A bill was recently introduced in the Vermont Legislature which would dramatically change the requirements for selling a home in Vermont. Under the bill, sellers of a home in Vermont would have to hire a professional to perform an energy audit of their home. The seller would have to pay for this audit. The seller would be required to provide [...]
Flat Fee Real Estate is headquartered in Burlington, Vermont along the shores of Lake Champlain. Its founder, Rob Foley, is also a resident of Burlington, Vermont. Rob and his wife also attended the University of Vermont in [...]
Under Vermont law, real estate agents must provide a State of Vermont Consumer Disclosure form to buyers and sellers. The State of Vermont Consumer Disclosure informs buyers of their right to retain separate representation from a real estate agent. Pursuant to the law, buyers must be presented this disclosure BEFORE A SHOWING.
From a [...]
While it looks the tax compromise between the Republicans and President Obama will pass, I think the debate reminds us that the tax code is subject to change at anytime.
For real estate purposes, changes in the capital gains tax laws can have a huge impact on property owners in Vermont. Under the current tax code, when you buy or a sell a [...]
President Obama's Defecit Reduction Panel recommended eliminating the mortgage interest deduction for all properties other than primary residences of $500,000 or less.
While this seems like a good way to raise immediate tax revenue, I question whether the Panel thought through all of the implications of such an action.
My question is what [...]
There was a story recently that Vermont's real estate had actually appreciated in price by 17% from the 3rd quarter of 2009 to the 3rd quarter of 2010. While the data supports this statement, it is important to analyze the data to figure out the cause of the [...]
According to the Burlington Free Press, Vermont has been ranked the healthiest State in America for the the 4th consecutive year.
Many observers believe that Vermont's vast outdoor recreational activities are one of the reasons that the State consistently ranks at the top. Whether its skiing in Stowe, Sugarbush, Killington, Okemo or Woodstock's Suicide Six [...]
First let's review how national franchise companies make money from local real estate transactions. The most common model of compensation is a percentage of every transaction is paid to the national company by the local brokerage firm. Typically a local brokerage firm will pay the national company 8-10% of their fee from every transaction. [...]
The internet has dramatically changed the way buyers of real estate search for property.
No longer do buyers spend hours on a weekend attending multiple houses. Gone too are the days when buyers read the paperto findreal estate listings. Buyers no longer even rely upon real estate agents to send them listings. [...]
UNDERSTANDING TRANSACTIONAL COSTS IN A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION
This article is geared towards buyers of real estate but may provide sellers some insight into the costs of the services being provided to them and the impact those costs have on the sale of their [...]