I'M SELLING MY HOUSE AND WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR A SHOWING DO I NEED TO BE PRESENT? DO I HAVE TO LEAVE MY DOOR UNLOCKED IF I'M NOT PRESENT?

When you have a showing on your home, you really should not be present when an agent brings a potential buyer to view the property. Successful marketing means that buyers need to be able to imagine the house as their future home. Nothing puts a damper on that more than having the current owners (or tenants) hanging around.

As for having to leave your door unlocked, no. A lockbox is a hollow metal box that attaches to the front doorknob or some secure place nearby. Inside the hollow area is another matchbox sized box that contains the key to the house. When an agent opens the lockbox, that smaller container slides out giving them the key to your home. A stranger cannot come by, open the box, get the key and gain entry to the house; only agents have the electronic key that is necessary to open a lockbox. All of the keys have a unique identifier so when an agent opens the box, the microprocessor inside "registers" the agent who opens it along with the date and time the agent accessed the key.

This question and answer only provides basic information and should be verified by reader. If you have a more specific question, I strongly encourage you to consult a qualified tax advisor or legal professional for advice. If you have a real estate related question, please email the question to gerry@northcentralre.com.