My Hattiesburg

FSBO, where you become the agent

FSBO is one of the fastest growing ways to sell your home today. Many people consider selling their Hattiesburg home FSBO (For sale by owner) to bypass the realtor fees that come with signing with an agent. Most shy away from it because they want to find the most buyers and get the best price for their house. FSBO doesn’t have to be a daunting task that is only for the marketing major. With the internet, almost anyone can sell their own home with a little work and a good housing market like Hattiesburg is experiencing.

55% of home buyers found their home through the internet.

23% of home buyers, purchased their home through FSBO.

That number will certainly grow in the coming years as more and more FSBO sellers advertise on the internet, and FSBO sites that help you sell your own home are popping up all over the U.S. Suddenly, instead of $3000-$5000 commissions, you spend $300-$500. Marketing your home yourself takes time, effort, and risk, in exchange, you save money. Want to learn more? We urge you to read articles and books on the subject before selling your own home. There are things everyone should know about the process before starting it. Here are some informative books on selling your own home that will walk you through the process step-by-step.

The For Sale By Owner Kit (For Sale By Owner Kit)

The For Sale By Owner Handbook: FSBO FAQs: From Pricing Your Home Right And Increasing Its Curb Appeal To Negotiating The Contract And Hassle-free Closing

We will continue to take deeper looks into the the topic of FSBO as time goes on. It’s a subject that is certainly getting attention in the national market, and we think will soon be a major factor in the Hattiesburg real estate market as well.

Property West of Hattiesburg May Become Oak Grove City Limits

The final meeting of the Oak Grove Property Owners Association is tonight May 23 at 6:30 p.m in the Oak Grove High School auditorium. During this meeting the association will be discussing efforts to turn Oak Grove into a city.

The plans for the city stretch from just north of Hwy 98 to just south of Richburg Road and from just east of Hedgwood Road to just west of Hwy 589. This area covers about 20 square miles and would contain about 10,000 voters.

In order for the Oak Grove area to be turned into a city the association must get 6,667 signatures for petitions to be turned in to the chancery court.

This will be interesting to see how this all works out from a real estate point of view and the effects that it has on the population.

Thinking of moving west?

Many home owners in Hattiesburg frequently decide they want to move west to the Oak Grove area or east to Petal and it’s growing number of subdivisions.  With the current real estate market the way it is now, it’s hard to judge what’s going on in the market.  The U.S. real estate market seems to be slowing down, with home sales dropping, but Hattiesburg seems to still be on the rise with hurricane evacuees and many new businesses moving in the area.  If you’ve purchased a home in Hattiesburg, when is the best time to sell?   The Real Estate Journal tries to answer this question in it’s current article.  Click the link below to read more.
Timing The Sale of a Home When Neighborhood Turns for the Worse

Does Uncle Sam need to know about your Hattiesburg home for sale?

MSN Real Estate has a nice article on when to report your home sale and when you don’t have to. With the prices of Hattiesburg homes for sale right now, it’s a great article to read to make sure squeeze every bit of tax-free profit out of your real estate. From the article:

You qualify for tax-free profit on your home sale if:

1. You owned and lived in the house for two of the five years leading up to the sale; and
2. You did not sell another house — and claim tax-free profit on the deal — in the two years leading up to the time you sold this house.

Read more

What to Look for in a Home Inspector

When looking for a home inspector you should make sure the inspector you choose has alteast the characteristics below. Choosing a bad inspector could make buying or selling a home a nightmare.

• As of 7/1/2002 all home inspectors in Mississippi are required to be licensed.
• Experienced in home inspections in the geographic area in which your property is located.
• Adhere to the MHIB Standard of Practice/Code of Ethics.
• Stays current in his/her profession by continued education.
• Is accessible to you for question and clarifications before, during, and after the inspection.
• Provides you with a written report.
• Carries Errors and Omissions Insurance.

To learn more about Inspectors in the state of Mississippi visit the Mississippi Home Inspector Board website.

The 10 Biggest Home Buying Mistakes: Mistake 6-10

Mistake #6: Not Having the Home Properly Inspected
Get an inspection from a qualified and respected professional. Unneeded surprises could cost you in the long run.

Mistake #7: Not Getting What You Want Because You are Impatient
This is a big decision in your life. Impatient decisions can lead to big mistakes.

Mistake #8: Not Checking a Builder’s Reputation When Building a New Home
Talk to several people that live in the builder’s houses and get their likes and dislikes.

Mistake #9: Waiting for a Better Market and Interest Rates
A man once said “The rear view mirror is always clearer than the windshield”

Mistake #10: Not Buying at All
If you can afford a home and don’t make the purchase then you will be missing out on tax deductions, home appreciation, and building home equity.