Q.  I really want to buy a home in Crofton MD. Will you be my agent?

A.  Thank you for asking me, Mr. Homebuyer. It would be a privilege to help you find and buy a Crofton home.  Let me just confirm that you're "ready, willing and able" to consummate a home purchase now, before we enter into a Buyer-Broker Agreement and start looking at homes.

1.  READY

Do you have a home to sell before you can buy?  Are you waiting to confirm a job-transfer or to receive PCS orders to this area?  How long has it been since your bankruptcy was discharged?  Do you have an IRS lien that must be satisfied? 

If you don't have any similar situations in your world, then you're probably ready to buy a home.

2.  WILLING

Are you willing to take time off of work to go look at new listings promptly when they come on the market?  Will you provide all the private financial information requested by a lender?  Are you willing to enter into an exclusive Buyer-Broker Agreement with me? 

Rubbing the top of a magic lantern just doesn't cut it in this market.  Buying a home today is much harder than it was five years ago and could require significant time and effort during the home search and the period after contract / before closing.

3.  ABLE

Do you have in hand a written (and recent) pre-approval for a mortgage loan? Do you have sufficient assets to purchase a home without a mortgage loan?

If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you're able to buy a home now.

You can ask and answer these questions yourself, Mr. Homebuyer, and you will know better than I whether the phrase "ready, willing, and able" fits.  If so, let's get started now with that home search!

If not, why don't we sit down and talk about how I might help you address any of these obstacles. It wouldn't be the first time I referred a prospective buyer to someone in my network for a job, or recommended a local lender to them. 

As soon as you meet these three basic requirements, we can enter into a Buyer-Broker Agreement and start looking at homes.  I'm excited to help you get started!

I promise we'll have a fun time exploring communities as well as inspecting homes.  We'll probably see some lovely homes, but we might see some "handyman specials" too.  When you find the right home, we'll know in advance that you're in a position to buy it with minimal hassle because you're "ready, willing, and able." 

The next real estate success story on my website about a happy Crofton homebuyer could be all about YOU.

BRRRR… I'm cold just thinking about the Polar Bear Plunge sponsored by the Maryland State Police to benefit Special Olympics Maryland. 

Participants from Crofton and across the region will literally “plunge” into the icy Chesapeake Bay at Sandy Point on Saturday, iwith moral and financial support  from their friends, relatives, co-workers and others for this important cause.

So far this year, almost $1,500,000 has already been pledged (1/25/11), and there are three days to go. 

Plenty of other things will be going on at Sandy Point for plungers and spectators alike on Saturday, including entertainment, food - and much of it in warm tents.  The best way to see the full schedule is to visit the PlungeMd website.

While you're there, search for your favorite Crofton plunger and visit his/her page to make a pledge for Special Olympics Maryland.

This was posted originally by the author at FocusOnCrofton.com under a different title