Don’t risk it.Don’t risk it.

WHY USING A

CAN BRING YOU ASALES PROHIGHER PRICE,QUICKER SALE

IMAGE © JAMES STEIDL, 2010 | USED UNDER LICENSE FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

FACT: The average home listed by a real estate agent sold for $211,000 in 2008, compared with just $153,000 for a “for sale by owner” listing.

SOURCE: 2008 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® PROFILE OF HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS

Use a professionalAN EXPERT KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO SELL YOUR HOUSE

When it comes to selling your home,though, trying to cut corners could poten-tially turn into a huge mistake.

For some people, it may be tempting totry to avoid paying a real estate agent’scommission by listing your home yourself.How hard could it be to put a sign in theyard or an ad in the newspaper, after all?

If only it were that simple. In reality, sell-ing a home requires a lot more experienceand sophistication than most home own-ers are able to provide on their own. Manypeople who try to sell their own home endup getting a lower price and taking a longertime to close because they don't have thehelp of a good agent.

There's a reason homes listed by realestate agents fetch higher prices than their"for sale by owner" counterparts. It hasnothing to do with the sign in the yard, andeverything to do with a sales professional’sconnections and experience.

When you list your home with an agent,you're not just getting someone to adver-tise your home. You're also getting an

expert on the local real estate market,someone who can give you straight adviceabout how to price your home and presentit in a way that gets top dollar at the clos-ing table.

Even more, you're getting someone witha whole network of co-workers in the realestate industry. When you hire an agent,

you're in essence hiring all the people theyinteract with — other real estate profes-sionals, service providers and advertisingoutlets — and you can get good, honestadvice about other companies that youmight need to hire to get your house sold.

It's the connections an agent has thatoften get the deal done, not just them per-

sonally. That's why it's important to pickthe right agent to list your home, someonewith more insider knowledge and a goodrapport with other agents who can find theperfect buyer.

Doing otherwise could mean you settlefor a lower price or keep your home on themarket far longer than necessary.

In today's economy,people are trying to save money

wherever they can.Whether bringing asack lunch to work,cutting back on yourdaily latte, or shopping at discountstores, it makes senseto be frugal.

IMAGE © OLIVIER LE QUEINEC, 2010 | USED UNDER LICENSE FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

FACT: “For sale by owner” houses only accounted for 13 percent of home sales in2008. The vast majority of homes are sold successfully by real estate agents.

SOURCE: 2008 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® PROFILE OF HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS

IMAGE © LARISA LOFITSKAYA, 2010 | USED UNDER LICENSE FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Don't risk a nightmareSELLING A HOUSE CAN BE MORE

COMPLEX THAN YOU THINK

If you want to give yourself aheadache, try reading — and fullyunderstanding — all the paperwork

involved with selling a home.

For many people, the sale of their houseis the most complex legal procedure theywill face in their lifetime. There are disclo-sures required by the state and federal gov-ernment, papers that must be properlyfilled out to protect yourself, and a com-plete contract that must be written to standup to any potential problems down theroad. It's not easy.

That's another reason to find a good realestate agent to sell your home. If youassume you can do all the work on yourown, you might be putting yourself at riskby not using the right forms, using thewrong wording in the sales contract, or notfilling out the paperwork correctly.

Professional real estate agents are in theperfect position to help you navigate theprocess. Since they deal with real estatetransactions all the time — that's their pro-fession, after all — an experienced agenthas seen all kinds of problems that youneed to watch out for, and they can steeryou toward the safest, most up-do-datemethods for selling a home in your state.

For example, some states frequentlychange the types of forms required in real

estate transactions. Even if it's a minorchange, using the wrong form — or filling itout in the wrong way — can lead to bigproblems down the road.

There are also requirements for whatinformation must be disclosed to the buy-ers before they purchase the house. If youdon't give the buyers the correct disclo-sures, such as information about mold, leadpaint or flooding, you could be settingyourself up for a lawsuit years in the future.

You need to consider all the otheraspects of selling a home, too, such as get-ting title insurance and having the deedrecorded properly at the courthouse. Unlessyou work in real estate, you probablyhaven't had to do those things before, andan agent can help the process run problem-free so that your only concern is what sizethe check will be when you get to the clos-ing table.

Selling your home doesn't have to be arisky prospect. If you want to rest easy dur-ing the sales process, and also for yearsafterward, consider using an agent to makesure you get all the details right for sellingyour specific house in your specific location.

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In fact, once you've found a buyer to signthe sales contract, that's just the beginning.

Buyers, especially those who aren't veryexperienced in real estate transactions, willlikely have a lot of questions about theprocess. For example, they may find there'sa minor problem with the title or that thehome will require repairs in order to obtainfinancing. They may ask you to fill outpaperwork that you're not sure about.

They might even come to you with awk-ward questions about the sale, somethingmade more stressful and emotional whenthere's not an objective, third-party bufferto help make the sale go through success-fully.

That's when a real estate agent can beespecially valuable.

Because an agent has experience keepingbuyers satisfied and the knowledge toanswer their questions, they're more likelyto make the sale get to closing without asmuch stress. And because they're not asemotionally wrapped up in your house,they're better equipped to solve problems

with a level head.When buyers tour your home, for exam-

ple, they're going to feel a lot more com-fortable if the current owner is not home.They wouldn't be able to talk freely in yourpresence about what they like and whatthey want to change, so using an agent whohas experience giving buyers a stress-freetour is important.

It's important for an agent to eliminate

stress in your life, too. Home sellers who try"for sale by owner" report they have specialchallenges that make the process more dif-ficult — such as selling the home within theright time frame, getting the right price andfilling out all the right paperwork — so hav-ing a professional agent who knows how tonavigate these matters can make a big dif-ference.

Finally, when you look at the raw num-

bers — including how the average homelisted by a real estate agent sold for$211,000 in 2008, compared with just$153,000 for a "for sale by owner" listing —it's clear that choosing a qualified, experi-enced agent makes sense.

Get a good professional, and not onlywill you save yourself a lot of work, butyou'll also be more likely to fetch a higherprice and sell your home faster.

FACT:Nearly half of all “for sale by owner” properties — 45 percent — were not

placed on the open market. They were known as “closely held” transactionsbetween people who knew each other in advance, such as friends or relatives.

SOURCE: 2008 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® PROFILE OF HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS

Save yourself the hassle'FOR SALE BY OWNER' COULD MEAN MORE WORK FOR WORSE RESULTS

There's no questionthat selling yourhome is a lot of

work. Aside from stag-ing your home to leavethe best impressionwith buyers, there's thecomplex matter of tyingup all the legal andfinancial loose ends tomake sure the deal iscompleted without aproblem.

IMAGE © CHRISTIAN KIEFFER, 2010 | USED UNDER LICENSE FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SherryBradanini, CrSHarrison Avenue RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.490-7651

Judith Kivela, CrSKivela Real EstateButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.491.5777

Patricia Coles, CrSGreat Divide RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.491.7653

Mike Mcleod, CrSMcLeod RealtorsButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.560.5263

Louise Chandler, CrSGreat Divide Realty Butte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.491.0746

Alana Larock, CrSGreat Divide Realty Butte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.560.1155

Debbie Fisher, CrSMcLeod RealtorsButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.490.5171

Janel Morgan, CrSHarrison Avenue RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.490.7945

Irene Humber, CrSHarrison Avenue RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.494.2200

Melva Munson, CrSAIM RealtyAnaconda, MT, 59711Phone: 1.406.563.2170

Working with a CRS Makes a Difference

IT’S LIKE THE Ph.D. OF REAL ESTATE!You know you are working with the most qualified real estate agent when you work with a Certified Residential Specialist. CRS stands for experience, knowledge and professionalism. Less than 4 percent of the more than 1 million rEALTOrS® working today can call themselves a CrS Designee. This group represents the elite performers!

Why Turn to an SRES®?(Seniors Real Estate Specialist®)

You’re thinking about selling your home. Maybe you’re retiring, downsizing or a major life event has made you consider amove. A Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) has unique training and experience in helping home buyers and sellers in your situation. Why ask a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® to assist you?

• An SRES® understands that the decision to sell can be difficult.

• An SRES® can patiently support you through each step.

• An SRES® will stick with you throughout the entire process.

• An SRES® can draw upon a network of other professionals focused on 50+clients.

• An SRES® also has ties throughout the 50+ community.

You can count on an SRES® to guide you through the process of selling your home, making the transaction less stressful and more successful.

Alana LaRockBroker, ABR, CRS,

SRES, WHS

406.560.11551617 Harrison Ave., Butte

Judy KivelaBroker, CDPE, CRS, ePRO, GRI, SRES, WHS

406.491.5777Butte Plaza Mall

Alana LaRock 560-1155Broker, ABR, CRS, WHS

Ruth Morrow 491-2074Sales Associate

Patricia Coles 491-7653CRS, GRI, Broker/Owner

Diana Morris 491-8117Sales Associate

Louise Chandler 491-0746CRS, GRI, Sales Associate

1617 Harrison Ave., Butte, MT 59701 • 406-782-4800

www.GreatDivideRealty.com

Mortgage rates are less than 4%. Call today!

11:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M. 1814 Four Mile rd., Butte Hostess: AlAnA lARockSellers will look at all offers! 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, full basement, brick, oversized double garage. $120,000 Mls# 100069

1:00-2:30 P.M.855 MiSSoulA Ave., ButteHostess: louise cHAndleRMcGlone Heights home, 3 good sized bedrooms with beautiful hardwood floors, basement, new paint, electrical and insulation. $87,000 Mls# 110812

1:30-3:00 P.M.3110 AMHerSt Avenue, ButteHostess: diAnA MoRRis3 bedroom, 2 bath home plus recent 1000 sq. ft. addition, 4 lots. $189,000 Mls# 110901

OPEN HOUSES SUNDAY, FEB. 26

11:30 A.M.-1:00 P.M. 3750 Green lAne, Butte Hostess: PAt colesSpacious 4 bedroom, 3 bath two story home on 5 lots near the Country Club Golf Course. $179,000 Mls# 110900

1:00-3:00 P.M. 3105 S. MontAnA Street, Butte Hostess: RutH MoRRowrare 2+ bedroom, 1 bath home, detached double car garage, carport, 24’ x 36’ shop and fenced yard. Bonus is original log 2 room cabin. $185,000 Mls# 120060 www.3105Montanastreet.com

406-782-1703loren@whispercreekmontana.comchris@whispercreekmontana.com

Loren491-7307

Chris490-9992

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AMAZING SETTING! 4 bdrm, 2.5 ba, open living/dining/kitchen w/fireplace. Attached 2 car + det 2 car garage on 1.43 acres. $299,000

JUST LIKE NEW 3 bdrm, 2 ba, hard-wood floors throughout. Full unfin-ished bsmt. Att 2/c gar. Landscaped w/sprinkling system. $219,000.

EXECUTIVE HOME 5 bdrm, 3 ba, de-signer touches. Granite & tile accent kitchen & baths. Landscaped, spec-tacular views. 2+ acres. $469,000

QUALITY THROUGHOUT 4 bdrm, 3 ba, 3 levels of living accented by high ceilings, windows & natural light. Views on 1 acre. $299,000

SPACIOUS 4 bdrm, 2 ba, kitchen w/ island & eating area. Full finished bsmt w/high ceilings. 4+ c/gar. Cor-ner lot w/circular drive. $199,000

GREAT FAMILY HOME Spacious 4

bdrm, 3.5 bth, fireplace, finished

basement, Hillcrest area. $182,500.

UPDATES THROUGHOUT this 3 bdrm, 2 ba, with a desirable loca-tion. Fenced yard and detached 2 car garage. $175,000.

QUIET CHARM! 2 bdrm, w/fireplace in living room. Detached garage, bunkhouse, & shed. 1.75 acres. Op-portunity. $159,000

Mary Anne MahoodBroker

490-3935

Sherry BradaniniBroker

490-7651

Janel MorganBroker

490-7945

Irene HumberBroker

494-2200

Nathaniel DugdaleSales Assoc.

490-7559

Rick FranklinSales Assoc.

498-0698

Angie SpolarSales Assoc.

498-1146

GREAT AREA! 3 bdrm on large fenced yard w/ dbl car oversized garage. Newer hot water heat, carpeting and roofing. $146,000

CRAFTSMAN Beautiful wood-work and beamed ceilings, 4 bed, 2 bath, 4 fenced lots, 2 car garage, next to park. $139,900

WELL MAINTAINED Open floor plan accented by brick fireplace 3 bdrm, 2 ba. Fam rm, covered patio, landscaped. $138,000

CLOSE TO MT TECH 3 bdrm, 1 ba, spacious living/dining w/ fireplace, 3+ detached gar, large landscaped lot. $132,000.

STYLE & CHARM Orig. wdwk/beam ceilings accent this 3 bdrm, 1.5 ba craftsman. Basement, deck & private yard. $115,000

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SherryBradanini, CrSHarrison Avenue RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.490-7651

Judith Kivela, CrSKivela Real EstateButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.491.5777

Patricia Coles, CrSGreat Divide RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.491.7653

Mike Mcleod, CrSMcLeod RealtorsButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.560.5263

Louise Chandler, CrSGreat Divide Realty Butte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.491.0746

Alana Larock, CrSGreat Divide Realty Butte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.560.1155

Debbie Fisher, CrSMcLeod RealtorsButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.490.5171

Janel Morgan, CrSHarrison Avenue RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.490.7945

Irene Humber, CrSHarrison Avenue RealtyButte, MT 59701Phone: 1.406.494.2200

Melva Munson, CrSAIM RealtyAnaconda, MT, 59711Phone: 1.406.563.2170

Working with a CRS Makes a Difference

IT’S LIKE THE Ph.D. OF REAL ESTATE!You know you are working with the most qualified real estate agent when you work with a Certified Residential Specialist. CRS stands for experience, knowledge and professionalism. Less than 4 percent of the more than 1 million rEALTOrS® working today can call themselves a CrS Designee. This group represents the elite performers!

Alana LaRock 560-1155Broker, ABR, CRS, WHS

Ruth Morrow 491-2074Sales Associate

Patricia Coles 491-7653CRS, GRI, Broker/Owner

Diana Morris 491-8117Sales Associate

Louise Chandler 491-0746CRS, GRI, Sales Associate

1617 Harrison Ave., Butte, MT 59701 • 406-782-4800

www.GreatDivideRealty.com

Mortgage rates are less than 4%. Call today!

11:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M. 1814 Four Mile rd., Butte Hostess: AlAnA lARockSellers will look at all offers! 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, full basement, brick, oversized double garage. $120,000 Mls# 100069

1:00-2:30 P.M.855 MiSSoulA Ave., ButteHostess: louise cHAndleRMcGlone Heights home, 3 good sized bedrooms with beautiful hardwood floors, basement, new paint, electrical and insulation. $87,000 Mls# 110812

1:30-3:00 P.M.3110 AMHerSt Avenue, ButteHostess: diAnA MoRRis3 bedroom, 2 bath home plus recent 1000 sq. ft. addition, 4 lots. $189,000 Mls# 110901

OPEN HOUSES SUNDAY, FEB. 26

11:30 A.M.-1:00 P.M. 3750 Green lAne, Butte Hostess: PAt colesSpacious 4 bedroom, 3 bath two story home on 5 lots near the Country Club Golf Course. $179,000 Mls# 110900

1:00-3:00 P.M. 3105 S. MontAnA Street, Butte Hostess: RutH MoRRowrare 2+ bedroom, 1 bath home, detached double car garage, carport, 24’ x 36’ shop and fenced yard. Bonus is original log 2 room cabin. $185,000 Mls# 120060 www.3105Montanastreet.com

FACT:The sheer size of the echo-boom generation — the children of the baby boomers — indicates strong household growth in the years

ahead, which is going to create more demand for housing.SOURCE: STATE OF THE NATION'S HOUSING 2009 (HARVARD UNIVERSITY)

IMAGE © ANDREW LEVER, 2010 | USED UNDER LICENSE FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Many people assume their home isworth more than it actually is. Theywant to get the very best price — whichis totally understandable — so theytend to set the initial price too highwith the hope that they can get astrong offer. After all, they can alwayscome down on the price if it doesn'tgenerate much interest, right?

Actually, that's one of the biggestmistakes home sellers can make. Mostof the interest in your home will occurwithin the first few weeks — usuallyjust 21 days — and pricing your home alittle too high means you'll miss out onthe big rush of buyers that would comefor an appropriately priced home.

Price it right, and lots of buyers willbe interested. Price it too high, andbuyers won't even notice.

The problem with home ownersdeciding the sales price on their own,without any objective input, is thatthey are already emotionally involvedwith the home. They have memoriesand deep feelings about the home thatmake them see the sale as somethingmore than a business transaction.

That's why it's important to haveobjective, third-party pricing advicefrom a real estate agent.

A skilled agent will not only be ableto recommend a good, solid, realisticasking price — something more than a

pie-in-the-sky wish — but also the datato back up their rationale. They canlook at the latest sales statistics forsimilar homes in your area to do a"comparative market analysis" thatexplains why they set the price wherethey did.

Even better, that same in-depth mar-ket knowledge that lets an agent knowthe price for a house also helps themsell your home to potential buyers. Ifthey know all the details about whatyour neighborhood offers, such as bigbackyards, good schools or specificamenities, then they'll be able to relaythat information to other real estateagents and their clients.

They may even have connections toa market you hadn't considered: realestate investors.

Most home owners think of selling toindividuals like themselves, but there isactually a sizable market for homesthat are sold to investors. If you'rewanting to sell your home quickly andit could serve as a good rental property,your agent may have connections withpeople who invest in real estate.

No matter who ends up buying yourhome, it's important that you set theright price and put the sales informa-tion into all the right circles. And theperson best capable of doing that is aqualified, experienced professional.

One of the most important aspects of selling ahome is setting the price. Unfortunately for mosthome owners, that's not an easy thing to do.

REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS CAN HELPYOU PRICE AND ADVERTISE YOUR HOME

They knowthe market

ARE YOULIVING

of anUNDER THE CLOUD

UNMANAGEABLE MORTGAGE

Prepared Exclusively for: John Public Provided by:Judith KivelaKivela Montana Realtors3100 Harrison Ave., Butte, Mt 59701(406) 491-5777Sold@judykivela.comhttp://judithcanhelp.com/

Unmanageable Mortgages Continue

to Cloud Family Finances and Real Estate Recovery

Butte, MT – 2/26/2012 – “The stress of an unmanageable mortgage can cloud everything,” said Judith Kivela, CDPE Kivela Real Estate. “With nearly one-fourth of all homeowners owing more on their mortgage than their home is worth, the nation’s overall stress level is in the stratosphere,” Kivela added.

Connected to a network of profession-als committed to solving the nation’s foreclosure crisis one homeowner at a time, Judith’s message to financially strapped homeowners is…. “More help is available than ever before. Since 2007, 7.9 million homes in the United States have been lost to foreclosure, and my mission is to stem the tide of foreclosures within our COMMUNITY.

A Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Kivela is knowledgeable of the entire landscape of foreclosure avoid-ance options and is distinctly qualified to negotiate with banks and help finan-cially strapped homeowners to regain peace of mind and a sense of stability for the future.

Kivela has developed a FREE report en-titled, “Are You Living Under the Cloud of an Unmanageable Mortgage? that is accessible from her website, www.JudithCanHelp.com.

The report provides an overview of qualification criteria for the most com-mon foreclosure alternatives, cites red flags for scams, and reminds ho-meowners why avoiding foreclosure needs to be a top priority.

Upheaval on Wall Street has received a lot of attention, but until recently, ho-meowners have been left to their own devices. Judith Kivela is on a mission to change that.

If you, or someone you care about is looking to get out from under the cloud of unmanageable mortgage contact me today for a confidential consulta-tion! 406-491-5777JUDY KIVELA BROKER, SRES, CDPE, CRS, GRI, WHS, ePRO

For FREE Report visit www.JudithCanHelp.comContact me today for a confidential consultation!

406-491-5777

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. � ���� Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID ������. AS������ �/��-�/��

A success story

Every day, REALTORS� throughout the nation fulfill the role of valued real estate professional. Buyers count on you for guidance inachieving their homeownership goals. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage shares your mission. No matter the day, or the geographic region, ourhome mortgage consultants strive to help buyers become owners. Together, we can make homeownership possible for more customers andmake a difference in the communities we serve.

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is dedicated to your success.

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