Selling Tactics

asked:


I want to find the latest selling price of a house that I’m buying. I know there is a website, but I can’t find it. Anyone know? It’s a website that tells you what date and the final selling price of a house.

EVAN

Jason Kay asked:


Stories of ordinary people becoming millionaires overnight with the help of some wonderful programs are flooding us from all directions and even though many of these stories are exaggerated at best and total lies at worst, there are many ways in which you can make money, even if you are not a unique talent. Well, I don’t mean that photography does not require talent, but even beginner photographers can make money by selling their photos. Most likely you will not make your first million selling photos, but this is a viable way to earn some extra cash. Photos are a product and as with all products, you need to know what to offer and where to sell it.

What You Can Sell

For those people, who have no idea about photography, a photo is just a photo, but for people who are familiar with photography and arts in general, there are separate distinct groups of photos. The most obvious distinction of photos is based on their content, but for the purposes of selling photos, this distinction is not as important as what the photo can be used for.

The two major uses of photos are for the Web and in print. Web photos tend to be low resolution and lower quality is acceptable for them, while print photos generally are high resolution and low quality is unacceptable. As a beginner photographer, you will most likely target the Web market first because the entry barrier there is not as high as with the printing market. Additionally, if your camera is not a high-end one, your skills in photo processing will hardly be able to compensate for this, so in this case, print photos are not an option for you because of technical reasons. This shouldn’t discourage you because the Web market is vast and there is a lot of space for beginners.

The main buyers on the Web market are Web designers, who make sites for their clients. For many Web designers it is much easier and cheaper to buy ready-made photos than to take the pictures themselves. A solo Web designer can make 10 or even more middle-sized sites a month, which means that he or she will need at least 200-300 photos and illustrations. This does not mean that you will be able to sell 200-300 photos a month to each Web designer you contact, but even if you manage to sell him or her 10-20 photos a month, or more realistically a batch of several hundred photos for him or her to use in the next year, then you can make a lot of money.

Similar to other arts, photography also has genres. Not surprisingly, photos of people, nature and cities sell best. Another category, which is especially popular with designers, is objects of different kinds. You can shoot a light bulb, a pen, some pills, or whatever object you choose, and this may be enough. Add some unobtrusive background to it and you get a cool photo for a Web site. But be careful with copyrights because not all manufacturers will be happy if you shoot their products and make money from this. Try shooting generic products, which have no visible branding.

Similar copyright issues apply to people. If you want to shoot people and you want to be on the safe side, ask them to sign a model contract, which clarifies all the issues in regard to copyrights and sales. Very often you won’t have to hire professional models and you can shoot your friends and relatives instead. Your models don’t have to be extremely beautiful because pictures of ordinary people also sell well. Shooting friends and relatives has one more advantage - they work cheaply or free.

Nature and urban photos are always in demand, but avoid photos which look as if they were taken by tourists because they simply look too unprofessional to be sold. Abstractions are also popular, so if you are creative with PhotoShop or another image processing program you can wake up the Picasso in you.

Where You Can Sell

The type of photos you have is one of the major factors in choosing your sales channels. Basically, the options to sell your photos are the following:

1. Stock photo sites. Stock photo sites are the most popular sales channel. Stock photos are photos you have already taken, i.e. you have in stock. You open an account with a stock photo site, upload your images and every time somebody downloads your photo, you earn a commission. Different sites have different policies, but it’s not unusual to earn $40 per photo each time it is downloaded.

If your photos are popular, it is not impossible to reach dozens of downloads per week. One of the prerequisites for success is to submit sought after photos and to use the right keywords in the descriptions of your photos. The best stock photo site I have found is Shutterpoint. They provide photographers an e-commerce store-front for selling photos, handle advertising and promotion, handle all purchase transactions, provide customer service, and securely deliver images to buyers. All of these features are provided for a very reasonable fee, and in addition, other members often provide valuable feedback on your photos. This is a great way to begin your career as a professional photographer.

2. Stock agencies. Stock agencies are similar to stock photo sites, but in addition to listing your photos, they consult buyers and handle all the legal and logistical matters. Stock agencies usually deal with professional photographers mainly but there are stock agencies, which are beginner-friendly. As with stock photo sites, you usually have to decide (if you have the choice of course) whether you want to sell exclusive rights or only per use rights.

3. Sell directly to newspapers and magazines. Although this is hardly the easiest way to sell your photographs, it is worth trying. Newspapers and magazines are a very tough market to get into but can be a very high paying one. For a start, you can try your local or community media.

4. eBay and similar auctions. Auction sites, such as eBay, are one more sales outlet you can try. Yes you really can earn decent income from selling photos on eBay. This is a good alternative if you sell other products in addition to photos, but even if photos are the only thing you sell, eBay and the other auction sites can do a lot for you. Make sure to avoid small and dark photos. Listings should be created which are descriptive and include realistic prices. Check the Completed Listings option when searching to see examples of photos which have sold.

5. Freelance sites. Unlike the other options listed up to here, freelance sites are generally a place for work for hire projects. This means that usually a buyer comes and asks you to make some photos especially for him or her, but very often there are buyers who offer to purchase your already made (or stock) photos as well.

6. Your own website. Even if the other options work great for you, having your own website is a valuable sales channel. You can offer everything you like - i.e. low resolution mockups for free, paid downloads, etc. The downside is that you need to market your site, otherwise you will hardly get much traffic and, respectively, sales. Search engine optimization is a must and if you are really serious about selling your photos via your website, you can even consider starting an affiliate program.

7. Free samples. These days advertisements are something one can hardly sell without. Instead of launching an expensive campaign, you can give photos away for free but keep your logo on them. This is a kind of advertisement and it will bring you new customers.



CLARK

Andrew Wilson asked:


You can stop home repossession by sell and rent back scheme. Sell and rent back means a property cash buyer may buy your house quickly and deposit cash in your bank account within a few days.  You may be worried after selling your house where will you stay. But your problem can be solved as you can stay in the same house as a tenant.  If you sell your house through a property cash buyer you may receive 75% of market value. It is very difficult to sell a house in the falling market. So majority of homeowners choose sell and rent back because they are desperate to move house or wish to stop repossession.

If you sell your house through a real estate agent it may take a few months or sometimes a few years also. But with the help of sell and rent back scheme you quickly sell your house. Sell and rent back normally covers legal fees and the availability of a property cash buyer means that there is no 1-2% estate agent fee.

If you sell your house through sell and rent back you can prevent home repossession, sell the house quickly, no estate agent and legal fees, affordable rent etc.  A sell and rent back means that seller has to pay low monthly rentals.

There are other reasons for people to sell their house. One of the main reasons is because of financial difficulties.  If you want immediate cash, then sell and rent back would be the best solution. If you sell your house through sell and rent back scheme, you can stay in the same house. Children need not change schools and you don’t have to look after another house. Other reason for a person wanting to sell his house is he might be in debt, he might have a lower income now or there might be a break up in relationship. His son or daughter might be going in for further studies for which money might be needed or he might have planned a dream holiday for which money in a lump sum may be needed. Whatever the reason, the whole process will be over quickly for both the seller and the buyer. The house that you rent back can be taken on lease for a minimum of ten years that can be renewed. This lease can be taken for a longer time, if necessary.

In great financial difficulties, when people are afraid of losing their homes, sell and rent back facility is definitely a great solution.



CARY

Chris V asked:


I have sold over 400 cars on eBay. It just doesn’t seem to be like it used to be. Cars aren’t selling for as much money. People used to fly in and buy cars from all over. Now I only get local people. I am selling them for more and faster in the local newspaper. Also, 1/2 the people that are top bidder don’t even pay. It’s just not barely worth it anymore. Does anyone else feel this way? If so, why?
Haha, well now that you say it…..I had a conversation with my dad today about him getting a car on eBay. I wasn’t even thinking from the buyer’s side……but I told him no way because I have bought 2 Corvettes and a 350Z from reputable dealers on eBay. All 3 promised me no paintwork. There was paintwork on ALL 3. One even had the nerve to try to get me to sign a “paintwork disclosure” after I drove 300 miles when promised “NO PAINTWORK” liars.

KIRK

MSHomeSolutions.com asked:


There are a multitude of reasons a Hattiesburg homeowner needs to sell their home fast. Behind on payments, a looming foreclosure, divorce, down sizing, a recent death, two mortgage payments, house needs repairs, house is listed with a realtor and won’t sell – these are all problems homeowners are facing in today’s competitive selling market.  And with the current state of the economy it’s even more difficult to sell your house here in Hattiesburg Mississippi. Many home sellers are asking themselves, “How can I sell my home in Hattiesburg, MS”. No matter the situation, if you want to sell your house in Hattiesburg fast, keep reading.

While Mississippi is more insulated from the current recession than the rest of the country, the Hattiesburg housing market, like most in the country, has slowed considerably and economic data show it is probably going to get worse before it gets better.  Mississippi foreclosures are at an all time high.  It’s becoming more and more of a challenge to get rid of burdensome homes.  And if you can find a buyer, it’s more difficult for them to find financing because of the credit and mortgage disaster.  Where houses were selling in days or weeks, they are now sitting on the market for months and months and months.  Many are not  receiving any offers at all.

So what do you do?  You’re still wondering “How do I sell my house fast?”

You get creative!  If you do the same thing everyone else is doing, then you’ll probably get the same results — NOTHING.

Here are three creative solutions that can help you sell your home fast in the Hattiesburg Mississippi area.

Sell with seller financing

Essentially you become the bank and take payments for your equity over time. Instead of the buyer getting a loan, which has become nearly impossible these days because of tightening lending standards, you’re the lender. The buyer makes payments to you, with interest. This is often hard for sellers to wrap their minds around, but in today’s market, you MUST think outside the box in order to sell your house. Think about those who may have money, but a traditional lender wont approve them. You’re their savior and they’re yours. So what’s the catch? Well if the buyer stops making the payments you could get the house back. But what options do you have at this point? Simply screen correctly and you’ll be fine. You’ll be fully protected by a hard asset (a house), not just a non-performing piece of paper. The lenders who went under can tell you all about non-performing loans that didn’t have b security. In case you’ve been under a rock, they’re no longer around.

Lease the house

A second solution is to lease instead of selling your home, and wait for the market to turn, or offer it to your prospective tenants as a lease with an option to buy sometime in the future when they are able.  Because of the tough housing market right now, the pool of quality renters is expanding because of the tightened lending standards.  Those  who were once homeowners now have to rent, which could be an opportunity for you.  And if the rent doesn’t cover the mortgage payments?  You’ll have to weigh the loss against sitting on the house for a long period of time.  Leasing or leasing with an option to purchase can be a difficult decision.

Seek out a professional investor

A third option is to locate a professional investor who specializes in solving creative real estate problems.  These are usually honest real estate investors who have been buying houses for a number of years and are able to navigate their way this turbulent and chaotic market because of their skill and experience incoming up with out-of-the-box solutions for buying houses in difficult situations.  Often these are the We Buy Houses, I Buy Houses, We Buy Ugly Houses folks.  They can pay all cash, pay some cash with terms, take over payments, lease-purchase your home, or come up with a custom solution that fits your unique selling situation.  They usually buy the house as-is with no contingencies or repairs and they even handle all the paperwork.  And they don’t charge any fees or commissions.



Of all these solutions, if you don’t want to deal with all the hassles, the investor will.  Investors are professionals and usually have a financial interest to make sure everything is handled, otherwise they won’t make any money - now or in the future.

Whether you decide to try to give it a go on your own or seek the help of a professional investor, DO SOMETHING!  Your piece of mind is at stake.  If you’re sick and tired of waiting for your house to sell in the Hattiesburg area, maybe examining some other options is a good idea.

If working with a professional ‘We Buy Houses’ investor makes sense to you, visit www.MSHomeSolutions.com and fill out our confidential questionnaire and tell us about your home and situation and one of our Hattiesburg investors will contact you about buying your house.  There’s no obligation and if we can find a solution that works for you, then you’ll have a smooth transaction, a fast close, and relief from your current stress. We work in Hattiesburg, Oak Grove, Purvis, Petal, Sumrall and throughout Mississippi and the Pinebelt.

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GONZALO

WeBuyHouses.net asked:


Everyone has heard the news on the current deteriorating state of the economy, the severe credit crisis and the declining housing market. Fox, CNN, MSNBC, other news outlets and even the President remind us of our pain daily. The peoples fears and perception have not become reality. Home foreclosures are at an all time high even in my neighborhood in Dacula Georgia with many more foreclosures likely to come. The unemployment rate in Georgia is growing daily and is the highest it has been in many years. Housing resale values are at all time lows with no end in sight. Even the banks are going bankrupt as are many Americans who no longer qualify for credit.

Because of the recent credit crisis, many people don’t qualify for a new loan to buy a house right now, despite the incredibly low housing prices. Many home sellers can’t sell their unwanted houses because they owe more than their house is worth because of the falling house prices. Many sellers can’t even rent their houses our for enough to cover their mortgage payments, taxes and insurance resulting in severe negative cash flow that bleeds then dry month after month. To make matters worse, many tenants end up trashing the house when they move out making it even more difficult and expensive to sell. If they list their house with a real estate agent, their house will likely sit on the market for a long, long time waiting to sell since the buyers seem to have magically disappeared. Even if the house does finally sell one day at a greatly reduced price to get it sold, the owner has to pay a 6% real estate commission plus the majority of the closing costs. This often results in the seller writing a big, fat check at the closing table to finally get their house sold.

So what are my options to sell my Dacula Georgia house fast in this depressed economy and housing market when many folks can’t get a loan? By trial and error, I discovered the following 3 alternatives to try to sell my Dacula home quickly…

I tried to sell my house in Dacula “For Sale by Owner” aka “FSBO”.

At first, selling my house by myself sounded easy enough, but it soon became my worst nightmare. At first I didn’t know how to attract buyers that might be interested in purchasing a home in Dacula Georgia. The for sale by owner sign in the yard wasn’t working. I ended up spending a fortune placing classifieds in the local paper which resulted in few potential buyers. Those that did respond wanted to see my house at all different hours of the day or night. I was afraid to say no in fear of losing a potential buyer. I would have to keep my house clean and all picked up, only to have them not show up to see my house. Other times I had some pretty scary people show up with their 5 kids in tow, trampling through my home. I never did find my ideal buyer. Even if I did, I had no idea how to get them qualified, how to handle all the purchase and sale paperwork or how to get the house closed. I said “There has to be a better way to sell my home!” and I was determined to find it.

I listed my house for sale with a local Dacula real estate agent.

When I listed my house with a local Dacula Georgia real estate agent, I thought they were all the same and they would be able to sell my house quickly. I called an agent from a local, seemingly reputable, real estate agency and made an appointment to have an agent come out and see me. The agent sounded like she really knew what she was talking about and got me really excited about the prospect of selling my home quickly. She said she would list my house in the MLS, on dozens of real estate sites throughout Georgia, advertise my house in the local paper and other print publications, do multiple open houses, put out signs, balloons, flyers in an information box and went on and on about how she could sell my home and still get top dollar. How could I refuse? I didn’t. I listed my house and waited, and waited and waited. The agent put the house in the MLS, put a sign in the yard along with a dozen flyers in the information box and disappeared never to be seen again. She not only refused to return my calls, but did no perceivable advertising, no open houses, no showings, no more flyers, no more nothing! Six months later I still had no buyers and apparently no agent. I ended up hiring 2 more agents with the same dismal results. Meanwhile my house in Dacula Georgia had not only decreased in value because it would not sell for the list price, which had been reduced repeatedly, but also because of all the other listed houses and foreclosures on the market in my area of Dacula. At this point, I was all out of ideas and praying for solution. About that time, someone at my church told me about WeBuyHouses.net.

I contacted a local, professional home buyer from Dacula Georgia.

My friend from church told me that she had similar problems selling her Dacula house, but that she had contacted a local professional home buyer who bought her house in under a week! What? Is this possible? Could I sell my Dacula Georgia house in 7 days or less too? She said their are professional home buyers out there, also known as “real estate investors”, who buy and sell real estate for investment purposes. You’ve probably seen their “We Buy Houses” advertisements around town but never gave them much thought. These are people who buy houses professionally and are always actively looking for more houses to buy. She gave me their phone number and web address (Toll free number: 888-765-3461, website: www.WeBuyHouses.net) and I contacted them ASAP. A local Dacula home buyer from the called me and said that if my house qualified and if I was flexible on price or terms, that they may be able to buy my house in the next 7 days or less. They said depending on my situation that they may be able to pay all cash, pay some cash now and some cash later or take over your mortgage payments giving me immediate debt relief. At this point I was definitely flexible and had nothing to lose by scheduling an appointment for them to come see my home and possibly enable me to sell my Dacula Georgia house fast!

So I scheduled the appointment with the Dacula home buyer and he came out and inspected my home. He said it was just what they were looking for and that he had several buyers looking for a similar home. I was ecstatic! He made me several offers to buy my house as promised. I chose the offer that best suited my needs and we scheduled a closing the following week with a local real estate closing attorney. It was that fast and that simple to finally sell my house in Dacula! I still can’t get over it. After waiting two years trying to sell my house on my own and through a licensed agent, I was able to sell my house in less than 7 days to a local professional home buying company!

If you have an unwanted Dacula Georgia house you need to sell fast, call 888-765-3461 toll free or visit www.WeBuyHouses.net and complete their online Seller Questionnaire for a FREE, no obligation consultation. You have nothing to lose by contacting them and everything to gain. I was able to sell my Dacula home fast and you can too!



ORVILLE

MM Det asked:


Do you have a house selling plan while trying to sell your house? If not, then you really should. A house selling plan places things in perspective for you when you wish to sell your house. A house selling plan includes those things that can be done to enhance the market value of your house. A house selling plan orders your steps in your endeavor to sell your house.

The most effective way to put a house that will sell double-quick on the market is to modify the house to fit what the target audience will wish. Take a look at your house before you sell it. Would you purchase it yourself? If not, then dont anticipate another individual to be raring to purchase it either. The decree that comes to mind here is “Do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you”.

Sometimes, using a realty agent to sell your house can come with a host of advantages. A realty agent may be deluged by work and may not give your house the attention it needs to facilitate a quick and successful sale. If you sell your house by yourself, you have the luxury of focusing on your house and not being distracted by further lines of work.

You may decide to have an open house sign placed in front of your house to engage in potential homebuyers. Open house is a marketing strategy that allows anyone who is interested in buying a house come in and scrutinize your house. The disadvantage of having an open house is that even people who have no intention of buying a house troop into your house.

You would not be interested in buying a house that has no heating system, would you? In the same vein, no homebuyer will wish to purchase a house that has no heating system. If your house is lacking in essentials, you should address it in order to sell it off promptly.

A house that has a floor filled with stains can depreciate in value when you try to sell it. Before you put your house up for sale, get rid of any stains that may diminish your homes price tag. The first thing you have got to do before you sell your house is to enhance its look.

Whether you are helping someone sell his house or you are selling your own house, you will need a lot of help. Marketing your house involves a lot of paperwork and proficiencies. You can get ideas about how to sell your house from other house owners who have sold their homes without stress.

House selling rules of thumb can be obtained from a diversity of sources. House or realty magazines can assist you determine how to sell your house. The net can also be a helpful source of information for the sale of your house.



KEVIN

Michelle Thomas asked:


There is a difference between selling your own products online and selling affiliate products where you earn commissions for sales. Which is the best way forward for someone wanting to set up their own home business online?

Here are some benefits and downfalls of each type of online selling which can help you decide which is the best way to make money on the internet.

Selling your own products

You can sell whatever products you want in any niche you want. You can sell e books, software, scripts online which takes away the hassle of having to post the items to the buyer

You can start your own online shop selling arts and crafts products you make yourself, clothes, jewelry, books, household goods or anything you decide

The Benefits of Selling Something That is Entirely Yours



You can set your own price

Have an online store or mall

Create on and offline marketing materials

Sell discount products

Giveaway free products for promotional and advertising purposes

Sell items you have made or created yourself

Advertise your own business this way by adding extra promotional material like catalogues leaflets and savings coupons to the buyer’s package



 

The Downfalls of Selling Your Own Products on and Offline



Relying on postal and courier services

Trusting buyer’s word they will pay

Starting your own business and marketing everything yourself online

Having to keep invoices, receipts and do all the posting and packing

No online support or technical help

Running your own website without much knowledge of the internet of HTML



 

Selling affiliate products for Commissions

You can also join online affiliate programs and sell products or other services for online merchants. You will be able to make money by getting leads, website visits and by selling the products. The commission varies with each program and with some you can even build your own sales team and make extra money from the revenue they make

The Pros of Selling Affiliate Products



All marketing and advertising material is provided free of charge

Online technical support and often a free affiliate website

An affiliate URL which take you directly to the merchant’s website

Bonus commissions, incentives and extra performance payouts

Part of an online community

Can build your own sales team to make you more money

No post and packing charges or order forms to fill, the affiliate website does it all for you



 

The Downfalls of Online Affiliate Programs



You can lose sales if your affiliate link is hijacked

You only get a percent of your sales

Sometimes the affiliate program closes down suddenly and you lose referrals and money

Some affiliate urls are not search engine friendly which means you have to do a lot of indirect advertising

Can be hard to promote affiliate websites as your link will always redirect to the merchant’s site

The affiliate program may ban you and close your account if you do not keep to their terms and conditions

Your referred members and sales team may decide to cancel their membership losing you revenue



 

If you look at each of the reasons for the 2 different types of online sales you can go through them and look at ways to overcome any difficulties. Internet Marketing Gurus have covered all these points and have found out easy ways to market any product online. The knowledge they have is easily available to the newbie online seller. It can be hard to sell products online but some marketing experts make $100 000’s every single year just by creating their own products and selling them online or by selling for other merchants.

It is up to you to decide how you are going to make money online and start up your own home business. You can do either, sell your own products or someone else’s but which ever one you decide to do it is a good idea to go over the ways in which you can market the products you are selling over the web first and find easy solutions to any problems you may have that could lead to a loss in sales.

For more information on selling products online, affiliate programs you can join for free and lots of advertising and marketing tips and resources visit my blog Mailboxmoney. To see a blog which is used to promote affiliate products and how it works visit Cybershopping



CESAR

Brad P asked:


Is it illegal to sell liquor online across the USA? What if the business is located in a different country such as mexico? What are the laws with selling liquor online?

SEAN

begood1977 asked:


I am planning to sell my home, but really can’t afford a Realtor without cutting in to my down payment for my new home, so I am thinking of selling it myself. Has anyone had luck selling on their own and if so, do you have any helpful tips for selling fast. Thanks in advance!

HAROLD