I think you sold the house at the right time. Personally, when something "recreational" results in more work than recreation, then it's time to reconsider if it's worth it.

Your story is EXACTLY why my wife and I sold our first home by ourselves. We had a small ranch house in York, ME and needed a bigger house for our growing family. We put a sign up in the yard and soon had a couple who were just starting a family stop and talk to us. They were expecting to deal with a realtor and we said we wanted to do it on our own. Got a basic contract from a stationary store and went back and forth on the details and signed an agreement. They did an inspection and we had a couple of things to fix. We did have to use a lawyer and a Title Company to finalize the deal but, it all went down without using a realtor. Oh, and a 'negative explosion' is called an 'implosion'! 😲🤦‍♂🤣🤣🤣🤣

My father passed and his house went to our family, the realtor wanted over $16,000 to sell it ,I took 20 pics of the house and listed it on Zillow and it sold in 2 weeks. 😆

I somehow stumbled across your channel and have watched about 20 of your videos the last 2 days. I gotta say, you are probably the most honest car salesman/ used car dealer owner I've ever seen. Down here in Sarasota FL. everyone in the car industry is a thief. Wish there were more guys out there like you. Love your channel.

I must say that when I was relocating to South Carolina from California, my realtor that I called the night before, picked me up early from my hotel and we drove hundreds of miles a day looking at 8 houses the first day and 10 the next. When I returned from back to California, I found that the realtor selling my house got me my high price in 3 days and I had to be out in 30 days. The realtor in South Carolina kept going ald looking at properties I asked him to and made everything happen so that I would not be homeless. And I would think he put in this kind of time to others that did not end up buying a house through him. In the end, he did make about $10k from me, but put in many hours. He received the car I had shipped there and paid the driver $1000 Cash for the drop-off, of course I paid him back. He lives near me and when I am selling this house next year, you bet I will make him work for it for selling this one and buying another. Sometimes it's easy money and sometimes it is a lot of work for nothing in the end.

As a retired builder what you say about real estate is how’s it’s always been. I been through the booms and busts. The suggestions real estate agents pull that screw people and your right they take listing don’t do anything much. It’s how it’s setup. I sold a few homes on my own and it worked out in boom times. You cant emotionally do buy what you did then try to rent it it never works out more so in a cold winter climate. The heat will kill you to pay. I watch ya man. I like what you say I like that you realized it’s the time to sell everything you do t need. It’s gonna get bad and it’s time. If you bought that house in cash and can afford the monthly then you could keep it. But financing the project using a business loan that you know rates will double soon which is why a lot of people need to sell or get beat up. Cash is king now investing is dead unless you have cash to buy these investments people are bailing out. We have a motorhome paid off we use on lakes and the ocean areas. Outside of gas and maintenance mine sits in garage ready for new adventure so it stays real nice. You can visit leave and pay a small fee to stay verse a vacation home. Of course being retired makes life easier because everyday is a weekend. The lesson you learned is know when to hold them know when to fold them. To make you life and your families comfortable. These are gonna be tough times for many who thought low interest rate rates were gonna be here forever. Their house of cards are gonna fall. Your a wise man I don’t miss working in any of the housing market.

The lake house series was fun to follow along with I look forward to seeing you guys purchase another lake property in the future. But you're 100 percent right who knows what is going on with the world 🌍 definitely agree that it is time to hold onto some liquidity right now and when things go on a fire sale grab em up 😊💰💰💰

Thank you for the wisdom always Greg I appreciate your help and understanding on many topics! Keep up the good work god bless you 🙏

Great video! I sold my airbnb last year as well. You never told us if you made money. A breakdown of your costs and profits would be awesome like you do on your cars.

Real estate is or can be tricky. These times are also. I’m sure your doing the right thing for your family. Thanks for your video.

Great video man! I love your honesty and how you share these experiences with us. As a family man myself, I appreciate learning through your experiences!

love following stuff like this. great video. with rates coming down, usually the stock market follows. things lining up.

Could clearly tell how difficult it was to deal with the sale mentally. And you managed to do a video on it as well. Quite informative!

My family owned a summer home directly across Meredith Bay from the docks. Unfortunately it was sold when we all grew up and got married. The lake has always been my favorite place in the world. We live in Texas now, but we vacation at the lake every year.

I appreciate your honesty and I felt it was an educational video.

That was a great video. I really enjoyed your insight. I definitely agree with your viewpoint. I hope it all turns out.

Craig, People have been complaining about realtors' fees back in 1976 when I was a realtor. It was a flat 6 percent. It was split up based on who did what to sell the house. If you listed and sold it you split the 6 percent with your realtor. You could for a FISBO (for sale by owner) Just get a lawyer and pay him less than a realtor.

Craig, ypu said you will say how much you made or lost, by the end of the video you didnt. So how much did you made or lost totally including realtor fees, building the house, your own labor, etc?

Dude this was neat, you explained it in a simple way that everything added up, I watched so many investment channels, Realtors channels, and you clearly gave me a clear picture of it! Thank you so much Craig!!!!

Thanks. Wishing you and your family all the best.

Did you give us the breakdown you promised on the profit or loss? Did I miss it?

For the same reasons you cited; 2.5 years ago we decided to sell our house on our own. I did a lot of research and spoke to several realtor friends who were not happy with our choice. The said not being on the MLS would black ball us. We cleaned and decluttered the house. Staged it and took over forty photos with our iPhone and put it in Zillow. It sold in a week. I hired a local real estate attorney who did all the paperwork for $1500. I would do it again without hesitation. Having said that. The one area a valued realtor can help is with expensive homes. They have the reputation and relationships that bring in those type of clientele. The market is much smaller for homes that are out of reach for every day people. A tenured realtor with connections is priceless in that instance.

I understood every second of your theory and I think you are spot on. Great video !

Great stuff. Enjoy the honesty in your videos. For anyone who has a business life is always about more than just the business. We all have a code of conduct and the way we treat people is who we really are. You seem to be a good person who tries to do the right things and it comes across.

I am a realtor and it is sad that there are lazy agents out there that make the rest of us look bad. I truly believe in earning your commission. With my sellers I will go out of my way and make sure they had a pleasant and positive experience. I hire cleaners on my dime, and at times have had my wife help me clean properties, pull weeds, etc. If it is a big project or repair, I arrange a handyman or contractor and have the seller pay from the proceeds at closing so they are not out of pocket. Sellers eventually become buyers so the way I see it they money spent is made up on the next transaction or referral. As an agent we need to hustle we don't get a paycheck and we still have to pay MLS fees, continuing education fees, licensing fees, office fees, E&O, etc. So that $21k needs to cover all those expenses and hold us over till the next deal.

Having both sold and purchased a home in the last several years, I can say that both my selling realtor (in California) and my buying realtor (in Kansas) worked for their commissions. The buying realtor, in particular, spent more than twenty days, driving us around looking at properties before we found one that worked for us. She put the miles on, and the gas in, her car and set up appointments, etc. Are the commissions a lot? Yes. Do they earn their commissions? In many cases, yes, especially if it is a tough selling market. Enjoyed the video! Did you make a decent profit?

You are getting on your stride with this UKposts thing. I'm here for the ride and salute you!

You are 100 percent right on the mark!! Thank You

So did we make or lose money on this deal?

It’s weird a house that looks like section 8 on the outside is worth that much

I actually like when you go in-depth with your information. Keep it coming.

Appreciate the video. Thank you for sharing a personal experience

You’re doing the right thing , we all get emotionally attached to things we’re not supposed to. I do it with cars all the time and I look back when I first started I’d just sell everything without a thought now I find a reason on why I need this car . It’s just better business to keep moving. $400k is a good nest egg to find something else and possibly have enough left over to get another flip as well, not as big or brand new but you’ll find something else to fall in love with. The boat is another story lol. Good luck man

Amazing video. Arguably the best one in my opinion. I'm in a similar situation as you. I need to sell a lot. The world is changing and we have no clue what's coming. "Wildfires" in Hawaii, politicians stealing as much money before they switch us over to a CBDC, etc. 2024 is going to be a year unlike any other we've ever seen. Anyway, I have a real estate friend who said the sane thing. Buyers buying at higher prices and interest rates hoping the rates go down soon. I'm confident it's not going to happen. Recipe for disaster. I think you were wise to sell as much as you did.

Thanks for the update

Smart move to sell now - I'm like you, I really think RE is going to start tanking next year. Prices in our area almost doubled in the past few years, and there's just no way to justify the prices. I'm already seeing a softening in the housing market here, but the lemmings are continuing to "follow the experts" as you said, and buying now to refi later....and average sales prices are already slipping. I'm old enough to have survived several significant RE adjustments, including the 90's - people walking away from homes because no one would buy them when the APR was 12-15%. Automotive side is insane, as well - just bought a '20 Gladiator last week for cash because I refuse to pay the interest rates they want. I look at our neighbors with their new cars/trucks w/$1k/mo payments and wonder what they're thinking......

I learned from my first house that I will sell all my homes myself. That one sold in one week like yours and they took 6%. I have sold 2 since then by myself. I will NEVER pay the 5-6% commission. I am good with people and can list my house on many different platforms. I use an attorney that specializes in home sales for the escrow and paperwork. Never an issue and I get near or what I am asking and that is an amount that I feel good about and fits with sales in my areas...it takes some of my time to do this but hey...Im paying myself to do that job! The new lawsuits might change how the MLS works and it should get more competitive but that may take a while with all the counter-suits likely to be filed. I, like you, have built 3 houses and I will reap the rewards, not the realtor/realtor group that just step in briefly and have their hands out wanting too much! If realtors would get that fee in the 2% range I would use them...but not til then will I consider them! In my area where houses are around 500k then that's still 10k fee and that's ENOUGH!!!! Especially with the excise tax and other selling fees!

Wow, you just summed up the whole US and Canadian economy in like 20 minutes. Thank you

There is a class action lawsuit over realtor companies basically price fixing and collusion. As home prices have increased realtors make much more money because they get paid a percentage versus a flat fee.

The stuff is getting ready to hit the fan. You got out in time for a decent price. The flood of houses is coming. Car repos have been way up all yr. Credit card debt has been up the last 6 mos. Ppl are dipping into their 401ks. Housing foreclosures are next when their other sources are tapped out. Good plan to have cash in hand. In 1.5 yrs you may be able to buy that same house back for $225.

You hit the nail on the head Craig, about real estate agent madness. In the early 2000s I obtained a Massachusetts salesperson's license and thought it would be fun. I went to work for a prominent real estate outfit and in six months after not obtaining one listing, I bailed out of real estate. It was not for me. Sorry you had to lose your dream home, but as you mentioned times have changed and it involved a lot of effort to maintain for a part time getaway. Hopefully, you'll find an alternative haven.

Craig, I’m with you, Lak😂e P is just incredible, one of two places I had a lot of trouble--trouble leaving!!! I stayed at the Margate & loved that place. A GREAT time was had by all!!!

Great video Craig I have learned alot from watching your videos keep up the good work you are one of my favorites you tubers

I went back and watched his breakdown video of the house. He had $368k according to him and he sold for $431- $21k. So he made basically $50k for three years. Honestly seems like a lot of troubles for amount. But to each his own. You're all welcome because he never gave a price breakdown.

I sold multiple properties in 2020 that I now regret selling. Who would have known they would have tripled in price. At least you are selling at a high market price. By the way I too thought the same about realtors until I got a license. I worked a whole year, hours and hours a day of calling people and showing houses and I made $0 dollars but spend thousands of dollars on the license and renewals and gas not to mention my time. Most realtors do 0-3 transactions a year and don't forget that you have to split half of the commission with the broker you work for so that 21k is 10.5k then you pay taxes on it. So at the end of the day it doesn't add up to much. When selling you can sell the house yourself. But on the buy its great having a realtor bring you a buyer. Any time I have found a buyer for one of my properties and they didn't have a realtor it never sold. The realtor's vet the buyer and make sure they can actually buy it. Also most people know absolutely nothing about houses so having someone with experience is helpful.

Awesome video and insights on current economic situation 👌

Good video. Word that I think you were looking for was nostalgic. I too wonder what exactly realtor do these days with electronic listings, etc.

This video should be played in every school classroom 😊 You made a impact in less than a hour than a school system that takes 9yrs to try and teach your kids and they still don't get this point across. Respect for you for showing real life and how it works

NEVER use a realtor in this market, N-E-V-E-R! I've sold both my houses on my own, just make sure you have a good attorney though. As far as selling your house Craig, when the bad outweight the good it is time to move on.

We sold our last house ourselves and bought our current house ourselves. I was about to cave and use a realtor to sell the old one after many showings, but we lucked out and got a buyer. I kept asking the realtor why I'm paying them X thousands of dollars for them to upload photos and a description, unlock the house to show, and make some calls back and forth for negotiations? It would make them mad, of course. What kind of value am I getting in return to pay that kind of money? It's a uniform residential contract; the title company handles the rest. The only exception might be a unique property, such as farmland, or a rural area without many comps. I took photos, phone calls, showed the house, etc. Like selling cars, it can be frustrating, but why throw all that money down the drain just for making phone calls and arranging to be at the house during certain times. I'm certain we received top dollar for that house as well. It felt amazing to have done it all ourselves!

This is the best video ever!! More people should be do things like this I know you will feel great about it. Thank you for being so kind to these people.

I really enjoy getting a glimpse into all aspects of your life, Craig, but really, what's it all for? All of the work and activity and spent time..... Really makes me appreciate my simple, minimalistic life! Toys, activities, trips, multiple houses...many people pursue these things, but I just look upon them as more work and constraints upon my time. I thought perhaps I'd gain an understanding of why people devote so much time and effort to these things by seeing it through the lens of UKpostsrs like yourself....but if anything, it just further cements my love for the simple life. But, I'm a sigma and you're an alpha, so I guess we're wired quite differently. Definitely fun to watch though!

As an annual Lakes Region resident who's recently lost their annual summer rental due to the owners moving into it after they retired....I feel your pain Craig. It's an awesome area and I love being there!! Plus Meredith, NH is the only town that has ever thrown me a parade when I arrived (250th anniversary back in 2018...Haha). We did the Rail and Sail thing with the Hobo RR and MS Mt Washington....biggest vehicle I've ever piloted...yeah, talk to the Captain...they will let you stand there with them out in the middle of the lake. haha. Course you have your own cool boat. Thanks for sharing all this with us. It IS a great house and you made lots of cool memories there! There will be another one soon when the right one comes up. On to the next adventure!!

I sold a house and it was $100k fee. Zillow made more than my agent who truly worked hard before and after the sale. Follow your gut. Don’t her realtors say you one way or another. Realtors do provide a service, but listing a home honestly should be automated. There was a lawsuit in Florida about this and no idea on the ramifications in the future

Hey Craig! If you find the time and want some of your questions asked regarding "Why Pay a Realtor'" I'd love to chat about it. Some things I agree with you on and some things I disagree. I also have a very small car dealership as well and thats how I came across your channel originally. Love your channel. Thanks, -Jake

I'm a Realtor in Canada. I've helped clients empty out hoarder houses, (even on closing day), paid for their dumpsters, photos, cleaners or helped clean, paid for some inspections etc. But it's like anything, people can sell their own houses, cars, boats and personal property by themselves, 100 percent. The market is pretty cool here at the moment, good you got it sold quick man. My dentist asked if he should sell right now, I said he was crazy lol

Hey Craig, enjoyed the video but my wife is a real estate agent and she would love to have a client like you. Part of her service would include initial inspection, getting a cleaning service, staging and advertising the house. She also has to do multiple open houses and try to bring in buyers. When she does get an offer, she gets in touch with all possible other interested parties to try and get a better offer or bring the price up. Looks like your agent didn't do much as you cleaned and staged the house and doesn't seem like your agent worked to get you more money either, too bad. My wife is also available almost 24/7 and any maintenance, like removing the extra wood, would be done by myself or my son as we try to help her to succeed. From my perspective, my wife works harder than most people I know but when looking at it from the outside, it sometimes doesn't seem like agents do that much. Just my two cents, love your videos !!

love the real world videos he always keeps it real and honest the way you-tubes should be

Good video, every time you put out a new video. I’m like hesitating to watch it , then, after I watch it I’m like damn good video.

Great video tonight. You couldn't be more right on today's economic climate. I couldn't agree more with what you're doing to protect yourself and your family. It may not get as ugly as it did in 08, but then again....maybe it will. Be prepared. And you certainly are. Enjoy the memories. Plan on making more.

It’s true!!! You have to pay these people for what? To walk through the house and say, this is the Kitchen, over here we have a bathroom, ect…. They do absolutely nothing, and get paid, very well for it!!! Makes me sick! I’m with you, brotha👍

I agree with the Real Estate expenses. For what SOME of them actually do, the rates are pretty ridiculous, especially in a place like yours where, as you said, there was NO prepping or staging to be done at all. I know a few Realtors and they really do work hard and many times they get homes in less than desirable areas and I know one guy who routinely has to roll up his sleeves and clean some places up himself. Not glamorous and not in the greatest areas, at times, but he makes a lot of money. I get it that they're professionals, but in a case like this house, you are totally correct. You really didn't need one, but as I know you know, some areas and certain criteria made it more difficult to find a buyer. The old adage is true, location, location, location. You had a beautiful, and basically, brand new house in a lovely vacation area. Other types of dwellings don't necessarily sell that fast. I have used a Realtor to buy three homes, but I also bought one "for sale by owner" many years ago and it was a pretty easy process. I would probably use a Realtor if I was selling my house now, which I'm not planning to ever do, simply because the market is so hot now and homes are in such high demand it'd sell quickly and I think I'd be able to ask a higher amount simply based on the traffic a Realtor would bring through. In SOME cases though, like yours, where a place might be a very quick sell, you're most likely better off doing it yourself. Another great video Craig, and thanks for the upload.

21:50 excellent advice!

So you failed to negotiate to your terms? If you're not going to do due diligence, that's on YOU. The rest is just filler.

I agree with your move to cash. OPEC is no longer selling oil in USD, and then there's the MBS. I said, cash, but I really mean silver.

Can't wait man!

Excellent Information and your business thoughts are amazing! Thank you

This is the big argument and why the National Association of Realtors were sued and lost a 1.8 billion judgement. In that suit, they asked all the questions your asking. But what does it mean...... probably nothing for sellers. What the court should have done was open the MLS to us. Nevertheless, you probably should have just sold it yourself......and I understand the difficulty with that. Good content, and great topic. Thanks!

I'm with you when it comes to Realtors .. I paid 6% for a realtor who sold my beach condo (second place)... they don't do much .. but constantly called me and wanted me to drop the price. I did buy at the peak of the market and sold it too soon, before the boom of the 2022. (I sold it in early 2021).. after 15 years of ownership, I still lost money $$ and sold it at a loss. I'm sure your made some money on your house sale, hopefully.

I really enjoy watching your channel and videos, always informative and entertaining. At my age ( mid sixties) I am all about having less "stuff" and not buying "things" I don't need. Great analysis on today's economy and what is going on.

Craig, you just sold me on becoming an agent! Thank You!

I agree with you 100%! The fees a realtor charges is paramount to someone having a gun to your head. Last couple of houses, I listed for sale by owner. Before that, I negotiated a 5% rather than 6%. Still a RIP!. Thank God i'm in my final house and never having to deal with those leeches ever again.

24 minutes of complaining 😂

I applaud you for doing the right thing every single time. America needs more of this.

Sorry about your happy place house but all what you share makes good sense. Thanks for sharing your insights on things. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Wow!!!! You live a crazy life!! Awesome videos you make.Good luck to you and your family! Happy Holidays!!

Realtor here, selling houses is just as easy as running a used car business. Anyone can do it because it's so easy. Nothing ever goes wrong!

Most realtors make almost nothing/year. And it’s usually more difficult than you describe. The problem is that emotions are sooo high on the seller and the buyers end. Things can go downhill very quickly and often do. That brings me back to; Most realtors don’t make very much money. Oh… and a Crapload of paperwork and laws to follow. Not all states are the same though.

I like your videos, not just the good stuff but also the bad. Keep it comming

Perfect timing and solid decision!

I'm a realtor and I can tell you that yes, a lot of the time, especially with new builds, there is not much work to do on our end. We list on the MLS, handle all the paperwork, and do a lot of stuff behind the scenes that you don't know about. In your case it sounds like you got a bad realtor. 80% of the realtors out there are bad. You should of been doing nothing to sell the house. At the same time, commissions are NEGOTIABLE! Always negotiate their commission. You don't have to pay the buyer's agent either, it's all negotiable, but if you don't pay the buyers realtor then the buyer is on the hook for it and typically wont want to pay that considering they just payed the buyers agent on the last house they sound. But also think back to when you bought the house your living in now, or when you bought the property your showing, you didn't have to pay any realtor anything. It's most always on the selling side when you have to pay. When it comes down to it, even if its backwards in your mind, it's the cost of doing business, you have to factor these things in when looking at investing in real estate. My advice to you if you're going to continue to flip houses is, GO GET YOUR LICENSE! It's relatively easy to get and can save you, in this case, 11k.

You paid que realtor because you wanted to. FSBOs have existed for a very long time. Who forced you to call a realtor to begin with?

hell sir love you vids dont have much time anymore to watch but thanks from australia

I love your videos I agree some thing is bound to happen my grandpa has lots of money saved up because he believe housing crash will happen again and he believes we should sell now that everything is happening and have cash when everything drops to the floor for huge price drops in everything ❤ love these type of information videos keep it up

And who in their right mind bought single family homes with an adjustable rate mortgage within the last 5 years?

I find it funny he complains about the realtor fees and is the same guy that complains that his customers should be paying him more for his old cars.

Realtors definitely vary. My realtor was first to the house, made sure all the lights were on and the house looked presentable before my arrival. I was the buyer in the situation and my agent was super active with finding me houses in my budget. It seems like your realtor just wanted the money and saw that you were active with the house so figured “ehh, he will take care of it for me”

We live a double life Craig. The difference is I’ve been a mortgage lender for 22 yrs. But I have a “My Happy Place” house that I’m currently sitting in and have also bought and flipped multiple investment properties. The most recent one, the agent did actually work for every penny of her commission and the buyers agent actually pitched in too. However, it’s rare that an agent does a lot of work besides getting multiple parties to agree on “said purchase price” and they hand the deal off to someone else.

Now you know why realtors drive nice cars and live in large houses.

This guy makes the absolute worst decisions always... Lol.. Car deals... Boat deals.. House deals.. You're always getting hosed up good on deals... Constantly.. Lol.. It's just money right?? Gotta keep that in your mind... But.. I have to admit... You don't let it get you down... And that's good... Some people dwell on the bad deals and let it keep them from making more deals.... At least you keep moving and shaking.. I admire that part. Just hate seeing you just hemorrhaging cash all the time.. But... Thats your deal... I guess your wifes family were wealthy or something... Somone has to be financing your constant losing projects..

Mo money, mo problems. I couldn't wait to see the house video. Having an eye on the market is wiser. Nice!

"Interest rates at an all-time high" That is absolutely wrong. In the early eighties interest rates hit 18%

Just get a realtor license . It takes about a month for the course. Then you can keep the commission.

I owned a condo at Myrtle Beach, SC. My dream turned into a huge burden. I lost money selling it, but it feels good to be free of the burden.

Live in Florida went through the same thing sold some rental property and sold a house in a 55 and over both places cost me over $40000 all realtors are Leachers

Craig you should do a similar video like you did with the boat. Cost of house etc what your videos made and final profit….

Agree, also they should open every Car auctions for public . So that I don't need to go to dealers and pay 100% mark up

You are spot on in your analysis of what is going on now in housing and the general economy and where this will end up. I can’t see the +10K over sticker on new cars working anymore. No new vehicles on the lots in my area since Covid. Total B.S.

Excellent points regarding real estate agents!!

thanks for sharing, great story.