Summertime is upon us, and for many investors, that means tax sale season is here. A tax sale – when the county (or City of St. Louis) auctions real estate parcels with unpaid property taxes – offers the opportunity to acquire a parcel at a price substantially below the value; however, there are many complexities […]
Five Referral Tips Every Successful Agent Knows
Referrals can truly be the lifeblood of a successful career as a real estate agent. Imagine if, instead of chasing after every new lead, you could count on a trusted network to provide you with a steady stream of qualified prospects. But how should you go about building that network? Read on to find out […]
Reduce Taxes and Invest in Real Estate? Tell me more!
When you work in real estate long enough, you will come across transactions in which the buyer or seller wants to use an IRA to complete the deal. This is especially true if you’re working with commercial properties, or ones that may be rented out or flipped. Read on to find out what you need […]
And the client said “By the way, we never went through probate…”
When selling a property, the process of transferring title to the buyer is usually pretty straightforward. But what happens when it’s not? How is title transferred, for example, if the title-holder died more than one year ago? Understanding how to proactively and accurately navigate this situation can mean the difference between impressing your client or […]
Immigration and the St. Louis Housing Market
In a city where residents can’t seem to resist asking where you went to high school, it can be easy to assume that most of your clients have lived here for multiple generations. Not so for many St. Louisans! Immigrants have been relocating to St. Louis from around the world in recent years, and they’re […]
President’s Day – Real Estate of George Washington
The history of our nation can be tracked in the real estate records. True Title’s examiners are, at their core, historians of our properties and land. It is not uncommon for our team to examine handwritten deeds and hand-drawn surveys. These deeds date back centuries. George Washington personally drafted this legal description of his estate, Mount […]
1 Big Legal Headache – and How to Avoid It
I recently worked with a listing agent on an unexpected legal headache. Her buyer had discovered a defect in the property during inspection… just before closing. Because there wasn’t time to fix the problem, the agent recommended negotiating for a credit at time of closing. But during the negotiation, attorneys got involved. Here’s what happened: […]
4 steps – and one “TrueTip”– for managing that irate client.
Face it. When your client is buying or selling a home, the stress can be as high as the stakes. Use this handy 4-step guide to help your customers keep their cool. 1) Listen. First and foremost. Give your disgruntled client a chance to vent. It’ll help them to articulate the problem. 2) Empathize. Say, “OK, I understand what […]