessling's Q&A

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Be sure you know what is going on the market place and have strategized accordingly.  However, I have seen a few banks work with contigencies; so if you ask and they say no, then if it's not a "hot" property, you can resubmit your offer without the contingency if that is what you want to do.  Good Luck

Location and functionality are key to resale value.  In my area, most buyers would prefer a three bedroom with all bedrooms on the same level over a four bedroom split level with two bedrooms up and two bedrooms down.  Talk to a local realtor in your area and they can help you identify potential resale issues.

Have your agent talk to their broker.  It is my understanding that the broker is approved to submit offers.  Also, if the broker is not approved to submit offers; talk with your agent about working this another agent who is to facilitate the transaction.  Your agent could still be involved and advise you and would receive a referral from the submitting agent.  Good Luck.

Some counties have this information available on line.  I typically look for the property records or the tax record section of the site.  Many counties use the format www.co.<county name>.<2 digit state abbreviation>.us.  Another area to look is at the sheriff's website for the county if it is a foreclosure by advertisement.  If you are not having luck with these on-line sources, I would either check with a local realtor or visit the property records department of your county.  Good luck

The currnet tax assessed market value, as of 1/2/09 is $308,800.  This is down from the $328,100 tax assessed market value as of 1/2/08 and is reflective of the current decline in market values.Recent sales in the area include:  13769 Tomahawk Lane S for $175,000 on 11/2/2009; 12694 50th Street S for $259,900 on 10/29/2009; 5151 Neal for $275,000 on 11/20/2009; and 14601 55th Street S is scheduled to close on 11/25/2009 the list price was $279,900 at the time of the offer acceptance on 10/24/2009.  While these transactions give you an idea of what is going on in the market, a more detailed and focused comparison nneeds to be completed to provide you with a "tighter" estimated value range.  Please contact me if you are interested in receiving more detailed information.

My understanding is that the tax credit is based on the purchase of a primary residence.  You do not need to sell your current residence to qualify, in fact, you could change it to investment property.  Good luck with the sale of the duplex.

Realtors should use respect when speaking with others.  Further, unless the realtor is qualified to determine if there is an issue with the heater, then they should be referring their clients to a qualified HVAC professional.  What I really do not understand is why someone would think that a neighbor would know specfics about the mechanics of your house.  If the neighbor indicated that you recently had some repairs, then the agent should be looking to the property disclosures for information.  Good luck on the sale.

All of my listings are sent to zillow.  I also update the listings on zillow with more pictures and comments.  Check with your local agent and see what they do -- it may be part of their listing package.

When I look at the area around 2201 22nd Ave, it does appear that your property had a signifant price increase over the neighboring properties.  However, the price that is reflected on the map is the "make me move" price entered.  Blue house icons reflect a make me move price.  When you look at the data for the house, zillow indicates that the value has decreased $10,000 in the past 30 days.  As the Seward neighborhood has a variety of homes, both single family and multifamily, a competive market analysis is the most accurate way to identify the current market value of the property.  I have been seeing a lot of competition on the lower priced homes in this area.  Good luck.

The home has been listed at $320,000 since 5/4/2009.  This is a big difference from the list price of $449,999 on 5/23/2008.  Watching the price decreases exemplifies the importance of pricing to the market.  A declining market is a tough market to price in and it looks like they were just missing the mark for some time.