The Residential Property and Owners Association Disclosure Statement is a mouthful, so most brokers just call it the RPOADS. It is required in residential sales transactions in North Carolina, where the owner fills out what they know about the property or chooses no representation. Stephen Long’s tip is a simple one that gets skipped far…
The exclusive right to sell. The exclusive buyer agency agreement. With the word exclusive right there in the title, it seems counterintuitive that more than one agent could be on the form. But Stephen Long confirms it: you can have two agents on one agency agreement. In fact, you can even have two different firms…
You just signed a listing, it is not quite ready for the market, and a buyer is already asking to take a peek. Can you let them in? Stephen Long says the answer is generally no. If the property is headed to the open market, you cannot give anyone an unfair advantage by letting them…
You may have heard the age-old adage: every encroachment is an encumbrance, but not every encumbrance is an encroachment. It sounds like a riddle from pre-licensing class, and it is. But it also points to a real-world problem that catches buyers off guard all the time. Stephen Long explains what an encroachment is and why…
Material facts are still the tough MFs that come back to bite brokers, and Stephen Long wants to keep them front and center. This tip covers both sides of the deal. Listing agents must discover and disclose material facts. And buyer’s agents? You can reasonably rely on the listing agent and seller, but you are…
Plenty of brokers invest in real estate. Maybe you are in an LLC with a few partners flipping a house, or you have a rental or two you are ready to sell. When a licensee sells property they have an interest in, Stephen Long says two things deserve attention: disclosing that you are licensed and…
Artificial intelligence is being adopted by the real estate industry at an unprecedented rate, and plenty of brokers are using it to write listing descriptions, social posts, and ads. Stephen Long is not against it. But he has a caution every broker needs to hear: anything AI creates that you put out is your responsibility….
You are designing new business cards or a fresh yard sign, and the question pops up: do I have to include the fair housing logo? Stephen Long gets this question regularly as a broker-in-charge. The legal answer is no, you do not have to. The better answer? You should. Not Required. Still Recommended. Stephen is…
There is a new rule coming down from the US Treasury, and brokers need to be ready for buyer questions. Stephen Long explains that FinCEN, the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, has a rule aimed at cash transfers of residential property to an LLC or a trust. It takes effect in March 2026, and you…
The FHA/VA addendum says that if the property does not appraise, the buyer is entitled to a refund of their monies. So does that mean the buyer gets everything back, including due diligence? Stephen Long, the Notorious BIC and MLO, hears this one a lot. The standard practice and understanding in North Carolina is that…
Your client wants to build a home. Exciting! Now comes the practical question: how many closings will it take? Stephen Long, wearing his Notorious MLO hat, explains that there is more than one way to finance new construction, and the option your client chooses can affect how many times they sit at the closing table…
New business cards, a fresh batch of branded frisbees, a slick social media post. Before any of it goes out, Stephen Long has a question: where is your firm? Every broker, including provisional brokers, must make sure their firm is clear and conspicuous in all marketing. And no, a franchise logo by itself does not…
