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buyers agent: Are All Clients Created Equal? - 05/29/12 04:29 AM
Do you treat all your clients equally? I am not talking about discriminating along the legal and 'politically incorrect' lines, here, but rather along price-point lines. No one would expect that you spend as much marketing a 1 Bedroom condo as you would a 6 Bedroom Single family, but does your approach reflect an equivalent consideration for each seller's goals? I have noticed in a number of lower priced homes, agents do not even print out listings to leave at the house. Personally, I do a brochure--no matter how low the price. There certainly isn't as much to showcase in a 2 bedroom condo, so … (58 comments)

buyers agent: I Really Don't Want To Waste Your Time... - 02/23/12 07:44 AM
It is time to start looking for that new house. You have a Realtor picked out, but they are really good at what they do and you don't want to waste their time while you try to figure out what you want. You think you will use someone less experienced to help you look around. Chris Ann Cleland wrote a blog about this last week, You Aren't Saving Your Buyer's Agent Anything By Calling the Listing Agent Directly . I re-blogged it because I think there is a big misconception about how our industry works, but a conversation I had with another Realtor … (9 comments)

buyers agent: You Aren't Saving Your Buyer's Agent Anything By Calling the Listing Agent Directly - 02/19/12 07:33 AM
Buyers...read this and understand that we want you to bug us!  Don't feel like you need to wait until a Sunday open to see a house that you really think you might want.  The more time we spend with you, the more we understand EXACTLY what you are trying to find in a home. Let us do our jobs...we want to do them.
Thanks, Chris Ann for getting this exactly right!
Via Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker, Northern VA (Long & Foster REALTORS®, Gainesville, VA):
You Aren't Saving Your Buyer's Agent Anything By Calling the Listing Agent Directly
I've worked with many … (6 comments)

buyers agent: How Do You View Home Inspections? - 12/12/11 07:19 AM
I am not a Home Inspector, I am a Realtor. This is an important distinction as you read this particular post.
My clients always get Home Inspections. I have had one client--ever--waive a home inspection on a property (gee, good guess that it was during the crazy times) and we still did one the day of settlement (and I paid for it), just so she would know what she was getting.  In other words, I am a big believer in understanding as much as you can about a property. I was talking to another Realtor yesterday and we were talking about exactly what a … (20 comments)

buyers agent: Waiting for the Letter... - 11/16/11 03:48 PM
If you have done any short sales, you know that the letter from the lender saying that the terms have been accepted is all-important.
Lately, the short sales I have been involved in are ones that have both a first and second trust.  This means, of course, two levels of approval.  These approvals have to happen sequentially so that the 1st has approved what the second will get and the second knows what their approval means to their bottom line. For two weeks now, we have had a verbal approval from the 2nd trust.  But no letter. In the short sale world, no … (6 comments)

buyers agent: Are you Considering Buying a Short Sale? - 10/07/11 07:09 AM
As we have gone through the real estate crisis, the term 'short sale' has been used often in the media. Not everyone is familiar with exactly what this means and whether or not a short sale might be the right type of purchase for them. I have made a short video explaining what a Short Sale is and some of the considerations that a buyer should think about before writing a contract to purchase. If after watching this video, you think that purchasing a Short Sale in Northern Virginia might be right for you, please contact me and we can start … (3 comments)

buyers agent: 10 Ways that Buyers Can Help Themselves - 02/27/11 05:30 PM
My recent post  10 Less Obvious Things to Consider When Buying a House  was so well received (thanks to all that read it and commented!) that I thought it would be a great to do a companion piece about additional things that buyers can do to facilitate the purchase process.
It is widely accepted that we are in a buyer's market. Being in a Buyer's market does not mean, however, that sellers roll over and play dead. A fair offer with fair terms is likely to be considered and accepted, but too many buyers are living in a world where they … (1 comments)

buyers agent: Why would we hire a Realtor and spend that extra money? - 01/13/11 07:13 AM

Dear Holly,
I am getting ready to buy my first house. I am a sales rep for a software company and have been very involved in contracts. My fiancee is a lawyer, with a specialty in corporate law.
We are considering representing ourselves in the purchase of our first house. My parents are horrified and have told us that we are being 'penny wise and pound foolish.'
Why would we hire a Realtor and spend that extra money?
First Time Buyer
Congratulations on your decision to buy your first home. It sounds like you and your fiancee are well on … (7 comments)

buyers agent: Buyers, Trust me--One day you will just know! - 11/15/10 06:56 AM
We all have something for which we are on a perpetual, personal quest  For me it is the perfect pair of  shoes. My closet is filled with plenty of 'almosts' and 'pretty close' pairs. I could try to explain to you what makes a shoe 'perfect,' but my words won't be able to duplicate that moment when I slip my foot in and I know that I must buy THAT pair. The same goes for my son's baseball cap requirements...believe me, he has tried to explain and while I mostly 'get it,' I can't select one for him--he must do it himself.The … (7 comments)

buyers agent: First Time Home Buyer-Speak--Translating It for Success - 10/04/10 06:54 AM
Working with first time home buyers can be challenge for both the Realtor --and the Buyer. The defining of  a First Time  Buyer's needs is a challenge for all involved. Often the information provided provided by the buyer is really a list of 'wants' based in information gleaned from HGTV shows and on-line websites. By working with a Realtor who is familiar with the local area, the process of refining the list can happen almost organically.  Trying to do it on your own, by contrast, can be an exercise in frustration.Here is an example of what most First Time Home Buyers will tell … (12 comments)

buyers agent: What do Mattress Shopping and Real Estate have in Common? - 08/23/10 04:13 PM
Yesterday, my husband, son and I headed out to buy a new mattress for my son.  I went into this as an informed consumer:**I had a budget**I had done research about what I wanted and why**I had done some pricing and knew about what I should expect to pay for what I wantedFor some inexplicable reason, we have 3 mattress chain stores within a couple of miles of my house (do people buy that many mattresses? They must!). We decided that we should go to all 3 to make sure we ended up with the best product at the best price.We … (10 comments)

buyers agent: Buyers: What Your Realtor Needs From You - 07/26/10 08:53 AM
As Buyer Agents, we commit to representing you in finding and purchasing your new home.  It is a huge commitment.  It often seems that Buyer Clients do not understand their part in this contract.  This is not a post intended to 'bash' buyers, but rather let them know what our expectations for them are during the transaction.1.    Please return our calls.  If we call you about a property that meets your requirements, please call back.  At least in my market, a well-priced home that meets all of your requirements (and probably the requirements of many other buyers) is not always easy to … (18 comments)

buyers agent: A Consumers View of Agency...What Are You Talking About? - 01/18/10 11:03 AM
Saturday night I received an email from a good friend.  He said they wanted to talk to me on Sunday about downsizing. This was no surprise...we had talked in the fall about that possibility and he had told me that they would propbably want to do something in the Spring. After a morning meeting, I stopped by their house.  He told me they had found a townhouse.  I started asking questions to find out what he meant by 'found.' It turns out that they were driving around looking at areas and neighborhoods. They saw something that piqued their interest and called … (4 comments)

buyers agent: A Fresh Look At Buying A Home, Part II - 08/25/09 07:48 AM
In my last post I listed some things for buyers to consider as they begin the process of looking for a new home.  In this post, you will find that list continued. Hopefully, the items I bring up here, and in my previous post 'A Fresh Look At Buying A Home, Part I,' will help you to narrow your focus and allow you to begin a more targeted search for your new home.

How do you picture your weekends? Are you a career-oriented single looking for a place with a great master bedroom and close-by work out facility? Or are … (0 comments)

buyers agent: A Fresh Look At Buying A Home, Part I - 08/24/09 09:48 AM
Most of us were raised to get an education, start a career and buy a home. So you find yourself having finished your education and happy in the resulting career. The next step, logically, is to buy your first home. Before you pull up Craig's List and start hitting the Sunday Open Houses, there are a number of things you should consider. Most of us think that the number of bedrooms and the location are the big decision factors, but there is a lot more thought that needs to go in to such a large investment.
 This is list is not … (2 comments)

buyers agent: Don't Be Seduced By that Pretty House and All That Land - 06/05/09 06:31 AM
Today, I was talking to a friend at my son's class pool party. It was being held at a community pool surrounded by lovely homes on regular, suburban-sized lots. As we got to talking, she shared with me her mild regret that when they moved 'out'--further to the West--they opted for land over community. She said they have a wonderful house on 3 acres, but no one close by for their kids to play with and no where for the children to do swim team. The community where the pool party was being held really suited their family now--but not then.  … (3 comments)

buyers agent: What Type of Buyer Are You? - 04/18/09 10:15 AM
Over the years, I have determined that there are two types of buyers: those who can see the possibilities in a home and those who cannot.
I am, and always have been, the possibility type. I can walk in to a house and immediately picture how it would look with different flooring, wider doorways, maybe a wall or two removed.  I like to think that I can be the 'eyes' for my buyers who see only what has been presented to them.
When I prepare a listing for sale, I prepare for the buyer who will 'buy what they see.'
This … (1 comments)

 


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