My friend Larry texted me an image and a question.  The image was of a recent post from Business ​Insider said The new rule of upending the way​ Americans ​buy and sell homes​. 

The article, Real estate’s new paper trap: Homebuyers are getting stuck in terrible deals with their real estate agents, and it’s costing them big money, written by James Rodriguez​, was posted July 22, 2026​.  ​Here’s the link​:

https://www.businessinsider.com/buyer-representation-agreements-homebuyers-stuck-real-estate-agents-2026-7

​My short answer to Larry once I read the article was, “Not new.  2 years old change because of the law suit.” (BTW, lawsuit is one word not 2.  But in full transparency, I used two words in my text.  In this article, I’ll spell it correctly! :)

As I read, the article, ​a bajillion thoughts were running through my head. I thought I’d write this blog post to document those ​bajillion thoughts.  Then I came to my senses and realized nobody’s going to want read those ...

I work with both home buyers and home sellers, so I hear the conversation about

houses from both the home buying and home selling perspectives.

When it comes to purchasing a home, it’s important to think not just about the house

and how you’ll use that home yourself.

It’s also worth considering characteristics of the house that won’t change and how those factors will impact the home value when it comes time to sell.

5 Factors that Impact Property Value When You Sell

The 5 factors below will decrease the number of home buyers interested in the house just because they exist.

The only way to overcome these negative characteristics is to price the house below

other similar properties and make buying the house such a bargain that the future home buyer can’t resist.

Chances are, it was a lower price is what drew you to that house in the first place. So, expect the same will happen when you go to sell.

Factor 1 – A Steep Driveway

If the home buyer can’t bring themselves...

1.  Down Payment 

2.  Earnest Money