I got a call last night from a first-time home buyer who wanted a second opinion. She has been working on improving her credit and has been talking to a couple different Realtors. Realtor 1 is new to the business and buyer felt she knew more about the market and financing than Realtor 1. When asking Realtor 1 questions, Realtor 1 was unable to answer them or guide her in the right direction. Realtor 2 has been struggling in the business like many and wanted to work with her but had to take on a different full-time job because real estate wasn’t paying the bills so she referred her to Realtor 3 who has not called her back after 4 months, so she called to ask us some questions about financing, just to see if she is getting good advice from the current lender who is recommending she get an ARM. As a Realtor, I can give some advice about loans, but really that is not my specialty so I referred her to a lender that I trust that is not a big risk taker and most likely will advise against the ARM and suggest that she work on a couple other things until she can qualify for what she wants with a 30 year fixed mortgage.
When you’re buying a home, it’s likely one of the largest purchases that you’ll ever make. When you make other big decisions or large purchases, do you only take one professionals advice as gospel or do you interview more than one?
I normally give referrals a lot of weight and will typically use people who are referred to me. But sometimes I’m told things that just don’t sit right. For example, a dentist once told me that my 6 year old had 6 cavities that needed filling. She brushed and flossed religiously and had no cavities up to that point; at her visit with the previous dentist 6 months earlier (he sold the practice to new dentist) she had none. I thought that sounded fishy so I took her to another dentist and she had NO CAVITIES. At almost 17 years old now, she still has no cavities. I think about that a lot when I’m dealing with professionals like doctors, dentists, CPA. If something doesn’t feel right, I get a second opinion.
When you’re looking to buy a house, if you’re talking to a mortgage lender and you’re not sure they are giving you the best advice, get a second opinion. If you’re working with a Realtor and are not sure you’re getting the best advice, maybe they are new, maybe they don’t normally work the area you are looking in, you can get a second opinion and don’t feel bad about it.
Most professionals are just that, professional. Odds are your second opinion will be similar to your first and then you’ll know you’re making the right decision. If not, well at least you won’t be getting 6 unnecessary fillings!
If you’re looking to sell or purchase a home in Maryland, give us a call for a free consultation. If we work the area you are looking in and we hit it off, we’d love to work with you. If we don’t work the area you’re looking in, we can refer you to a good professional who does.
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To list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Anne Arundel or Howard Counties as well as parts of Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Calvert Counties, call Lisa & David Webber, Licensed Realtors® at 410-320-0242. For more information on our services, please visit our profile or our website.
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