The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) seems to think there could be better competition in real estate (see their site: Competition and Real Estate).

What really bugs me… the DOJ says “Consumers can save thousands of dollars”. They even chart the savings of choosing various business models such as flat fee MLS, limited services, and sale by owner. That’s so cool, when I was a kid my dad would tie a string to my loose tooth, the other one to the doorknob. We all know that saves about $100 in dentist visits, but the risk of something going wrong is pretty low (make sure it’s a baby tooth, and it really is loose, and “no brainer”). And I’m sure we’ve all tried some home improvement project so we can save money over what the contractors were quoting… and then later, hired a pro to fix it and re-do it the right way.

(more…)