| THE BEST ADVICE IS DON'T AUCTION. However, if you can't resist the sales spiel, at least insist that you pay nothing unless your home is sold at the price you want. And do not fall for the "dummy bidding" trick. Agents may say that dummy bidding helps you to get the price up. They also say it is only done below the reserve price. But if agents started the bidding at the reserve price, there would be no need for dummy bidding. The reason bidding starts below your reserve price is that many agents intend to "crunch" you under extreme pressure to lower your reserve price. If auction agents were compelled by law to offer guarantees to consumers, the typical auction system would cease to exist. Don't let auctions into your life. |