Frequently Asked Questions

We sell a variety of properties including single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and multi-family properties.

There is NO commission rate. You pay only for the services you want at a flat fee.

My State MLS is the nationwide real estate Multiple Listing Service that allows members to list and search properties anywhere in the United States.

A buyer’s market is when there are more homes for sale than there are people looking to purchase a home. With a greater selection of homes on the market and less competition, buyers typically have more time to shop, negotiate better terms, and may even see price reductions or other purchase incentives.

When there are more homes than there are interested buyers, sellers should look to prioritize ways of making their property stand out. This could include competitive pricing, investing in curb appeal or staging, and being flexible on timelines or terms. While it may take longer to sell, a well-presented and appropriately priced home can still draw strong interest even when the overall pace of sales slows.

In a seller’s market, there are fewer homes available than there are buyers looking to purchase a home, creating a competitive environment where bidding wars and quick sales can be common. While sellers can often secure higher prices and more favorable contract terms, preparing the home properly and setting a strategic asking price at the outset are still key to attracting strong offers and ensuring a smooth closing.

Yes—markets can quickly shift due to interest rate changes, job growth, seasonal trends, or shifts in consumer confidence. What was a seller’s market last year could easily become more balanced, or even buyer-friendly, within months. Staying informed about local trends helps you better anticipate these changes and adjust your strategy accordingly.

 The market type you are in is usually reflected through the pace of sales, how many homes are available, and how close the sale price of a home was to its listing price. In hot markets, homes may sell within days, often well above their asking price. In slower markets, listings stay active longer and require more negotiation.  

Trying to time the market perfectly can be difficult. In most cases, personal factors—such as lifestyle changes, financial readiness, or long-term plans—are more important than short-term market fluctuations.

Title insurance protects your legal right to own your home by covering issues that could challenge your ownership. This includes fraudulent claims, such as someone presenting a forged deed and asserting they own your property, as well as errors from past transactions like misspelled names or inaccurate property descriptions. One of its most important protections is that it provides both legal defense and financial coverage if a claim is made against your title, ensuring you’re not left to face disputes or losses on your own

While a deed is a physical document, a title is an abstract concept of ownership rights to a property, which is transferred to the new owner through the deed. The transfer of a property title triggers a one-time transfer tax separate from annual property taxes, which can be paid by either the buyer or seller depending on local laws. 

Title searches—an important step between signing and closing on a home—identify clouds on a title, such as liens, which are legal claims on a person’s property by their creditor to recover an unpaid debt or obligation. Liens can cause significant complications for property sales, and lenders may not be willing to finance homes with outstanding liens.

When evaluating offers on your home, the purchase price is only one piece of the puzzle. Other terms—such as the buyer’s financing, contingencies, closing timeline, and earnest money deposit—can significantly impact how strong or risky an offer really is. For example, a cash offer with few contingencies and a flexible closing date may be more appealing than a higher-priced offer that includes financing hurdles or strict conditions. Because of these variables, the best offer isn’t always the one with the highest number—it’s the one that provides the smoothest, most reliable path to closing.

A counteroffer happens when a seller responds to a buyer’s offer with different proposed terms instead of accepting it outright. This might involve asking for a higher price, adjusting contingencies, or changing the closing timeline. In some cases, sellers may even share details of one buyer’s offer to encourage another buyer to improve theirs. It’s important to remember that once a counteroffer is made, the original offer is no longer valid—the seller cannot go back and accept it later. From there, the buyer can either accept the counteroffer, make another counter of their own, or walk away from the deal.

When sellers receive multiple offers, they have several strategies to choose from. One option is to simply accept the offer they consider the “best.” Another approach is to notify all interested buyers that other offers are on the table and invite them to submit their “highest and best” offer. Some sellers may choose to counter one offer while holding off on others until they get a response, or they might counter a single offer and reject the rest. Each strategy comes with advantages and risks—for example, disclosing that multiple offers exist or making a counteroffer could encourage stronger offers, but it could also push some buyers to walk away if they feel their initial proposal was already fair. Because negotiations can be complex, sellers should carefully weigh the balance between maximizing price, minimizing risk, and keeping buyers engaged.

Under the Florida FAR/BAR “As-Is” Residential Contract, once you as the seller have signed and delivered a fully executed contract, you are legally bound to its terms and cannot back out simply because a better offer comes along. The “As-Is” version gives buyers the right to cancel during their inspection period for any reason, but it does not provide sellers with the same broad right of cancellation. As a seller, you remain contractually committed unless the buyer defaults or both parties mutually agree to terminate the deal. Because these contracts carry serious legal obligations once executed. If you’re unsure about your rights as a seller, considering backing out of a contract, or facing disputes over contingencies, deposits, or performance, this is the time to seek professional advice.

Seller disclosures are legal documents where you must share any known material defects or conditions that could impact your home’s value. This can include past repairs, property defects, natural hazards, missing essentials, HOA rules, or land-use restrictions. When it comes to disclosures, honesty isn’t optional—it’s the law. Hiding issues or leaving out important details can lead to lawsuits and financial liability after the sale. Being upfront protects you as much as it protects the buyer: buyers get the information they need to make informed decisions, and you reduce your risk of legal trouble down the road.

HOA fees are mandatory payments that homeowners in a community governed by a Homeowners Association must make—Monthly, quarterly or annually. These fees cover the cost of maintaining and improving shared spaces, such as landscaping, neighborhood upkeep, amenities like pools or gyms, and other community services. A portion of the fees usually goes into reserves to help fund future repairs or unexpected expenses. In addition to regular dues, HOAs may charge special assessments when reserves aren’t enough to cover major projects or emergency repairs—such as replacing a roof on a clubhouse, repaving roads, or addressing storm damage. Because HOA fees and special assessments directly affect the cost of owning a home, it’s important for sellers to disclose them accuratly.

As a seller, it’s important to understand how down payments work because they influence the strength and reliability of a buyer’s offer. A common misconception is that every buyer needs to put 20% down to purchase a home. In reality, many qualified buyers use financing options that require much less—often in the 3–7% range. What matters most for you as the seller is not the size of the down payment alone, but the overall terms of the offer. For example, a buyer putting 5% down with a strong pre-approval and limited contingencies may present a more secure and attractive offer than one with a larger down payment but complicated financing or multiple conditions. Key Takeaway for Sellers: Don’t assume that only buyers with 20% down are serious or financially secure. Evaluate each offer as a whole—down payment, financing type, contingencies, and timeline—to determine which is truly the strongest fit.

Over the past year, there have been major changes in how buyer’s agent commissions are handled, largely due to the 2024–2025 NAR settlement and new industry rules.

1. No More MLS Advertising of Buyer Agent Commission

In the past, when you listed your home, the buyer’s agent commission was displayed in the MLS. As of mid-2024, MLS systems can no longer show this. This means the offer of compensation to the buyer’s agent is now handled outside of MLS—through private negotiation, listing agreements, or separate written agreements.

2. Sellers Are No Longer Automatically Expected to Pay

Traditionally, sellers covered both their own agent’s commission and the buyer’s agent’s commission. Under the new rules, sellers are not required to pay the buyer’s agent’s fee.Instead, buyers and their agents may negotiate their own compensation,.

3. Sellers Still May Offer Compensation

Sellers can still choose to offer a commission to the buyer’s agent as an incentive to bring buyers—but it is now optional, not standard .  If you decide to offer it, the terms must be disclosed in writing but not through MLS fields.

4. More Negotiation and Transparency

Buyers now sign written agreements with their agents spelling out how much commission is owed. As a seller, you may encounter buyers who ask you to cover part or all of their agent’s fee as part of the negotiation.

What This Means for You as a Seller

You have more control over whether to offer a buyer’s agent commission.

You may save money if you decide not to cover it—but your property could be less attractive to buyers’ agents if no commission is offered.