Real Estate Tips

Week # 1 Should I Hire a Realtor® or Sell it Myself?

Most homeowners want to sell their home by themselves to save money. With

Week #2 How to Select a Real Estate Agent?

There are a lot of great agents out there, so how do you find one who will be perfect for you? First, look for someone you enjoy working with. Ask a lot of questions and make sure he or she is comfortable answering your questions. Good agents make a lot of money, but they work much harder than you might think to make that money. Good agents will always take time to answer your questions. Second, find out how much experience the agent has, and how many clients he or she is currently working with? Buying or selling a home is a major financial transaction, so use an agent you can trust to look out for your interests! Finally, ask for references, or ask friends or family if they know of an agent who they enjoyed working with. Another good way to find a good agent … ask a title or mortgage officer. They work with agents all the time. They will tell you who are the best agents to work with.

Week #3 How to Stage Your Home to Sell!

Have you ever walked through a model home and thought, “Wow, this looks great!” Well, that’s because the home has been “staged”. To impress prospective buyers, you want to make your home give that same impression. To get started, look objectively through your home. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer, paying attention to the things you normally don’t notice. Do you need to paint? Are the doors free of dirt and scuff marks? Is the carpet dirty? Do all the doorknobs match? Fix all the little things you have learned to work around. And, don’t forget to clean out those closets! Put out-of-season clothing, along with items you rarely use, in boxes. Store things you don’t need and take up space in a storage unit. Open up your home by removing clutter and furnishing you don’t need. Lastly, remove those family photos, patch the walls, and give your walls a fresh coat of paint. (Since people who are looking at your home are picturing their things in your home, family photos reinforce the idea that the home isn’t theirs.)

Week #4 Should I Use a Realtor® to Buy a Home?

Yes! A Realtor® can make the home-buying process smooth for you and will also help protect you from all the potential pitfalls that can accompany buying a home. Since the seller typically pays the commission to the Realtor® , his or her service to you is free so all you’ll need to worry about is buying the home. Make sure you select a good agent who will look out for your interests. A Realtor® has access to a number of services to help you find the perfect home. By using the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), your agent will help you identify the right house, in the right neighborhood for the right price. Be loyal to your agent! Once you select an agent you like working with, use only that agent to make appointments to look at homes. Even for a home that is “For Sale by Owner”, have your agent call to arrange the appointment. Just because a home is “For Sale by Owner” doesn’t mean the homeowner won’t work with you if you have an agent. Let your agent do the work.

Week #5 How to Select a Mortgage Company.

Picking an honest and good mortgage lender can make or break a deal. Most people aren’t experts in mortgage lending, so here is what to look for. The lender should explain all the closing cost you will need to pay, as well as how your interest rate is determined. A mortgage broker who is honest can get you a better loan at less cost than a bank can; however, a bank’s loan will always be a good rate with pre-set closing costs. Typically, a bank will be a safer bet than a mortgage broker who is not honest! Get a good-faith estimate from each entity you are thinking of employing, on the same day, and then compare closing costs and rates. Be informed, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Remember, the loan officer doesn’t get paid unless the loan closes, so they are in your corner. Tell them everything about your finances, so they can find you the best loan.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 10th, 2008 at 2:01 pmand is filed under Real Estate Service. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.