Why you Need a Realtor – Buyer

Okay, yes, admittedly an article entitled “Why You Need a Realtor” written by a Realtor might seem a little suspect on the surface, but if you don’t know all the facts, you can’t make an informed decision. So sit back, kick your feet up, and decide for yourself whether or not you need a Realtor.

I’m always a little surprised to find that buyers think they are the ones that pay the Realtors’ commission, but I think that’s much like a rocket scientist being astonished that people don’t know the difference between orbital and celestial mechanics and how Kepler’s equation can be used as a fundamental technique in both fields!

Though some Realtors now charge buyers a fee (call it an administrative fee or doc fee or whatever), it’s nominal. Basically, buyers get free representation. What that representation entails is this: everything! Our services fall just short of holding your hand while you go to the toilet.

We’ve got “connections” you wouldn’t believe, and we can give you the name of at least two reputable lenders were sure won’t give you the runaround too late in the loan process.

As your Realtor, we’ll meet you at your convenience and talk with you about the process and the steps involved in buying a home. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re there to answer them. We’ll help you develop criteria to make your search efforts more effective. We know the neighborhoods, the best route and drive time if you live here but work there, the benefits and drawbacks of older versus newer homes, whether or not they have plans to build a Super Wal-Mart where that old grocery store used to be, what area is best for resale, and more.

Once the criteria has been established, we’ll start sending you homes, whether as an automated search on the MLS or hand-delivering them to you one batch at a time. After picking your favorites and a day you want to see them, we’ll really get to work. We have to put the homes in the order best traveled, figure out how long it’s going to take to view each home and what the driving time is between properties, then call the listing agents and set up the appointments.

As licensed Realtors, we’re required to have Errors and Omissions insurance, but that insurance does not cover clients sitting in our car as were blasting through a guardrail while eating, talking on the phone and writing down directions, so many Realtors are now encouraging buyers to follow them in their own cars instead.

At each home is when our senses go into overdrive. We are constantly on the lookout for water stains and foundational cracks and our noses alert to mildew and pet odors. On a beautiful spring day, you may not notice that the sunroom has no HVAC, but we do. You may miss the fact that there are no noticeable laundry hook-ups, but we won’t. Experience has taught us to look closely, and we do.

Once you’ve found your dream home, your Realtor will do some research. How long has it been on the market? Why are they selling? What did they pay for it originally and what updates or renovations were made since then?

Based on the information revealed by your Realtor, you’ll write an offer. More accurately, your Realtor will write the offer for you. We’ve got all the documents you will ever need to purchase a home. Contracts, addendums, addendums to addendums . . . and we know how and when to use them. We will ask you all the questions necessary to make the offer valid and legal, specifying where to initial and on which dotted line to sign. We’ll go over each and every paragraph, encapsulating them for you into bite-size pieces. We’ll present the offer to the listing agent, who will present it to the seller. Then we’ll negotiate on your behalf.

Negotiating is a fine-tuned instrument. Everything factors into play, from nuances in a voice to how the property is presented. An added bonus to having representation at this stage of the game is that if you want to play good cop/bad cop, we’ll be the bad cop!

Once your offer is accepted and becomes a full-fledged contract, we’ve got both home and pest inspectors that we can recommend and you can trust. We’ll schedule the inspections based on your availability. If we can’t be there for at least some portion of the inspections, we’ll go over the inspection reports with you to determine which repairs to ask for. Again, it’s a negotiation.

Then we prepare for closing. You have a problem? You have a question or concern? You want to find a good painter? You want to view the home one more time to take photos and measurements? Call your Realtor.

About a week or so before closing, your Realtor will remind you to have your utilities either turned on or switched over to your name. Your Realtor will also be in touch with the listing agent and lender to see that things are running smoothly on those ends.

Sometime before closing, your Realtor will receive the settlement statement from the closing agent and be able to review it for accuracy. If you’ve already paid the pest inspector but it shows up as a closing cost, we’ll take care of it.

At closing is not when our job is done. It never really is. We are always available to answer questions and help solve problems.

And when it comes time to sell your home, we’re there for you too!

Investing in Phoenix: Why The Arizona Realtor You Choose is So Important

As everyone knows, homes and real estate in the Phoenix and surrounding

areas have dramatically decreased in price over the past several months.

Real Estate Upkeep Wooden Decking

Property ownership means responsibility. The weather plays no favorites. Day in , day out the exterior of your house , home or condo takes a real beating. The wood of your outdoor deck or patio – be it cedar or a less durable form of building material needs special care and an ongoing maintenance plan.

So before the chill in the air turns into the harshest of December and January winter conditions it is best to get on with the tasks to clean , restore and protect your deck and decking areas to prepare for those long wintertime period months ahead. You can be sure of two things when it comes to owning property ” that both winter and your property taxes will both arrive on time and in a timely and predictable manner and manners.

When it comes to full and complete desk maintenance ” professionals offer this advice as to the procedure and follow through. First of all when it comes to the initial cleaning and maintenance procedures and steps it is best to start cleaning your deck thoroughly to remove any grayed surface fibers , ground in dirt, barbecue stains as well as any stains from spring , summer or fall mold, mildew, moss and even algae especially common at summer beach vacation cottages.

If your stained or painted deck or decking areas are in greater disrepair or might be considered to be nearer the end of their lifespan before major repair or replacement by a carpentry crew , then you might consider stripping fully and comprehensively the full surface finish with a high quality commercial level stain and finish remover. These are used by deck repair and maintenance professionals to remove all type and forms of oil, latex , solid and semi solid as well as transparent and toner type stains. In addition these commercial wood stain and finish removers will prepare your outdoor wood deck surfaces for the new , most modern and up to date water repellent sealers and stains.

When it comes to entertaining your friends or family in a beautiful , spotless clean and well maintained outdoor deck patio next summer what could be nicer and more inviting. On top of that a deck in good as well as safe condition is an asset when putting your home or the market , according to experienced realtors. On the other hand any potential property buyer in the real estate market will discount their sales offer substantially deducting the costs of removal and disposal of the decking areas of the house , condo or beach cottage , never mind the cost of rebuilding the replacement to the property and its landscaping It pays in terms of property values of your home or abode to maintain and care for your exterior wooden deck.

House Depreciated Value – Appeal Realty Property Tax Assessments Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.