Commentators do not necessarily have a better command of English. We simply have more eyes. < - > I raised some points I thought might be debatable. -nothanks(ciel) @蒙特利尔华人论坛:蒙特利尔枫下论坛 The Rolia Forum of Montreal

工作学习 / 外语学习 / 最近坛子里显摆和反显摆成风，俺顶风贴一篇俺以前写的文章：sell your house privately。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 {1924} (#7279815@0)
本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛He might have saved $18000 commission, but he could've sold for $20000 more by selling through agents.

A recent real world example: Listing agent is a friend of the seller and agreed to not charge buyer's agent commission. So it's like a private sale + listing agent commission. There're over 50 showings. All but one buyer acted through an agent. There're multiple offers. The lone private buyer did make an offer. However, his offer is a lot less than the highest offer. Had the seller sold to this person, he indeed would have saved the 2.25% commission, but he would have made $13000 less overall.

I know at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents. There're many issues with private sale.

The biggest one is lack of advertising. Most buyers search on MLS only and you'd miss probably 90% of the market. Even if a buyer looks outside MLS, he may not be able to find your house. There're many private sale operators out there. Most have really bad web interfaces. Earlier this year, I knew a house was for private sale but I couldn't find it at any of the private sale web sites I know. Later the owner hired an agent and lowered price.

Another problem is that people who look for private sales usually want good deals. They're likely to pay less than the general buying public, even beyond his share of the commission savings.

The biggest commission expense is for the buyer's agent. In theory, private sale should only save you the listing agent's commission which is probably only $6000 out of the $18000 total. If you refuse to deal with buyers who have agents, then you'd give up more than 90% of the market. I once checked 100 sales on MLS, 95 of them had a buyer's agent.

IMO, you probably save money through private sale but the saving is probably a lot less than you think. Is it worth the trouble and the risk of not selling your house in time?更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

SF -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-11 {90} (#7279823@0)
很高兴的说. 好像挑出来一块儿小骨头 " agreed to not charge"? or "agreed not to charge"?

Grammatically it should be "agreed not to" . But "to not" is also widely used and acceptable. -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280092@0)

Not sure if I agree with your point of view. But I am certain that your point is well put. -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7279880@0)

Didn't mean to be black/white. I realized a while ago that buyer's agent actually works for the seller. It's safer to sell to a buyer with an agent. I heard a buyer's agent downplaying many issues with a house, including an obvious basement leak. -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7279990@0)

Still, selling privately is better in your examples: saving $18K after tax vs earning $20K before tax. -majorhomedepot(马甲后的炮); 2012-2-11 (#7279917@0)

20000 - 18000 agent fee = 2000 tax free. -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7279942@0)

OK. You asked for it. So here it goes: :) -ordinaryone(ok); 2012-2-11 {530} (#7279985@0)
"A recent real world example" - I would prefer " a recent real life case"

"There're over 50 showings" - "there were over 50 showings.."

"There're multiple offers" - again "there were multiple offers"

"I know at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents" - "later were sold through agents"

"Is it worth the trouble and the risk of not selling your house in time" - not sure about this one, but try"... and the risk that it might take longer to sell your house"

你真有两下子。但是俺支持你，就像俺支持方舟子。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280025@0)

Thanks. I enjoyed reading your postings... -ordinaryone(ok); 2012-2-11 (#7280065@0)

He's a guy in China who makes money by exposing people's lies. -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280097@0)

I just realized my ignorance. Thanks again. -ordinaryone(ok); 2012-2-11 (#7280116@0)

哈哈, 真幸运, 那块骨头被刺哥吃了. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-11 (#7280099@0)
题外话。中文语法上的瑕疵：＂但是＂用的不通 -oiseau(月舞飞天); 2012-2-11 (#7280109@0)

没错呀. 只是转折了语气. 意思不一样了吗. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-11 (#7280118@0)

但是的前后一般是有些冲突的表述，模糊记得偶的小学老师说过~~ -oiseau(月舞飞天); 2012-2-11 (#7280137@0)

有冲突的，俺省略了。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280335@0)

Oic.想起来了，大学老师说过＂春秋笔法＂。。。 -oiseau(月舞飞天); 2012-2-11 (#7280372@0)

I still regret that I didn't sell my house privately.... -fly_universe(飞越时空); 2012-2-11 (#7279999@0)

Very possibly you only save seller agent's commission, which is only 0.75%. You're likely to get that much back, probably more, selling through an agent. I'd like to hear your story if otherwise. -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280017@0)

I did try to sell privately at the beginning and the potential buyers were not with any agents. I could have sold it if my husband didn't push me to sell through an agent. -fly_universe(飞越时空); 2012-2-11 (#7280083@0)

Maybe your husband read my article. If so, I apologize. But how could you be sure you'd get more money from a private sale? -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280090@0)

because my bottom line for the price was much lower than the market price. it turned out that the money I got was lower than my bottom line when eventually I asked an agent to sell. -fly_universe(飞越时空); 2012-2-11 (#7280114@0)

Interesting. But keep in mind that you can't trust a private buyer's words until the money is in your pocket. Many years ago when I was selling my house, my neighbor promised me he'd buy for a certain price. And he kept saying it. -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 {221} (#7280150@0)
But he never did anything. I waited for him for 2 weeks and wasted precious time because it was getting close to winter. He didn't say anything even when I lowered my price much below what he promised in the beginning.

you got a bad neighbor...... -fly_universe(飞越时空); 2012-2-11 {15} (#7280171@0)
just kidding:-)

Don't be mad at me but I'm not convinced. How do you know your bottom line is below market? And you're saying your agent is an idiot? -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280168@0)

I did quite a bit research before I was trying to sell my house. The final sold price was higher than my bottom line. But the money I got after taking away the agent fees was lower than my bottom line. -fly_universe(飞越时空); 2012-2-11 (#7280198@0)

But you can't be sure you'd get your bottom line from a private buyer. From my experience, it's almost impossible. -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280211@0)

not to say it's wrong,however,I 'd prefer using mediocre instead of bad in"Most have really bad interfaces"just for the sake of some moderation -oiseau(月舞飞天); 2012-2-11 (#7280120@0)
"Had the seller sold to this person, he indeed would have saved the 2.25% commission" Should be "Had the seller sold THE HOUSE (or it) to the person........". you missed the object -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280148@0)
"I know at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents",, I would go with " I know at least 2 houses THAT failed to sell privately BUT were sold through agents later" -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280164@0)

Nice touch. Well done. -ordinaryone(ok); 2012-2-11 (#7280178@0)

" I knew a house was for private sale but I couldn't find it at any of the private sale web sites I know", the last word "know" should be "knew" -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280186@0)

你这下抓住了俺的要害。刺哥好像也批评过。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280205@0)

"I once checked 100 sales on MLS, 95 of them had a buyer's agent", should be "95 of them had buyers' agents" plural form... -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280208@0)

不是我defensive，我觉得除了know/knew这一条，其他都是debatable的，包括ok网友的点评。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280253@0)

Come on. Be a man :) Admit you're being defensive. -ordinaryone(ok); 2012-2-11 (#7280264@0)
There is no defence to this one "Had the seller sold to this person, " . This clause is also a sentence. You need an object in this sentence as "sell" is a transitive verb that needs an object. Period. -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280268@0)

我觉得这是合理的省略。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280344@0)

negative. -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280352@0)

+1 -ordinaryone(ok); 2012-2-11 (#7280357@0)

Can't agree with you on this one. In my opinion, "wincity" is correct. For example, we do say "most families here own a car". -ordinaryone(ok); 2012-2-11 (#7280256@0)

what about" you probably save money..". versus "you COULD probably save money....? "I am not sure about this one but don't feel right with the first -oiseau(月舞飞天); 2012-2-11 (#7280282@0)

nothing wrong with that. but will sound better with could -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280325@0)

Thanks. Any plan to contribute some lines here to show us 老中 or 普通国移 some impeccable English? Haha...no offence,just curious -oiseau(月舞飞天); 2012-2-11 (#7280364@0)

Je suis plus interesse a remonter mon francais maintenant....:) -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280377@0)

je m'interesse plutot a ameliorer mon francais maintenant(les accents ne sont pas la car je suis avec mon IPad ) -oiseau(月舞飞天); 2012-2-11 (#7280402@0)

Je n'ai pas les accents aussi..Merci pour le correction! -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280417@0)

"IMO, you probably save money through private sale but the saving is probably a lot less than you think. Is it worth the trouble and the risk of not selling your house in time?" There is no grammatical error in this one, but -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 {299} (#7280252@0)
you need to pay attention to the level of register of your words. It appears to me that you were writing a formal article. Short forms like "IMO" should be avoided in this case. Always use "in my opinion".

I would also use "much less" instead of "a lot less", which is of lower register.
不错。我来在鸡蛋里挑点骨头。个人意见，欢迎讨论。:) -rockywei(落基山); 2012-2-11 {1977} (#7280283@0)
本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛“He might have saved $18000 commission, ...”
很口语。应该说$18000 on (or in) the commission. 同时commission是可数名词，不可以单数形式单独出现，需加冠词或改成复数（后面句子有同样情况）。

“Listing agent is a friend of the seller and agreed to not charge ...”
应该是agreed not to... 不定式的否定形式。
句式上比较Chinglish，不够生动。如改成定于从句形式，比如 "Listing agent who is a friend of the seller agreed..." 或者“Listing agent, a friend of the seller, agreed..." 似乎好些。

“There're over 50 showings.”
应该是过去时。（后面句子也有同样问题，不再重复了。）而且作为书面语不适合用缩写。

"I know at least 2 houses which failed to sell... "
which 引导定于从句有两种形式：一种是前面加介词，另一种是非限定性定于从句，前面加逗号。在这个句子中应该用 that.

“Most buyers search on MLS only and you'd miss probably 90% of the market.”
两个并列句子是因果关系，用and连接似乎不合适。

"There're many private sale operators out there. Most have really bad web interfaces."
两句话语义连贯，似乎应该合成一个并列句；或者用从句表达，比如“There're many private sale operators out there, most of which have really bad web interfaces.” 但这样一来意思发生了变化，由愿意“很多”变成了“多数”。如何在不加太大改动的前提下更合适地表达原意，我还没想好。

"Earlier this year, I knew a house was for private sale but I couldn't find it at any of the private sale web sites I know."
口语化。应该在‘a house’前面或后面加'that'，同时在最后的'I know'前面加'that' 或者 'as'。

"Later the owner hired an agent and lowered price."
句法没错，语义也没问题，但如果用eventually替换later，或者说"...the owner ended up hiring..."似乎更能贴切表达作者意思。

"They're likely to pay less than the general buying public"
general buying public似乎有问题？

"I once checked 100 sales on MLS, 95 of them had a buyer's agent."
两个单独的句子中间无连词。可以考虑把逗号换成 and，或者用which替换them。

最后，
Personally, I am with you on this one.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

"They're likely to pay less than the general buying public" 红卫兵省略了do. 语法上没错。但正式文章中不应当省。 -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280371@0)

再补充一点，在写书面正式文章时，所有宾语从句的that都不能省略。红卫兵常常省略。Again, level of register..... -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280305@0)

其实这也不算什么正式文章，是我以前在Rolia上发的一个帖子。另外我本人不太喜欢formal，觉得绝大多数正式一些的场合都可以口语化一些的，不光没有问题，反而效果可能会更好。（俺只是讨论，不是defensive 。） -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-11 (#7280367@0)

发帖子就另当别论了。 -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-11 (#7280383@0)

Commentators do not necessarily have a better command of English. We simply have more eyes. < - > I raised some points I thought might be debatable. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 {2747} (#7280632@0)
本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛He might have saved $18000 commission, but he could've sold for $20000 more by selling through agents.

=> but he (also) could have sold the house by $20000 more through an agent.

A recent real world example: Listing agent is a friend of the seller and agreed to not charge buyer's agent commission. So it's like a private sale + listing agent commission. There're over 50 showings. All but one buyer acted through an agent. There're multiple offers. The lone private buyer did make an offer. However, his offer is a lot less than the highest offer. Had the seller sold to this person, he indeed would have saved the 2.25% commission, but he would have made $13000 less overall.

=>the listing agent is a friend of the seller's and agrees not to charge him/her on buyer agent's commission...The only private buyer...his offer is significantly less than... Had the seller sold the house to this person, indeed, he could have saved 2.25% on commision, but in that case, he would ...

I know at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents. There're many issues with private sale.

=>I know at least 2 houses that were not sold privately and later had to be sold... Therefore, there're many...

The biggest one is lack of advertising. Most buyers search on MLS only and you'd miss probably 90% of the market. Even if a buyer looks outside MLS, he may not be able to find your house. There're many private sale operators out there. Most have really bad web interfaces. Earlier this year, I knew a house was for private sale but I couldn't find it at any of the private sale web sites I know. Later the owner hired an agent and lowered price.

=> ...I couldn't find it on any ... I knew of.

Another problem is that people who look for private sales usually want good deals. They're likely to pay less than the general buying public, even beyond his share of the commission savings.
=> Another issue is that people who look for selling privately...The would likely to pay less than the general buyers would...probably lower than his share...

The biggest commission expense is for the buyer's agent. In theory, private sale should only save you the listing agent's commission which is probably only $6000 out of the $18000 total. If you refuse to deal with buyers who have agents, then you'd give up more than 90% of the market. I once checked 100 sales on MLS, 95 of them had a buyer's agent.

=> The largest share of commission goes to...in total.

IMO, you probably save money through private sale but the saving is probably a lot less than you think. Is it worth the trouble and the risk of not selling your house in time?
=> you probably have saved... than you thought.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

崭新的马甲。估计还是常在此出没的那几个。 -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-12 (#7280649@0)
是用过去时还是现在时，我观察过，我发现有很多例子按理该用过去时的，结果作者用了现在时。我自己觉得现在时比较自然，所以我用现在时，不少是choice，不是失误。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-12 (#7280653@0)

比如　but the saving is probably a lot less than you think，你说该用thought，拿上面飞越MM作例子，她当时那样想，现在还是那样想，所以按理该说　than you have been thinking。不过我想很多人会用 think，简明的多。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-12 (#7280682@0)

Agree. Scotia bank commercial : u r richer than u think. Same thing. -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-12 (#7280689@0)

官方正式名称好像是 Bank of Nova Scotia. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280697@0)

脸皮壮了吧？ -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-12 (#7280699@0)

Agreed. 一如既往啊. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280703@0)

俺在想，脸皮厚有保护作用，脸皮壮会不会自己难受？ -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-12 (#7280705@0)

感觉超好. I feel better than you think. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280710@0)

Yes, sometimes it is a matter of choice, as long as the consistency is maintained. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280692@0)

好像不需要the吧? -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280698@0)

A matter of choice, depends on how you look at it. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280721@0)

I see. It's debatable. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280722@0)

First, I must admit that my English is nowhere better than LZ. But I am sorry to say that the article is dry and can hardly hold my attention. -woodypeony(skipper); 2012-2-12 {139} (#7280726@0)
Its not so much about the grammar but more of the wording, the way it's presented. I find that is the main difference between them and us.

他们和我们是谁? -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280728@0)

People with English as their mother language and us , English as our second language. -woodypeony(skipper); 2012-2-12 (#7280730@0)

I see. Do they not normally say "first language, mother tongue, native language or arterial language" ? -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280733@0)
Most of us including myself have no problems of expressing ourselves, stating facts and communicating with others but we lost our cool, sense of humour and the way of mastering words. -woodypeony(skipper); 2012-2-12 (#7280741@0)

Somewhat agree. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280743@0)

What about the part you disagree? -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280752@0)

There are at least some do have good command of the English language. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280758@0)

"a command of the English." -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280762@0)

Both are correct. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280774@0)

In your case, you need an “a”, and “language” is totally redundant. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280779@0)

When using the phrase “the English Language” The and language cannot be omitted. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280816@0)

If you are talking about language itself, then “the English language” is a must. Again, in your case, “language” is not necessary, or you could try to look at “a command of English” as a phrase. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280828@0)

The real problem with this sentence is that you missed a "that" after "some", which is not acceptable. -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-12 (#7280900@0)

"who" will do too. U needed either one of them there -winterstorm(打酱油的); 2012-2-12 (#7280907@0)

谢酱油哥老师. 你要是TA我就惨了, 肯定每次都不及格. 按照托福和考试的要求, 肯定得要that or who. 但日常交流特别是口语化的交流中常常省略. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7281057@0)

To juice it up would require a completely different writing style. For now, I think some real examples may help. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280749@0)

希望看到酱油哥的英语大作. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280751@0)

I am not him. Like all the other commentators, I don't know how to write, but I do know how to read. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280760@0)

You know how to write in English of course and you set the bar high for yourself. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280771@0)

Why don't you post something? -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280780@0)

I am still learning to be a good commentator now. When I feel more confident I shall do so then. -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-12 (#7280783@0)

I thought I was the only coward. Welcome to the board. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280794@0)

Here is an article I once read on similar topic. -woodypeony(skipper); 2012-2-12 (#7280792@0)

Points taken. But I don’t think the comparison is fair. There are also many college students who were born here don’t know how to write an essay. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7280813@0)

You are absolutely right, I am just trying to make a point. One thing I learned during my English Study is that Grammar mistakes can be easily corrected. However, it takes a lot more to form a style and express effectively and engage the interest. -woodypeony(skipper); 2012-2-12 (#7280840@0)

【探讨贴，先声明不是defensive，也不是居高临下】 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-12 {489} (#7280858@0)
你的说法不无道理，国移写的东西跟土著比，永远有差距。

但是我觉得你很可能先入为主，不够客观，下意识地夸大了国移文章的不足。

另外我觉得，我们学英语，目标应该是 effecitive communication，而不是达到土著的水平。目标不一样，态度就不一样，做法也不一样。所以我不赞成跟土著比。

你的帖子让我突然想起来让我女儿评评我这篇文章。我问她跟土著比，我这篇文章在遣词造句，语感风格方面，是不是跟土著有很大差距。她说我的文章 pretty good，我理解她是说差别不是巨大，另外我理解她的看法跟你的看法差别很大。
This one may not be in the style you were looking for, but it is a different style. I came across this post several months ago and was impressed by the way the writer expressed himself, precise, concise and authoritative. -slowdownforrose(放慢脚步); 2012-2-12 {349} (#7280925@0)
I guess he is a lawyer or works in legal field. Hope he won’t sue me as I didn’t get his consent to quote his work. I couldn’t find too many of his posts on Rolia, but from the handful, I can still appreciate a remarkable way of commanding English as well as a keen heart to help others. I hope he can share some tips on how to get this level.
http://www.rolia.net/f/post.php?f=0&pno=7168562&

Hi, it's always been a pleasure to see your posts. You won't be sued. On the contrary, they should award you for propagating this ad. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 {190} (#7280955@0)
Whoever wrote this(these) post(s), is (are), not necessarily, and most unlikely, the same person(s) who posted this (these) post(s) on rolia. (Just kidding, I know you won't be mad at me.)

Not at all, I think I know who you’re. :-) However I do believe he wrote these posts, as the posts consistently showed the same well-organized thought process, although sometimes I disagree with his opinions. -slowdownforrose(放慢脚步); 2012-2-12 (#7280980@0)

我女儿改的几个地方。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-12 {1034} (#7280865@0)
本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛A recent real world example: Listing agent is a friend of the seller
A recent real world example: (the) listing agent is a friend of the seller

I know at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents. There're many issues with private sale.
I know (of) at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents. There're many issues with private sale(s).

Most buyers search on MLS only
Most buyers (only) search on MLS

I knew a house was for private sale but I couldn't find it at any of the private sale web sites I know. Later the owner hired an agent and lowered price.
I knew a house was (up) for private sale but I couldn't find it [on] any of the private sale web sites I (knew). Later(,) the owner hired an agent and lowered price.

IMO, you probably save money through private sale but the saving is probably a lot less than you think.
IMO, you (would) probably save money through (selling privately) but the saving is probably a lot less than you think.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

How old is she? -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 {1273} (#7280924@0)
本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛A recent real world example: Listing agent is a friend of the seller
A recent real world example: (the) listing agent is a friend of the seller
=>"the" is a must.

I know at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents. There're many issues with private sale.
I know (of) at least 2 houses which failed to sell privately and later sold through agents. There're many issues with private sale(s).
=> "of" shouldn't be there.

Most buyers search on MLS only
Most buyers (only) search on MLS
=> correction is better.

I knew a house was for private sale but I couldn't find it at any of the private sale web sites I know. Later the owner hired an agent and lowered price.
I knew a house was (up) for private sale but I couldn't find it [on] any of the private sale web sites I (knew). Later(,) the owner hired an agent and lowered price.
=> "up" is a nice addition. Same on "on".

IMO, you probably save money through private sale but the saving is probably a lot less than you think.
IMO, you (would) probably save money through (selling privately) but the saving is probably a lot less than you think.
=> use "would have" to emphasize a missed opportunity. "selling privately" is a wonderful correction.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

Grade 9. 我女儿说 know of “flows better”，而且有 indirect 的意味。 -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-12 (#7280970@0)

Also make sense. -nothanks(ciel); 2012-2-12 (#7281091@0)

在英文写作里， SO，不可以用在一个整句的句首。 -senecalion(senecalion); 2012-2-13 (#7282393@0)

白天匆匆读了一下，说的是第一感觉。现在有点儿时间，又拜读了一遍。胡诌几句：此文开篇Many Hes，Listing agent，friend，非常容易混乱，分不请彼此。建议在实例中以Joe, Mary 人名替如。 -woodypeony(skipper); 2012-2-12 {1408} (#7281757@0)
本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛开场白He might have saved $18000 commission, but he could've sold for $20000 more by selling through agents. 适合于悬念小说，用于此类文章中，没有背景介绍，很突兀，说服力不强。建议删去。

外国经常有乐队Doing cover of someone' songs to pay tribute to the artist/band. 最后，If I were 红卫兵,
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Does It Pay to Sell Property Privately?

Lisa recently is selling her house through Mary, a broker who is also her friend. Mary agreed to waive the commission on this sale so it acts as a private sale with only listing agent's commission applying.

Over 50 showings were made resulting in multiple offers being made through agents. Also, one private buyer made an offer although significantly below the highest offer. Had Lisa sold the house directly to this person, she would have saved on the listing commission part but would have missed out on $13,000 overall.

There are many issues with selling privately. I know of at least 2 houses that failed to sell privately but were later sold through agents.

The major issue with private selling is lack of advertising. Most buyers search through MLS only and without a MLS listing a property will miss out the exposure to about 90% of the market. So, when a buyer does search outside the MLS listings there is no guarantee that such a property will be noticed.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊**更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Even if a buyer looks outside MLS, he may... 应该用who来替代 HE . -senecalion(senecalion); 2012-2-13 (#7282419@0)
Okay -- an easy test -- implement all the recommended improvements (or dis-improvements:-) onto the original article, then ask yourself: does it make a substantially perceivable difference? My answer is: No. -cca(不归的如来佛); 2012-2-13 {43} (#7282528@0)
Congratulations, a weekend well wasted. :-)

Finally we got a smart A :-) Congratulations! -thornthorn($oOHoly MolyOo$); 2012-2-13 (#7283684@0)
俺倒是学了些东西。你贴一篇试试，没准也能学到一些？ -wincity(红卫兵); 2012-2-13 (#7283929@0)

@Montreal

Commentators do not necessarily have a better command of English. We simply have more eyes. < - > I raised some points I thought might be debatable.

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