Have you ever taken on a project that looked easy until you actually did the work? Selling your home without a real estate agent is a mistake like this that a lot of people make. Here are a few reasons why it’s worth your time to hire a REALTOR®.

• Figuring out the right price takes research and experience. Overpriced homes can remain on the market a long time, often selling for less than if they had been correctly priced in the first place. Worse, you might under-price your home and lose money on the sale. 
• Showing a home to every interested buyer is time-consuming. And you don’t want to show the home to people who can’t afford it or, worse, have criminal intentions.
• Real estate transactions are complex. You must review stacks of legal documents and take care of details with many different service providers.
• Making a mistake in a home sale can lead to delays, unsuccessful transactions, and legal trouble.
• Many people find negotiating difficult or even uncomfortable.

​If you’re thinking of selling your home without a REALTOR®, make sure you understand what’s involved. REALTORS® make selling homes look easy because of the experience they bring to the transaction. Hiring a professional will save you time, reduce your stress, and help you avoid hassles.

In areas where competition is stiff for moderately-priced homes and inventory is thin, potential homebuyers might want to research a segment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that has mostly attracted the attention of developers: Opportunity Zones. 

The more than 8,000 federally designated Opportunity Zones across the country represent areas where new investments can now receive tax breaks and capital gains deferrals. Opportunity Zones may have lower incomes and employment rates than the national average but range from areas suffering from severe disinvestment to neighborhoods with a positive trend of investment even before this program. 

What happens in a given Opportunity Zone depends heavily on local laws, zoning, and land use regulations. But buyers looking for affordable housing in neighborhoods poised for significant investment in coming years may want to investigate the history and circumstances of Opportunity Zones near them to see if any fit their needs. 
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To learn more, access resources related to Opportunity Zones from the U.S. Department of the Treasury or read research about the areas from the Urban Institute.