Posted on 21st July 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, estate, like, Look, real
What if you knew how to easily locate the right real estate agent, one that puts your interests first. Use my tips and advice to decrease the stress of buying a home and find the best real estate agent for you.
I certainly understand if you question why I believe I know what constitutes a good real estate agent. I would wonder if I were you.
Here is the answer. For more than 28 years, my husband and I have helped people buy homes. Since I left off being a kid, residential real estate and mortgage financing have occupied my life. I was a licensed real estate agent in the first part of my career and the owner of a mortgage company the last part of my career.
Most people will buy one home, maybe two. Others may purchase an investment or vacation house. In most cases you are going need the services of a qualified real estate agent. And yes, choosing a good real estate agent is crucial.
Instead of listing warnings, do’s and don’ts, allow me to share how I interview and choose a real estate agent.
Number one on my list is to find an individual who makes me feel at ease. Buying a house can be difficult and exhausting at times so why complicate it by employing a real estate broker you don’t feel comfortable with.
It is a shame how many home buyers I observe working with agents who are not matched well to them. The dissatisfaction is discussed for weeks, months and sometimes years after moving into a home.
I believe that buying a home should be fun and exciting. After all it will probably be the most significant and most expensive purchase that you are ever going to make. So why not work with someone that you feel comfortable with since you are likely to be in contact with them on a daily or weekly basis for several months.
Second I am looking for an agent who has my best interests in mind. But how do I know if a real estate broker is truly interested in my personal well being and not simply concerned with making the sale? There are several indications.
Does this agent listen to me? If your agent doesn’t directly address your concerns and questions, this may not be the real estate agent for you.
Does your prospective real estate representative talk first and ask questions later? This is another indication of whether your best interests have been kept in mind. Every great agent listens to what’s on your mind after they ask what is important to you.
A thorough agent will always ask you a lot of questions before ever offering to take you out to view houses. You see, a real estate agent is a valuable asset and they know that your time as well as theirs is valuable too. So they are not going to waste your time showing you houses that you can’t afford or don’t fit your circumstances.
Even though it can feel a little uncomfortable, anticipate a trained agent inquiring into your finances. This is the type of real estate agent I look for.
Some agents give advice without taking into consideration your circumstances. A good agent doesn’t give advice but instead presents options. Your agent should be solution oriented by presenting you with choices that allow you to select what you feel is best for your particular circumstances. Watch for and choose a real estate broker who considers options based on your needs rather than theirs. Above all never feel rushed to make a decision.
High on my list when I interview real estate professionals is watching for individuals who admit when they are unsure of an answer to my question. No matter how experienced a agent, no one has all the answers. So when I ask a question and I hear the words “I don’t know” followed by “but I will find out” it is refreshing. Possessing every answer is not what I care about. That is why I rarely decide on a broker based on age or even experience. A real estate broker with enough enthusiasm and energy to do that little bit extra is who I pick.
Even though it will be your home and a place to live, central to every transaction is money. Although a real estate agent isn’t qualified to approve you for a mortgage, it is still important to be asked about your financial ability such as how much money you have saved for down payment and closing costs.
Top real estate agents know from experience that mortgage financing is the hub of every real estate transaction. As a home buyer, protect yourself by understanding the cost before going out to view houses and especially before you make an offer.
A good agent can help you with this too or you can simply contact a licensed mortgage broker who can prepare a Good Faith Estimate of Closing Costs. If you are comfortable asking your real estate agent, most can refer you to a couple of mortgage brokers for detailed estimates of mortgage costs for your comparison. It is critical that you know what costs to expect before you shop for a house and especially before you make an offer.
Lastly, remember that buying a house is your decision. Take responsibility for your decision by seeking advice from people you like and feel can trust.
I often say when it comes to buying or refinancing a home, it is your house and your mortgage, no one is going to care about it more than you.
Kate Ford, a mortgage insider for more than 20 years, shares how to translate the secret language of mortgage lending on her website Get Your Best Mortgage Rate To learn how you can make shopping for a home more fun, discover the magic of Buying a House right away.
Posted on 13th June 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, Benefits, Choosing, Established, estate, Oahu, real
Are you in the market for a new home or piece of land in Oahu? If so, how to do intended to going about getting that new home or piece of land? While it is more than possible to find available Oahu real estate properties on your own, you may want to think about working with an Oahu real estate agent. However, when choosing an Oahu real estate agent, you won’t want just any ole real estate agent; you will want to work with one that comes highly rated and recommended.
When it comes to choosing an established Oahu real estate agent or one that comes highly rated and recommended, a large number of individuals wonder how they can tell the difference between a highly rated and recommended real estate agent and one that they may want to think about avoiding. While distinguishing between the two different types of Oahu real estate agents may seem like a long and potentially complicated process, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a number of different ways that you can go about examining the reputation of an Oahu real estate agent without having to spend so much time doing so.
Perhaps, the easiest way to go about finding a real estate agent or company to research is by performing a standard internet search. Searching with keyword phrases, like “Oahu real estate agents,” should link you to the online websites of numerous Oahu real estate agents. When examining an Oahu real estate agent’s website, you will want to look for any important information. This information may include information on available real estate listings, the number of years in the real estate industry, and so on. While it is important to examine a real estate agent’s online website, you will want to be careful not to judge a book by its cover. A well designed website doesn’t necessarily make a real estate agent a good one.
You can also examine the reputation of Oahu real estate agents by using the internet once again. Oahu real estate agents and Oahu real estate companies appear in many online business directories. A large number of these online business directories allow internets, just like you, to rate or review a company, including a real estate company. Since a large number of internet users like rating and reviewing individuals or companies that they have had dealings with in the past, it is not uncommon for you to find a large number of Oahu real estate agents or companies that have feedback. This feedback may be able to give you an idea as to whether or not you should do business with the individual or company in question.
Although it is important to know exactly how you can go about determining whether or not a particular real estate agent is an established one, you may be wondering what the benefits of doing so are. Unfortunately, there are too many individuals who believe that all real estate agents are the same. Yes, real estate agents have the same goal; to help you buy a home, but that goal is accomplished different ways. The biggest benefit of doing business with an established Oahu real estate agent is the level of service that you should receive. To be considered highly rated and recommended, an Oahu real estate agent must provide their clients with the utmost level of service available. If poor service was regularly offered, it is almost certain that the agent in question wouldn’t be considered trustworthy or be recommended. By doing business with an established Oahu real estate agent, you are almost always guaranteed to be put first, as a top priority.
Another benefit of doing business with an established Oahu real estate agent is results. Established real estate agents are ones who have a large amount of experience in the real estate industry. This experience often makes it easier for them to offer you assistance, as they may have a good idea as to what you want or what you need. For instance, from numerous dealing in the past, many established real estate agents know that you want to spend less time talking about buying a home and more time working on the process. These types of real estate agents are the ones who are more likely to actually show you Oahu real estate listings, instead of just talking about them.
The above mentioned benefits, of doing business with an established real estate agent, are just a few of the many that exist. With it being relatively quick and easy to find highly rated and recommended Oahu real estate agents, like the agents that can be found at OahuRE.com, you are urged to do business with one of them.
Posted on 28th May 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, estate, part, real, Tell, Won't
This article is not about the secrets of buying a rental property for no money down and half the price of the market value of the house. I am not Tom Vu or Don Lapre and I am not in jail. In Canada, the no money down home did use to exist, but not anymore. Some banks and/or lenders were willing to lend you the 5% down payment so that you don’t have to pay a dime out of your own pockets to purchase a home. However, given the current financial situation with tighter lending restrictions, there will be no bank or lenders who can do that in Canada. The buying home for half price did use to exist as well. At one point, foreclosures in Canada would allow foreclosed homes to be sold at rock bottom prices. The new law, which has been in placed for many years now require the homes be sold at the highest possible price for foreclosed homes or else the lenders could be sued. Hence, sometimes foreclosed homes sell higher because Canadians have the misconception that foreclosed homes are a really good deal causing it to have a reverse affect. There have been many people buying foreclosed homes believing they got a good deal and not doing a thorough check as to the actual value of the home. Now, clearing out the quick money maker myths of buying homes, there are still many things you need to be aware of before starting. If there exist ever an industry with more sneaky sales tactics and money motivated people, it has got to the Real Estate industry. As a buyer, you could be dishing out $350 000 and everyone wants a piece. The Real Estate Agents want a piece. The lenders want a piece. The lawyers want a piece and the sellers want piece. No wonder there are so many scams in this industry. The first thing to be aware of is the Real Estate Agent. A Real Estate Agent is suppose to act on your behalf to buy or sell the home. Both the buyer of the home and seller of the home will have their own Real Estate Agent called a Buyer’s Real Estate Agent and a Seller’s Real Estate Agent. In Canada, each Real Estate Agent gets an average of 2.5% and sometimes 2% for the commission of selling the home. Some Real Estate Agents provide cash back rewards. Canadian Real Estate Agents gets higher commission than anywhere else. In United States, their Real Estate Agents only get 1% of the commission and their homes are actually much cheaper. Even though Real Estate Agents are the least educated of the parties involved in the buying home transaction, they seem to be getting the biggest piece of the pie. Do not listen to mls.ca and their gimmicks on Real Estate Agents are ethical. (http://www.howrealtorshelp.ca/swf/). Where do they get the idea any Real Estate Agent off the street is ethical. Their claim is based on these tests that they pass to become a Real Estate Agent. Agents passing a test does not meant hey are ethical. It only means they can remember enough to pass the test. One would believe it should be the Real Estate Agent’s job to help the buyer ensure the home is of value. Rightly so, many buyers depend on the Real Estate Agent to protect them and provide them advice and in my opinion, the ethical Real Estate Agent should do that. However, the true reality is that Real Estate Agents do not make money unless if the home is purchased. The reality is that the Real Estate Agent’s salary is not truly dependent on giving you advice. The Real Estate Agent’s job is to get the buyer to buy a home through them so they can get paid! As a result of this, what ends up happening, are two types of Real Estate Agents with variations in between. The first type is the honest agent with the belief “If I work hard and treat my buyer right, the buyer will come back to buy more homes from me. The second type is the “I need to get the buyer to buy a house quickly so that I can move on to the next buyer (sucker) so that I can maximize my time for profit.” The bottom line is that you are looking for the first type and you want to avoid the second type. We’ll call the first type, the Bad Real Estate Agent. We’ll call the second type, the Good Real Estate Agent. So what kind of characteristics does the Good Real Estate Agent have that the Good Real Estate Agent does not have? 1. The first characteristic is Patience. Bad Real Estate Agents will attempt to sell you a home quickly to get the money quickly. Do not buy a house without spending a lot of time looking at several different homes. Be careful of tactics such as Real Estate Agents claiming it is the perfect and acting like a salesman rather than providing you information. 2. The second characteristic is information. A good Real Estate Agent needs to provide you all the information to let you make the informed decision and we are not talking about their opinion. Real Estate’s opinion does not matter. Real Estate Agents have data such as the history of the house being sold at, homes being sold near the area and type. A Real Estate Agent should be able to provide you with a compilation of official documents that tells you these kinds of data to let YOU make an informed decision. 3. The third characteristic is care. You will know this during the actual signing of the contract to purchase the home at a certain price. Once you become interested in a property and want to buy the property at a certain price set by YOU, you have to write up a contract. The contract consist atleast three conditions that will null the sale of the home and a security deposit. The common three conditions are, buyer can get financing, the home passes inspection and the appraisal value of the home is above the price to be purchased. Generally, you will want the lenders to appraise the home so that you know the fair value of the home and the lenders would only lend of you are buying the home at fair market value. The security deposit is an amount you will provide to lock the home from being sold to other buyers while you perform to checks to see whether these conditions have been met. If these conditions are not met, then you SHOULD get your security deposit back. The Bad Real Estate Agents will want to you provide very few conditions and a big security deposit. Doing so ensure the home is more likely to be sold. Do NOT go through the internet and pick the first agent you see or the agent that has the most advertisements. They are just spending marketing money which they intend to recover from you. I especially find the ones that are top ranked search engines to be the most conniving, especially the Mississauga location!!! If you have any more questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail me at admin@freerentalads.ca You are also certainly welcome to e-mail me your good and bad home buying experiences. I may or may not chose to post them up.
Posted on 7th May 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, estate, Finding, real
Whenever you buy or sell real estate, you may be like millions of other people out there, in thinking that you don’t need a real estate agent. Most people who buy or sell homes, generally think that a real estate agent is a waste of money. Those who choose to buy a new home, think that real estate agents only add to the cost of purchasing the home.
What most people aren’t aware of, is the fact that real estate agents are normally paid by the seller, not by the buyer. As a buyer, you’ll get to work with a professional real estate agent without really having to pay for it yourself. The policies can vary greatly from state to state and company to company, which is why you should always check any paperwork or contracts that are provided to you to ensure this is the case. When you are interviewing agents, make certain to ask about any type of fees as well.
A lot of real estate agents out there may work with both buyers and sellers, although most specialize in working with either the buyer or the seller. If you are buying a home, make sure that the agent you choose has prior experience of working with buyers and transactions that involve no money down. This way, you can count on your agent to be there when you need him the most – especially if you don’t have a down payment.
If you are interviewing a real estate agent and he or she isn’t familiar with down payment assistance programs, you shouldn’t hire their services. Agents who aren’t familiar with these types of programs generally aren’t on the level, or they may lack the experience necessary to help you purchase the home of your dreams.
You can also make a list of real estate agents that you can interview based on referrals from friends, lenders, and even family. Lender referrals are normally a great choice as most lenders have worked with their recommendations in the past and both are already familiar with each other. Choosing a lenders referral can also prevent you from encountering any obstacles or surprises.
When you interview a real estate agent, make sure that you have the agent explain his fees. This way, you’ll know exactly how much he will be getting from the purchase. You should also find out how much experience he has in the field, and how long he has been working with real estate. You can also ask about sample contracts as well. If you are buying a home, you should make sure that the agent works with buyers. If you happen to be selling your home, then you’ll want to make sure that the agent works with sellers. Agents that are dedicated to one or the other are the best to choose, as they will have more experience than agents who work with both buyers and sellers.
Find a real estate agent is an easy task – providing you know what to look for. If you take things one step at a time and carefully make a decision, chances are that you’ll end up with an agent who has the experience you want. You should always be careful when you choose, and never rush the process. Real estate agents are easy to find, although finding one who fits your needs and has your budget in mind is a little tougher to locate. When you make that final decision, you should always choose an agent who has your best interest in mind – and isn’t just after the money.
Posted on 5th May 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, estate, marketing, real
The real estate industry is turning ferocious. There are innumerable real estate agents in the United States, making excelling an actual challenge. Every real estate agent is different, therefore, every real estate agent marketing campaign must match its subject. It is fundamental to utilize the trial and error rule with a number of ideas until you find the right plan for you, one that serves your style, finances and aims.Marketing can be intimidating; we show here several suggestions we hope can turn the path easier for you and are useful for attracting the correct users. We promise that one, two or all of these will be good for you once you are set to begin your real estate agent marketing adventure. First idea. Start a blog. A blog will serve you in expanding your real estate company in many manners and is simple to manage, making it effortless to share interesting and pertinent real estate articles. A bigger amount of superior content equals stronger Internet presence that equals being found on the Internet more easily and inspiring a positive response out of users. A blog gives you the chance to talk with your customers and meet them intimately, which is an important characteristic of any real estate agent marketing campaign trying to to convey to your customers that you care for them and their wishes.Idea number two. Increment on line presence. Your real estate agent marketing strategy wants you to gain as many future customers as you can. The web is an amazing instrument to touch persons in any corner of the globe, and once you unite a site, a blog, Internet news and writings, you can be positive users will reach you, as you are everywhere. You will pass as an authority as your business is widely covered.Third idea. Increase your direct marketing plans. The web is a significant real estate agent marketing means, however, there are others of the same worth. Direct marketing is highly effective to fortify and establish your real estate company too. Test several direct marketing instruments and research what is efficient; offer extra value to your communications so that people are prompted to act. Idea number four. Do public relations. Use it to boost your real estate agent marketing plan and strengthen your image. A piece in the town’s paper, a relevant press release or a free seminar in your community regarding hints to get a home, go a long way when aiming to imprint a solid image among customers. Fifth idea. Give people something to tattle about. Your venture counts almost completely on word of mouth, thus, help people to want to talk about you and your services continuously. Give distinctiveness which will turn you irresistible and that everybody will desire to communicate to others. Nothing is invalid, simply visualize what would impress your customers and find a way to offer it to them: free interior design tips, free landscape tips or a tour around their new city. Options are infinite. A real estate agent marketing plan is about imagination and, as any other business, about placing yourself in the customers’ place and surpassing their expectations. Go for it!
Real Estate Agent Marketing
www.ToolsForRealEstate.com
realestateagentmarketing@gmail.com
Posted on 23rd March 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, Becoming, estate, real
Complete Business Package To Help You Easily And Quickly Become A Successful Real Estate Agent!
Becoming A Real Estate Agent.
Posted on 17th March 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, estate, real, Reasons
Some people choose to use a real estate agent and some people choose to go it alone. One thing I have noticed over the years is that a number of seasoned investors looking in a new city will seek out a good agent while novice investors will frequently go it alone. I have even had a number of successful real estate agents seek out my help when they are moving to our city. Why do some of these seasoned investors choose to work with an agent? Below is a list of 7 benefits of using an agent.
1. Understand potential restrictions of the property. I recently heard a story from a friend at the city development office in Austin Texas. A couple had saved up for their retirement. They wanted to retire and live out in the hill country. They went to the foreclosure auctions. At the auction they purchased a lot for 500,000. It had great views and they were going to build their dream house on it. They had researched the lot before the auction and found it was zoned SFR which means a single family residence can be built on it. After purchasing the lot they started plans to build their retirement house. At this time they discovered the lot was in the 25 year floodplain. My friend at the city development office explained that the lot could not be built on and was basically worthless.
2. Know about new developments that might affect a properties value. A good realtor will know of proposed new developments that might affect different properties in which a buyer is interested. Whether these developments are positive or negative can be valuable information when weighing different housing options.
3. Find potential problems with a property. It is always a good idea to have a home inspector look at a potential house. However, a Realtor is a good first line of defense to see if a house has inherent problems. A Realtor that can know about common problems, such as foundation or electrical, that affect a particular neighborhood.
4. Understand contracts specifics. Whenever you buy or sell a house you are entering into a large personal transaction. It helps to have someone on your side that deals with these types of transactions on a daily basis. A Realtor can help you understand contracts and can explain what is typical for your area. The most common pitfall into which I see unrepresented buyers fall is to become involved in an atypical contract that is not to their benefit. For instance a seller will sign an offer that has an option period that is 4 times longer than what is typical. A buyer might put in offers on multiple properties with long option periods. The buyer will wait and see if the market appreciates. If the market has appreciated the buyer buys the house at now and undervalued price. If the market has gone down the buyer walks away.
5. Misperception of a benefit of going it alone. Buyers frequently think that by not using a buyers agent they will get a better deal from the seller. In most situation the listing agent asks for 6 percent from the seller. If a buyer comes with an agent the listing agent splits the 6 percent with the buyers agent. If an unrepresented buyer comes the listing agent keeps the whole 6 percent. On the selling side, For Sale By Owners (FSBO) often think they are saving alot of money by avoiding a listing agent. Nationally, FSBO homes sell for 14 percent less than agent listed homes in the same neighborhoods. In addition alot of FSBO’s still end up having a buyers agents involved. There is also money spent on advertising. Since an agent has experience marketing homes the agent often can spend money more effectively on advertising. Agents often know which advertising sources produce the most potential buyers.
6. Save time when looking for listings. Looking for listings without an agent can take up large chunks of time. When looking with an agent you can see several homes in a few hours. When going it alone you have to call the listing agent for each house and wait at the house for the agent to arrive and open up the house. In addition agents often know houses which are not listed or may have already identified potential problems with a particular house of interest.
7. Insure Security. When a home is listed with a broker, agents coming to the house have to usually log in. This allows the listing agent to keep a record of every party coming into the house. Since their business is on the line, agents are more likely to protect the house from damage or theft. For a variety of reasons, it is generally not a good idea to have random people you do not know come into your house. Often sellers simply have a phone number, but that phone could be their house, a friend’s house, a pay phone, or even a stolen phone.
Searching for a home can be stressful and difficult but it can also be fun. Whether you choose to look for a home on your own or with a Realtor its a good idea to be a extremely careful when you seek out your dream home.
Posted on 16th March 2010 by Realestate Finder in Answers
Agent, estate, find, good, Pittsburgh, real
I’m looking to move back to my hometown of Pittsburgh and need to find a real estate agent. Where should I look? I need someone patient and ethical as I do not have a large down payment to work with.
Posted on 15th March 2010 by Realestate Finder in Answers
Agent, estate, find, forclosed, help, Live, Ohio, propety, real
My current real estate agent does not deal with to many forclosed properites. How can I find someone who would help me find a forclosed condo?
Posted on 10th March 2010 by Realestate Finder in Articles
Agent, Buyers, estate, from, home, real, their, want, Wealthy
Wealthy home buyers who buy multi-million dollar homes are typically self-made millionaires with new money, according to a recent online survey of 683 Coldwell Banker Previews International property specialists. The study revealed the top professions of these affluent customers. According to the respondents, 88 % of their customers are business or corporate executives, 37 % are physicians, 31 % are lawyers, 30 % are financial professional and 14 % are entertainers, entertainment executives or professional athletes.
Wealthy home buyers require their real estate agents to be equipped with special skills, according to the Coldwell Banker’s survey. Given the magnitude of the financial transactions involved in luxury home purchases, 78 % of sales associates said that the top most need their clients require from their real estate agents is privacy and confidentiality. The luxury customers also want their real estate agents to exercise discretion while dealing with their multi-million dollar transactions. Almost 70 % of respondents polled that their wealthy clients want their real estate professionals to offer customized services while 44 % said that the luxury home buyers want their agents to have good network and work relationship with executive assistants, CPAs and attorneys.
Wealthy home buyers also want their agents to know the inside scoop on the real estate market, according to 36 % of the respondents in the Coldwell Banker’s survey. Seventeen percent of the sales associates surveyed indicated that one of the necessary skills for real estate professionals working with affluent customers was the ability to provide emotional support to their clients. And according to 11 % of respondents, luxury customers want their real estate agents to establish personal rapport with their clients.
The study also included queries on the “must have” amenities that the affluent clientele want in their luxury homes. Wealthy home buyers want media rooms in their homes, according to 60 % of respondents and another 60 % polled that their affluent customers want “wired” homes. However, there are a few home design elements that are out among luxury home buyers. Gourmet kitchens, granite countertops and wet bars are no longer counted as luxuries by wealthy home buyers, according to the survey respondents.
The survey also found that the multi-million dollar home buyer pays a typical down payment of 20 % to 30 %, while a quarter of clients put down 30 % to 50 % of the sale price.
