Real Estate Round-Up: Learn from other people's opportunity

“Honey, we live in a desirable area. We can sell our house ourselves and save $40,000 in commissions.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard friends, family and clients entertain this idea, I’d be a millionaire several times over.

As a matter of fact, I have friends from Orange County who told me they’d thought of doing it too when they moved to Fallbrook just this past summer. Turns out, they hired a real estate agent who sold their house before it even hit the multi-listing server and got exactly what they knew they could get for it.

Could they have done it without their real estate ag...