home buyers: Showing Homes To Unqualified Buyers - 02/08/12 08:51 PM
Do you show unqualified buyers into houses listed for sale?
One of the 'real estate gurus' called me today to personally answer some questions I'd asked in an email response to his offer of a new and exciting real estate site. (You know how I like to learn about anything new.)
The guru told a story of an agent using his site to sell a house to a buyer she'd never met until they went to look at the house. Okay. I ignored the safety issues, instead asking how the agent had qualified the buyer before showing the house. … (17 comments)

home buyers: Selling A House Is Like Making An Omelet - 09/14/11 12:17 AM
 
Selling a house is more like making an omelet than just cracking an egg open. Oops! I dropped an egg and it cracked open!

That's the visual that pops into my mind when someone asks me if I sold a house today. It's not a one-step event.
Selling a house is a series of events much like making an omelet. The pan has to be hot before the oil is added. The oil (or butter or bacon grease) must be hot - but not too hot - before the eggs are added. The vegetables, meats, herbs, and cheese go … (10 comments)

home buyers: Torn Between Two Loves - 06/26/11 02:46 AM
This week, I fell in love - twice! The first home is just a short walk from Governor Stumpy's. During Prohibition, it was a Speakeasy.
Wouldn't you just love to be able to tell your friends that you live in a home with a history of being a Speakeasy back in the days of Prohibition?
The craftsmanship and architectural details will entice and seduce you to fall in love just as I did. You can see it for yourself this Sunday, June 27th, betwween the hours of 2pm and 4pm.
Open House tomorrow!
The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 … (8 comments)

home buyers: My Interview with Market Watch on "Why a mortgage puts a home buyer at a disadvantage" - 04/16/11 03:49 PM
 
Home buyers in Kansas City need to read this. Every point about pre-qualifiying vs. pre-approval with a reputable lender to lowball offers and where they get you is right on the money. I can't count the number of home buyers who lose out on the first house they want due to ignoring the advice in this article. This goes double for investors.
 
Via Donne Knudsen NMLS#249822, DRE#01364050 Cobalt Financial Corp. (Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA):
 
I recently had an interview for an article on "why a mortgage puts a home buyer at a disadvantage and how can … (0 comments)

home buyers: MLS In Kansas City - 03/07/11 06:15 PM

 
The MLS in Kansas City was created in the 1990’s after a few Realtors© took a trip back east.  Prior to the MLS, each brokerage kept track of their own listings only. Buyers either had to hunt down each agent or find one to help them ( remember that Buyer's Agency did not exist prior to the 90's either).  Imagine how much fun that was before cell phones and the internet!
The Realtors© discovered that some brokers back east had formed a group that agreed to cooperate and share information about all the members’ listings in order to make … (0 comments)

home buyers: Previewing Homes For Sale - 03/05/11 09:10 AM
PreviewsYour agent can preview homes on your behalf. Previewing means the agent physically walks through the home, evaluating it according to your criteria and comparing it to other available properties as far as condition, location and amenities.
Clients with busy lives often prefer this method of finding a home as it saves them valuable time.It is not unusual for me to view 50+ properties before presenting the buyer client with the top 5 choices. This may take several weeks, depending upon the number of properties, their size, their proximity to one another, and the showing restrictions. During this time, I … (5 comments)

home buyers: How Showings Are Arranged In Kansas City Real Estate For Sale - 03/05/11 08:38 AM
by Maria Morton
Showings are arranged through Centralized Showing Service (CSS) or Showing Solutions (SS).Members of Heartland MLS register their listings with CSS or SS to make it easy for all agents in our area to show their listings.  Showings are arranged via phone or on the website.  Instructions as to access, cautions and restrictions are given to the agent when they call to set up the appointment.
Cautions might be ‘Don’t go in the back yard if the dog is there’ or ‘Don’t let the cat out.’  Access might include where the lockbox is located or alarm codes. Restrictions often … (0 comments)

home buyers: Where Are Home Buyers Finding Homes For Sale On The Internet? - 02/28/11 01:37 AM
We all know that most home buyers begin their search for homes on the internet - 80 - 90%, depending on which study you read. But where exactly are they looking for homes? Which websites?
Well, every home buyer I have spoken with about the topic this week tells me that they are looking on several different sites. Why? Are they unaware that the aggregator sites are fed by our MLS entries? Do they like one site better than another?
There seems to be a few reasons. One being that some home buyers believe they need to search each brokerage' site … (8 comments)

home buyers: Groundwork - 12/13/09 11:53 PM
This evening, my neighbor asked me about the real estate business in Kansas City. Our overall market has remained healthy throughout the down market experienced nationally. We never had the huge swings that the coastal markets suffered; we're in the Midwest; we move slow; we go up a little; we go down a little; small ripples as opposed to tidal waves.
My business? Well, I hit my goal for the year in October so I'm good. November was mostly about tidying up the files, updating my contact list, and preparing my 2010 business plan. December is filled with holiday obligations, volunteer … (3 comments)

home buyers: QUALIFYING BUYERS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE! IT'S OUR JOB! - 05/13/09 12:22 PM
 
This is an ongoing topic amongst realtors, buyers and sellers. As realtors, trusted with keys to peoples' homes, we are not supposed to show homes to unqualified buyers. This is part of the agreement we sign with our showing services. This is part of what we agree to with our sellers. Many realtors feel uncomfortable asking financial questions of potential clients, but that is part of our job.
Many buyers don't want to share their financial information with anyone. Well, the financial addendum is part of the real estate contract so buyers are going to have to share the information … (2 comments)

home buyers: Understanding Your Relationship with Your Real Estate Agent - Simply Apply the Dating Rules - 04/27/09 10:00 AM
 
This post by Ryan Shaughnessy is an excellent explanation of how the relationship between a realtor and their buyer clients are similar to dating. This is the first time I have ever re-blogged anything so you know that it made an impression on me. Thank you for writing this, Ryan.
 
Via Ryan Shaughnessy, Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner (PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com):
In December, 2006, Kelle Sparta, a real estate consultant, wrote a great piece for the Sales Coach column in the Realtor Magazine entitled "10 Dating Rules That Can Help Your Career."  I enjoyed … (4 comments)

home buyers: $7500 Tax Credit for Home Buyers - 02/02/09 03:30 PM
The federal tax credit available to first time home buyers expires the 30th of June 2009. The state of Missouri is the first (so far the only) state to offer a way for buyers to turn the credit into cash that can be used at closing.
Here's how it works:
Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) extends up to 6% of home purchase (maximum $6,750) in the form of a second, fixed-rate mortgage at closing.
This gives the buyer cash for downpayment and closing costs. (INcome limit = $85,000/ household)
Then the buyer uses the federal tax credit to pay off the … (0 comments)

home buyers: Are you a Boomer? - 12/04/08 07:21 AM
I'm taking the Senior Real Estate Specialist class this week and part of the class was an overview of the generations.
The GI Genereation are those people aged 79 & older; we have about 6 people in that group in class.
The Silent Generation, ages 60-78, about 15 in our class.
The Baby Boomers, ages 41-59, most of our class fall into this category.
Generation X, ages 29-40, about 10.
Generation Y, ages 11-28, none in our class.
Generation Z, ages 10 and under, have not yet entered the work force.
Many of our clients are Baby Boomers who, besides buying … (2 comments)

home buyers: A Good Way For Buyers to Upgrade as they Buy. - 11/20/08 11:12 PM
Renovation Loan I've recently had a number of people ask about how they can include planned renovations in the purchase price of a home. Niki French, the Renovation Specialist at Plaza Mortgage, was kind enough to provide me with more specifics.First step is to apply for a Purchase & Renovate or Refinance & Renovate loan. This step will require you to provide credit documents, sign the applications and disclosures, and review a contractor's package and copy of renovation disclosures.Once you receive the pre-approval letter, the renovation specialist will contact you to go over approval conditions. The purchase agreement should include renovation … (0 comments)

 
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Maria Morton Kansas City Real Estate 816-560-3758

Kansas City, MO

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BHG Real Estate - Kansas City Homes

Address: 435 Nichols Rd. Suite 300, Kansas City , MO, 64112

Office Phone: (816) 410-5499

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