Some Useful Tips for HomeBuyers/Sellers!

SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR HOMEBUYERS/SELLERS!

Use this forum to post some useful home buying tips for new and existing Buyers and Sellers.


To start off:

5 Reasons You Need a REALTOR®

1. A real estate transaction is complicated. In most cases, buying or selling a home requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi-page government-mandated settlement statements. A knowledgeable guide through this complexity can help you avoid delays or costly mistakes.

2. Selling or buying a home is time consuming. Even in a strong market, homes in our area stay on the market for an average of 30 days. And it usually takes another 60 days or so for the transaction to close after an offer is accepted.

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It's easy to say that people need Realtors, but you should have some questions to ask before selecting one. Here is a quick list of questions:


1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate, like many other professions, is mostly learned on the job.

2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI and CRS, which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training, are held by only about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.

3. How many homes did you and your company sell last year?

4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market?

5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices?

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5 Things to Do Before You Sell


1. Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.

2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.

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Ways to Have Your Contract Offer Come Out on Top

· Talk with your Realtor and analyze the comparables before formulating your offer. Find out from your real estate professional why seemingly similar neighborhoods have different average prices and which homes are true comparables.

• Assess the strength of the market. Strengthen your negotiating position by knowing which markets are active, which are overbuilt, and which are taking off.

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