How to pick a Realtor®:
First of all, not all real estate agents are a Realtor®. Realtors are part of the self regulated National Association of Realtors (NAR), who are held to a higher standard of practice. Secondly, not all Realtors are full-time. Some work part-time, some are semi-retired, to some it is a hobby and a select few make it their vocation. Lastly, pick a Realtor who really knows the market inside and out, as this could be the biggest financial transaction of your life.

Next, there are many tools in the real estate business such as doing a comparative market analysis (CMA) to make sure you are not over or under pricing your property when you list it for sale. Once your property is listed, your agent should put up a real estate sign and brochure box (for the point-of-sale contact), make a full color brochure, advertise it weekly in the local papers, post it on the world-wide web, have it in a locally distributed real estate magazine, hold an open house for other Realtors and most importantly they need to be members of the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

If you really want to get your commission dollars worth out of your Realtor, interview them and find out if they plan to or are able to do all the above. If they cannot or are not willing to, find someone who can. You will not only get your monies worth but you will find the experience much more pleasant and accomplish the goal of selling your property quickly.

Jackson Hole Real Estate & Appraisal, LLC
David E. Viehman
Editor, The Hole Report


Get An Appraisal when Purchasing Property:
With the fast pace of real estate sales, being experienced in Jackson Hole today, it would be wise to make your offer contingent upon an appraisal, even if you plan to pay cash. No one wants to pay more than a property will appraise for and with an appraisal contingency you might be able to re-negotiate the purchase price if the appraisal comes in below the agreed upon sale price.

Jackson Hole Real Estate & Appraisal, LLC
David E. Viehman
Editor, The Hole Report


www.jacksonholesearch - The site also offers links to real estate service providers such as: Accountants, Affordable Housing, Architects, Appliances, Appraisers, Attorneys, Craftsmen, Contractors (cabinets, concrete, electrical, excavation, fencing, flooring, general, heating, landscaping, lighting, masonry, painting, plumbing, snow blowing, tile etc), Economics, Environmental and Home Inspectors, Home Building Supplies, Housekeeping/Maid Service, Insurance, Interior Design, Landscaping, Mortgage Brokers, Pest & Weed Control, Rental Properties & Management, Real Estate Conservation Groups, Real Estate Sales, Remodel & Repairs, Security Systems, Utilities Companies, Well - Septic, Water Softeners and much more. We even have the up-to-date local weather!

So whether you live in Jackson Hole, New York, Houston or Tokyo all you need to remember is jacksonholesearch.com.

Jackson Hole Real Estate & Appraisal, LLC
David E. Viehman
Editor, The Hole Report


1031 Tax Exchanges - Any real estate investor wishing to sell their property and reinvest the money in other property or to "trade up" to a better property, should consider a 1031 (like-kind, Starker, etc.) tax-deferred exchange. Otherwise they might find themselves faced with a whopping tax bill the next year, and the needed money to pay taxes locked up in the investment in the new property. This can happen despite your best intentions and split second timing of the closing, unless you strictly follow the requirements of the IRS rules and use a "qualified" exchange intermediary to take advantage of this tax shelter technique.
The idea is to keep all your money working for you in ever bigger, or at least better, investments in real estate. The ultimate goal is to keep trading up until congress reduces the capital gains tax or, better yet, until you die owning the property and avoid the capital gains taxes altogether.

Paul Vaughn, P.C.
Attorney at Law
The Real Estate Exchange


Home Inspections - In any residential real estate transaction buyers frequently request an inspection. For the unsuspecting seller an inspection can sometimes jeopardize a potential sale. Every home, condo or commercial building has a few quirks, but knowing of problems in advance that might cause a buyer alarm can be to a sellerõs advantage, especially if they take the time to address the repairs. Before listing your property, have your home, condo or commercial building inspected to avoid unwanted surprises later on. Of course as a buyer, you should always take advantage of inspecting a property you intend to purchase. A qualified inspector will examine a property thoroughly, looking carefully at the workings of a structure most people take for granted, or just overlook.


Property Profiles - Whenever real property goes under contract a Commitment for Title Insurance is ordered. This commitment gives the legal description, title vesting of the record title holders, any liens, easements or encumbrances affecting title to the property. Occasionally, this commitment discloses unknown encumbrances or defects that could delay or even prevent the closing. Such defects or problems could include:

*Breaks in the ©¯chain©˜ of title which show ownership passing from one person or entity to the next

*Incorrect or incomplete legal descriptions in deeds *Deeds, wills or trusts that contain improper vesting or incorrect names

*Defective notary acknowledgements

*Easement rights held by third parties

*Lack of easements for ingress and egress. In order to avoid a last minute scramble to cure such defects, ask your realtor to order a Property Profile or Listing Report which will reveal any problems well in advance of closing and help educate potential purchasers.

Joaquin K. Hanson President,
Jackson Hole Title and Escrow Company
307-733-3153

Copyright 1995 - 2008 by David E. Viehman, dba Jackson Hole Real Estate & Appraisal LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without explicit written permission from David E. Viehman.

*All statistics are supplied by sources that have been deemed reliable but are not guaranteed.

*All statistics quoted in this newsletter are based on sales in 2007 compared to 2008.

*This report is published and updated twice a year. Because of our fast moving market most of the statistics in this report are obsolete within two weeks. Therefore, you should not rely on this report to determine the value of a property, instead call me for a free market analysis.