Ready to buy a home?

When you’re looking to buy a house, you might think it makes sense to go directly to the agent who’s listed the property for sale. Some of the more common reasons people give for doing so are: Why  not ? Doesn’t it just make sense… The agent listed the property and is the one selling it. They know all about the house.  They know all about the owner, so maybe you can get some inside scoop and a better deal than if you had your own buyer’s agent in the mix. Isn’t it like buying a car? You have to go to the dealer selling the car, so don’t you go to the agent who’s selling the house? Some people say they just didn’t know any better. It’s just easier than finding and working with a buyer’s agent. It’ll be easier to deal with owner. And, last but not least, if the agent is representing both the buyer and the seller, people feel like the agent will get them a lower price. Either because the agent is getting “both ends of the deal”, and therefore making more money, so th...

When you first start looking at houses to buy, you’re probably looking to find the best house possible…not looking for the best real estate agent possible. It usually begins innocently enough… Maybe you see a house online. So, you reach out to the agent with the click of the button. Or send a quick e-mail. Perhaps even pick up the phone to ask a few questions, or schedule a showing. Next thing you know, you’re being sent listings by e-mail, and going out to see houses with that agent. Or, maybe you go to open houses and meet a bunch of different agents, and eventually just find yourself working with one of them. (Or several of them at the same time.) You might be a  little  bit more deliberate about finding an agent, though. And you might choose to work with one who you have seen who has lots of signs, ads, or billboards. It might boil down to choosing an agent because everyone seems to use that particular agent. But too many people just sort of stumble into worki...

You want to hire the best agent when you sell your house. You see real estate agent “John Listalots” all over town. His signs are everywhere. So, you figure he must be a great agent. It seems like he sells almost everything in town, and you figure that he probably “has all the buyers”. From an outsider’s point of view, this makes sense… What better way to gauge and choose the best agent to list and sell your home?  You have the evidence in front of your eyes. So many other people have chosen him to sell their home, how could it not be true? Something you should know… Before we get into the three reasons why you shouldn’t just hire the agent with all the signs around town, there’s something you should know. Very few real estate agents do tons of business. In any given area, there’s always an agent or two who seem to do all of the business. But that doesn’t mean that the few agents who do most of the business, are the  best  agents. Nor does it mean tha...

Have you ever gone to an open house? Or called a real estate agent about a listing you see? Maybe e-mail an agent about a property he/she has listed? You just want to check out a house. Maybe you’re just curious. Or, maybe you’re even pretty serious about buying a house. Doesn’t matter. All you’re doing is wondering about a house. That’s it. That’s what you want to talk to the agent about…the house you came to see, or called about. And it seems like one of the first questions an agent asks you is, “ Do you have a house to sell? “ It’s a seemingly odd question, right? It doesn’t make sense for them to ask that question…at least not at that moment. It seems a bit “cart-before-the-horse”, doesn’t it? It might even come across as kind of pushy and forward, and beside the point.  Whether you have a house to sell or not seems irrelevant at that point. You don’t even know if you like the house, or will buy the house you are looking at. And you aren’t even thinking about sel...

Should you work with a real estate agent who’s your friend or a family member? This is such a common question. And it can be a touchy, awkward subject when you know a real estate agent and are planning to buy or sell a house. Part of you probably wants to ignore the topic. Maybe hire another real estate agent, sell your house, or buy a house, and hope your friend or family member just doesn’t notice or find out. They will. And it will be more awkward if you do that. So, you should address this head on. It probably feels like a no-win situation as far as you’re concerned. If you don’t work with your friend or family member, feelings will be hurt, and the relationship will be affected forever. On the other hand, if you do work with them and something goes wrong…feelings will be hurt, and the relationship will be affected forever. No, the agent  shouldn’t  let it affect your relationship…not because they’re supposed to be superhuman saints…but they are human and it d...

You know that old phone prank… Someone calls and says, “Is your refrigerator running?” The person on the other end then says, “Yes. Why?” And then the caller says something like, “You better catch it before it gets too far away!!” The joke worked because, for the most part, everyone has a fridge, and it is probably working. And that is when you should have a home warranty in place… when your fridge is working, not once it is broken. Do you have a list of worries? There’s a lot of things you probably notice, but ignore around your house. Until it is too late, and becomes a much bigger problem. It’s not broken…but maybe you notice that your fridge is making a different sound lately. Your garage door isn’t working quite right. It goes half way down and gets stuck. The bathroom faucet is dripping. You notice a little leak in your bedroom ceiling. Little worries like these are super common for homeowners. Maybe you have an even longer list of little worries than t...