buyers agent: "Just Between Us", Said The Other Agent...
- 08/16/14 06:23 AM
In Real Estate Pre-Licensing and Post-Licensing courses in North Carolina, it is drilled into real estate agents that we MUST know who we work for. In our state, agents work either FOR the seller or the buyer, with clear fiduciary responsibilities of confidentiality to either the Seller or the Buyer. Period. Occasionally, we can work as a Dual Agent but only with the permission of both buyer and seller, we are still bound by fiduciary responsibility of confidentiality to both parties. “Just between us” when said by one agent to another in relationship to a real estate transaction, whether early … (9 comments)
buyers agent: We Work With Strangers...Think About That for a Minute
- 09/25/13 10:49 PM
Real estate agents make their livings by forming relationships with strangers. My real estate career began in 2004 and I know that I've been unbelievably fortunate that most of the strangers I've formed relationships with turned out to be interesting and bonafide clients. Many of those people have become lifelong good friends. There have however been a few odd ones, not quirky odd...I like quirky odd, but a few that turned out to be not sincere and one who was almost scary weird. Early on in my career there was the guy who on our way to look at vacant … (10 comments)
buyers agent: New Musical Act Discovered in Greens Creek During Preview
- 09/18/13 01:28 PM
While previewing a property in the Greens Creek area of Sylva today for a buyer, I heard the oddest music. Because we have a pretty healthy eco-system here near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I've heard frog songs before...but never anything like this! … (9 comments)
buyers agent: Real Estate in the Mountains...Someone Has to Do It! Monday Melodies
- 09/08/13 10:16 PM
Even in Sylva, NC, real estate can be like a pressure cooker...no regular downtime, we have to grab it when we can. That's where Van Morrison comes in. It's been like that for more than a month now and its all good. The buyers have been plentiful, intentional and interesting. That's all good but everytime we meet a new buyer, we make sure they understand what they are getting into. That means sharing the lender's information, the Agency Disclosure, and the Buyer Agency Agreement. Then we have a thorough conversation to understand what they are looking for, knowing full well … (5 comments)
buyers agent: Knowing All Variables Before the Offer? Due Diligence is There For You
- 08/14/13 09:59 PM
Trying to ascertain all of the information about a vacant or unimproved piece of property before the buyer has even determined if the seller will entertain their offer can undermine the buyer's position. In real estate transactions, buyers are rarely in a position to know all variables about a property BEFORE they offer on that piece of property, that is why most states have some form of Due Diligence or Inspections period in the contract. How can being well informed possibly undermine the buyer's position? At the right time, it can't. Pursuing inspections prematurely, before the buyer has even … (5 comments)
buyers agent: Why Doesn't This Listing Look Like the Description or Photos? FAQ!!!
- 08/09/13 09:57 PM
In the long run, if the photos and description of the property for sale are "puffed up" for the consumer...everyone loses. As real estate agents, we can be masters of minimizing faults in our listings when we advertise them. Sometimes it doesn't matter since certain descriptions are open to interpretation and easily understood by the reader, such as "cozy", "adorable", "cute" and "doll house" aren't really misrepresenting the fact that the property is small. But, just about every time I take buyers out to show property we are all confronted with more than one listing that doesn't live up to … (14 comments)
It is likely that for most consumers a real estate purchase will be the largest investment they will make during their lives. Therefore, it only makes sense that it is in their best interest to work with a Buyer's Agent.
Working with a Buyer's Agent as opposed to a Seller's Agent or Seller's Subagent is a matter of higher levels of service & loyalty to Buyers. All agents (Seller's Agents & Subagents included) owe Buyers honesty, fairness and material facts about properties. In addition to those items though, when a Buyer's Agent is engaged the Buyer gains the promotion of THEIR own best interests, loyalty … (14 comments)
buyers agent: The Field of Forbidden Fruit...The Buyers' Risk of Skipping Pre-Qual
- 04/24/13 09:17 PM
Sometimes buyers want to skip or don't know the first crucial step in home buying of establishing a relationship with a lender and getting themselves pre-qualified for a loan. Even worse, sometimes the Buyers' Agent allows them to skip that step. A missed step can mean a bad fall. There is a real risk to the buyer if they haven't determined their ability to purchase a house first as well as sought the guidance of a loan officer to figure out their price range. The consequence is that buyers will shop based solely on their wants instead of their wherewithal … (27 comments)
buyers agent: Please Don't Sell "My" House! Bad Kharma Has No Place in Real Estate.
- 04/08/13 10:36 PM
Please, don't sell "my" house! No, it wasn't the seller giving me that message...don't you love showing houses occupied by the renter? Is it ever in their best interests to have a great showing, an offer and a successful contract? I know they are under stress and I really do sympathize. It would be completely scary to have a month to month agreement rental situation, to pass a REALTOR's yard sign every time you pull into the driveway, to know that with little notice strangers could be walking through "your" home and commenting on your things and to always feel you are … (54 comments)
buyers agent: BUYERS WANTED ~ Please Review Qualifications, Experience Not Needed
- 09/07/12 10:24 PM
Buyers we’ve worked with before are ready to look at investment property. They were awesome to work with. They bought a house through us a little over a year ago and are ready to move on with their vision for their future. We can’t wait to work with them again. Who couldn’t use more good buyers? If we could place a classified ad for new buyers, what qualifications or experience would we be advertising for? Here’s a few I’ve come up with quickly and I’m opening the doors wide open for suggestions from the rest of the ActiveRain community.
… (20 comments)
buyers agent: This Just In...Tree Dude/Dudettes Take Up Residence in Franklin, NC
- 07/07/12 12:53 PM
This just in from brand new homeowners in Franklin, North Carolina...two tree dudes have taken up residence in their neighborhood. Kathy and Bob first became acquainted with tree dudes when we were working together to find them the perfect mountain getaway. Since then, they've been eager to encounter others but until today the tree dudes have proven to be quite elusive. According to the email I received from Kathy just a little while ago, she and Bob decided to do a little fishing today at Lake Glenville just outside of Cashiers. When they finished at Lake Glenville, they … (14 comments)
buyers agent: FAQ ~ How Do I Know If the Neighborhood is Nice?
- 06/06/12 01:11 PM
The house seems perfect, just the right size with everything you wanted. The price is within your budget. Just one thing, you are wondering “How Do I know if the Neighborhood is nice?” REALTORS have certain rules they must abide by and one of them is not characterizing a neighborhood. This is up to you. Drive through the neighborhood at various times of the day. Observe the yards of the neighbors, do they seem to keep their trash cans in and their lawns cut? Are there noises that you think will bother you in the long run? Maybe the neighbor … (32 comments)
buyers agent: FAQ ~ Do Home Buyers Have Out of Pocket Expenses?
- 06/01/12 12:39 PM
One question we are frequently asked by buyers is “Will there be out of pocket expenses for me when I buy a house or vacant property?”. YES! YES! YES! Outside of loan associated costs, which are often rolled into the loan, buyers should be prepared to spend anywhere from $500 to $2,000 out of pocket BEFORE they ever see the closing table. You’ve found the house of your dreams and are ready to make an offer on the house. Attached to the offer itself is an Earnest Money Deposit and possibly a Due Diligence Fee. There are no standards for … (14 comments)
buyers agent: Full Steam Ahead...It's Time to Get Back to Work
- 05/26/12 10:13 PM
And just like that, I’m full steam ahead and ready to work! Yesterday was spent in the sun on my good buddy, John Deere the riding mower. Two weeks away from home meant some tall thick grass and other assorted varieties of green that passes for grass in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Today I started out with a great cup of coffee and read Emily Medvec’s post about being handed one of the first “short sales” in Santa Fe, NM back in 2008. Since there really was no “how to” manual, she just jumped in, got creative and …full … (12 comments)
buyers agent: Serene and Calm, Breathe Deep...Say Ohmmmm
- 04/27/12 01:38 PM
That Friday closing isn’t finished yet and the urge to look at something peaceful and serene ruled the evening. This Dogwood bloom surrounded by rich green leaves provided the sensation of calm and perspective. What wasn’t completed today will be taken care of first thing Monday.
Breathe deep...say ohmmm. … (16 comments)
buyers agent: Another Agent Used Me...What Do You Think About That?
- 02/20/12 09:03 PM
Funny how this business works sometimes. Another agent used me and sent me a thank you text! What do you think about that? The other day I was researching some properties to show a couple from Chicago on Thursday. One of the houses had an intriguing exterior and was in the right area but had no interior photos. This particular listing agent is usually pretty good about providing lots of photos so I emailed him for more information. I told him I was interested in showing the house but without having a clue about the interior I wanted him to … (66 comments)
buyers agent: Do Buyers Get The Blues? ~ Music on Mondays
- 02/19/12 08:40 PM
Do buyers get the blues? Sometimes...how could they not? Especially when there’s a little of them here…a little of them there…one person is on this front…the other is on the other home front. There might be a new job involved or a new town. New jobs mean meeting new people and learning new skill sets…sometimes it means no one’s familiar face is at the dinner table when you finally collapse in exhaustion at your "not really yours" home. Change usually can be a very good thing and it's all necessary to keep our brains and bodies involved and intact. However...it’s all … (15 comments)
buyers agent: Expect the Unexpected in Real Estate ~ Music on Mondays
- 01/08/12 11:59 PM
We may not like it but we always need to be prepared to expect the unexpected. In real estate we should know that the unexpected can crop up at any point in a relationship or transaction and the only thing that makes sense is to dust off quickly, glean whatever lessons can be learned, improve your performance and move on to take care of the other folks you've been juggling at the same time. A bad investment for your client is also bad for you. If you're lucky that the endeavor was sincere but unexpected components cropped up, all … (9 comments)
buyers agent: Reviewing Up Close and From a Distance - All Part of a Realtor's Day
- 01/07/12 03:48 PM
If you are a Realtor, your whole day is often spent in review. When I was out on the banks of Spring Creek in Hot Springs, NC the other day it was a great opportunity to review a lot of things in my head. There are so many things to put in perspective and look at both close up and from a distance. We are involved in the buyers’ side of a transaction right now and that’s where my head was.
With buyers we start out looking close up during the first substantive dialog with the people we … (4 comments)
What a day! I showed 11 houses near downtown Waynesville today. They were all within a 4 mile radius and it went very smoothly thanks to the cooperation of the neighboring Haywood County MLS agents.
Living in Balsam, I am right on the Jackson/Haywood County Line. We've owned a business in Waynesville and therefore are very familiar and comfortable with showing property in Waynesville. Because we aren't members of the Haywood County MLS, we wouldn't dream of listing properties there but have had success with our buyers there. Other agents in our own Northern Jackson MLS have complained that … (13 comments)
What job could possibly be better than bringing people together by sharing our common interests and learning new ones?
Here's my opportunity to introduce conversations and photos of the area I feel so passionate about...the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
This is one way to give you some background about me and our MoonDancer Realty company to help you make an informed decision about hiring us as your next REALTOR. I hope you enjoy the content as much I enjoy sharing it.
I'm looking forward to reading your comments and hope to meet you soon.
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