Real Estate Tips

Buying New Or Adding On

Homeowners should consider several questions before making the choice between adding on to an existing home or moving up in the market to a bigger house. How much money do you have available for remodeling your current house? How much additional space do you require? Is there room to expand on the ground level or will the foundation of your present home support a second floor? What will the local zoning and building ordinances permit? How much equity do you have in the property? Are there affordable properties for sale that would satisfy your housing needs?

Consider your neighborhood–it makes more sense to add on to a smaller house than to over-improve the largest home in the area. Your decision should ultimately be based on your individual needs, the extent of the work involved and which features will add the most value. According to industry experts, buyers are always excited by state-of-the art kitchens and bathrooms.

Filed under: Buying Land and New Construction, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

Who Pays the Commission?

Does it cost the homebuyer more to be represented by a buyer’s agent who serves their interests exclusively? No, because the listing agent splits the sales commission, which is customarily paid by the seller of the home, with the buyer’s agent. The sales commission split is usually 50-50, but the listing agent and buyer’s agent will sometimes make another agreement and split the commission unequally.

There is one very unusual circumstance in which the homebuyer might pay a commission to their buyer’s agent. The real estate agent might show the buyer a local “for sale by owner” (FSBO) home which the client decides to purchase. In most cases, the FSBO seller who is presented with a qualified buyer is glad to pay the buyer’s agent a reduced fee of about 3 percent, or half of a normal sales commission. But the FSBO seller could stubbornly refuse to pay the buyer’s agent any commission whatsoever. In that case, the buyer’s agent would legitimately expect the buyer to pay the sales commission, in fair exchange for the agent finding the FSBO home and negotiating a successful transaction.

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Handle Needed Repairs Early

There is a standard chain of events that occurs when an offer comes in on a home. After a meeting of the minds, the buyer often brings in a home inspector who may find a few items that need to be repaired. The real estate agent gives the homeowner a list of the requested repairs. What comes next?

In most transactions, the seller will take care of the repairs. Many sellers wait until the week before the closing to call someone to do the work, because they want to be sure that they are going to make it to the closing table before they spend money on repair work. If you are responsible for making repairs to a home you are selling, make sure you have the work done well in advance of the closing date by licensed professionals who will stand behind their work. If the work is done at the last minute and is incomplete or unsatisfactory, it could cause complications at the closing. You should provide the buyers with all the receipts and the names of the persons to contact in case there is a problem with the repairs.

Filed under: Cosmetics Improvements, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

Cosmetic Repairs

The better your home in looks while it is on the market, the more likely it is to sell quickly, and for the best price. When you have a listing appointment with a real estate agent, the agent will provide a detailed market analysis along with the advantages of listing with their company. He or she will then go through your home with you and make suggestions about cosmetic repairs that will help to present your home at its best.

The real estate agent’s recommendations can make some sellers uncomfortable and a little defensive because they are reminders of all the “little” projects they have postponed. Real estate agent’s occasionally encounter a homeowner who “has it all together”, but such people are rare! Most sellers need suggestions about repairs that will make their home show well, and providing these ideas is an important part of a real estate agent’s job.

Filed under: Cosmetics Improvements, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

Buyer Agency

In the history of the real estate industry, there has been a single approach to working with a real estate agent. If you wanted to purchase a home, an agent showed you properties on behalf of the sellers of those homes. As a buyer, you were not represented by anyone other than yourself. Negotiation over price and terms were entirely your responsibility.

Now there is another way to handle buying property. With buyer agency, your real estate sales associate acts on your behalf in all negotiations. That agent is committed to being your advocate in finding and purchasing your next home, and at no cost to you.

In many cities across the United States, buyer agency is used in the majority of home purchases. With buyer agency, all fiduciary duties are owed to the buyer, not to the seller. The buyer has the freedom to discuss personal finances, negotiating strategies and the value of properties with their buyer agent. The buyer can ask for the opinion of the buyer agent regarding the condition of the property, the effect of improvements, the seller’s motivation for selling and a variety of other information thar the seller’s agent cannot provide.

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Cosmetic Flaws

Many buyers make home buying decisions based primarily upon emotional reactions to the homes we show them. A freshly-painted house with clean windows and waxed floors will sell for top dollar, while a nearby home which needs a lot of cosmetic attention may languish on the market, even with a much lower asking price.

If you find yourself in the position of comparing two such houses, put your imagination to work. If the only difference is paint, cleaning, and carpeting (or getting unsightly furniture moved out), remember that these are fairly low ticket items that you would probably choose to do even if the house is in good shape. If you focus your attention on the location and the condition of the structure and the major systems, you may be able to get a “not-very-rough” diamond at a great price. If cosmetic problems make you nervous about the home, the structural inspection can answer most of your questions.

Filed under: Cosmetics Improvements, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

Building With Help From Brokers

Did you know that, for no additional cost, you can be represented by a real estate broker in conjunction with purchasing a home from a builder? Homebuilders are accustomed to working with real estate brokers and often their commission is already covered in their marketing and promotion costs. A broker can provide objectivity and guidance in designing your home and help you select amenities that will lead to a more advantageous resale. He or she can help coordinate the sale of your present home and the closing of the new one. Many brokers offer guaranteed home sale programs so that when your new home is finished, the real estate company will buy your previous home at a pre-agreed price to prevent you from owning two homes at one time; and can usually arrange the occupancy agreeable to all parties. Take advantage of using your real estate broker in conjunction with building your new home at no additional cost.

Filed under: Buying Land and New Construction, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

Taking It With You

Before you list your home for sale, take a careful look around. Are there some items you will want to take with you? There may be a dining room chandelier that has been in your family for three generations, a ceiling fan in the master bedroom, or the bookcases in the den that look built-in but are not.

Normally all fixtures are conveyed to the new owners when a house is sold. This includes anything that is attached to walls or ceilings and, in some areas, all major appliances that are installed in the house. If you have fixtures that you don’t want to convey, tell your agent what you want excluded from the agreement at the time you list your property for sale.

If it is convenient, it is best to remove any light fixtures or ceiling fans you plan to take with you and replace them before the property is shown to prospective buyers. List all items that are not being sold with the house on your home fact sheet to ensure that they will not become an issue when a buyer makes an offer.

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Real Estate Agent Representation

Which party in a real estate transaction is represented by the real estate agent–the buyer or the seller? Until recently that question was never asked because the answer was always the same. Traditionally all the marketing professionals involved in real estate transactions were legally and ethically obligated to conduct business on behalf of the seller. They may have aided the buyer in certain situations, but their client was the seller. Today that is not necessarily the case.

In a time of increasing specialization, buyers can be represented by a real estate agent who functions solely as a buyer’s broker. In this case, the sales professional helps the buyer locate a home, negotiate the price, and is responsible to the buyer only, for an agreed-upon fee or a percentage commission.

In any real estate transaction you have the right to know which party the real estate agent is representing.

Filed under: Agency, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

Building Considerations

Are you planning to build your dream home? Once you are pre-approved for a loan and have found a professional real estate agent you trust, you are ready to start looking for the perfect lot.

Compare the qualities of several target neighborhoods by looking at schools, shopping, recreation and zoning. Make sure that the zoning regulations allow you to build the size and height of the home you want. Find out if there are use restrictions that would prevent you from developing your property as you intend. A visit to the local planning department will clarify your options for building.

Consider what type of home would best suit your lifestyle. Create a checklist to itemize the “must-have” interior and exterior features of a house that you feel are absolute requirements. Make notations about yard size, paint, roof and window conditions for the exterior, and floor plan, room quality and condition of the appliances for the interior. Bring your lists to your real estate agent. Together you can look over the currently available properties that correspond to your needs.

Filed under: Buying Land and New Construction, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage