Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Verify Your Agent!!!!!
Honesty is important in any profession, but it's paramount in an industry such as real estate. When you buy or sell a home, you're most likely handling the most substantial financial transaction of your life. And unfortunately, the real estate agent industry is saddled with a poor reputation -- not unlike that of lawyers or even car salespeople -- because some agents don't know the difference between truth and lies. Part of the problem is the vast numbers of unscrupulous people who figure the real estate profession offers them a fast track to easy money. It's not difficult, in many states, to obtain a real estate license. Professional standards and educational requirements are at a minimum. Any kid over the age of 18 who doesn't have an FBI record in California can get a real estate license, for example, providing the kid takes a couple of real estate classes and passes an exam. Even high school dropouts qualify.
Which Real Estate Agents Are Trustworthy?
You rarely hear about the honest agents in the news as most coverage is devoted to agent arrests and shady scams. But that's because truthfulness isn't newsworthy. The truth is about 10% of the agents do 90% of the business, and that top 10% are more likely to be the type that buyers and sellers can trust. Many home buyers and home sellers say they want their real estate agent to be honest, ethical, professional and experienced.What Do Real Estate Agents Lie About?
Mostly, themselves, if you're lucky. Real estate agents often misrepresent their experience and credentials on their web sites and / or blogs. Some spend inordinate amounts of time posting online to obtain maximum search engine exposure. Others pay for commercial rights to rank high in Google and Yahoo. Agents expend this effort and expense to get you to click on their site. You may wonder, and rightly so, if you can trust the agent's web site. Just because it's on the Internet doesn't make it true. I run across hokey real estate agent sites all the time in Sacramento and also nationally. The bottom line is if your agent isn't presenting a truthful picture of herself or himself online, what else is your agent likely to lie to you about? Here are misrepresentations to look for on a real estate agent's web site / blog:- Real Estate Experience If you can't easily spot a reference to the number of years the agent has been licensed to sell real estate, it's because the agent has none or very little (under five years) experience. The agent may toss other numbers at you such as how long they have lived in the state or the number of years the agent was employed somewhere else. But only one thing counts, and that's solid real estate experience. Tip: Experience is important because it means an agent should be able to anticipate problems and prevent them from manifesting. It also means you're relatively assured that over the years your agent has learned how to handle just about any type of potential difficulty without running elsewhere for advice.
- Real Estate Listings Most agent web sites feature that agent's active listings. You should check for a link to "my listings," to determine whether that agent even has any listings. Only a select few, such as exclusive buyer broker agents, refuse to take listings. Listings are the backbone of experienced real estate agents. If you can't find a link, it's because the agent has no listings. Tip: Some agents without listings advertise other agent's listings. Read through the listings carefully to see if they belong to that agent. They may not. If you can't tell, call the office number and ask for the name of the listing agent -- you may discover it's probably somebody else. Some agents misrepresent all their company listings on their site as their own, when they are not.
- Real Estate Specialty Agents generally advertise their specialty, whether it's a neighborhood, type of property or specific types of buyers they may represent. For example, an agent might claim to be a specialist at selling homes in a trendy neighborhood but haven't to date. Or agents may try to market themselves as an exclusive home specialist by showcasing only high end homes on their web site, yet they have never sold a home in that price range. Still, other agents may advertise that they are FHA specialists but have yet to close an FHA transaction.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS. READ MORE AT: http://homebuying.about.com/od/realestateagents/a/063008-LiarAgts.htm
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
10 Things To Keep In Mind When Buying A House
10 Things To Keep In Mind When Buying A House
Buying a home is a trying and complicated process. It often strains relationships and puts an enormous amount of stress on buyers physically, mentally and financially. That's why the folks at the Boston Globe have put together this list of 10 things to keep in mind as you weather the home-buying storm.
1. Get your financing in order
"The seller wants to know that if they do accept the offer, that barring catastrophic title issues or inspection issues, the deal is going to go through," said Gary Dwyer, broker-owner of Buyer Agents of Boston. Another expert recommends having a full pre-approval within the past 30 days: "Six months is no good anymore, because the rules keep changing."
2. Understand your time horizon
"As a shorter-term buyer, you might consider whether the place is a good investment, and if it's the kind of property that's going to be attractive for the next buyer...A house near train tracks, for instance, is probably not what most people are looking for. But for someone who's planning to stay longer, a good school system or larger lot size might make up for the trains thundering past."
3. Know the overall market conditions
Investigate what comparable properties have sold for over the past three to six months, Dwyer advises. If you're not working with an agent, sites with pricing information such Zillow.com or Trulia.com could help.
4. Search and buy within your means
"If the housing crisis has taught us anything, it's that buying with the expectation that prices will continuously go up — and that if you can eke out the payments each month, you'll be in a good spot in the long run — isn't such a good idea."
5. If you're waiting for prices to go lower, think again
Real estate is a bit like the stock market, Hillman says, in that it's unpredictable. Though some people might be waiting on the sidelines for housing prices to dip lower, she says, "looking at the numbers, I can't see them continuing to go down."
6. Don't get too sucked in by appearances
Buyers should keep in mind that many sellers will try to present their homes in the best possible light. "If the house has been staged, what [potential buyers] forget is that all that stuff is going out when [the sellers] leave," says Needham realtor Harriet Lieb. "Sometimes you're better off buying something that needs a little decorating, because it's going to take on your own look anyway."
7. Have questions prepared
"Sellers and their agents should be prepared to answer questions including how old the roof, heating system, hot water heater, and windows are; if the basement has taken water in the time the seller has been there, and if there's a sump pump; and what utilities and homeowner insurance generally cost... If there's been recent renovation work, buyers should find out of all building permits have been signed off and if all of the contractors and sub-contractors have been paid in full. If there's a pool, buyers should ask if the seller has a permit from the city or town."
8. If you're thinking of buying a brand new house...
Consider that a home that's been lived in has been tested, says Lieb. The seller will be able to tell you if the basement takes on water in a rainstorm, for instance.
"People will pay a lot of money for a brand new house. I tell people, it's only new once. It's like a car — you drive it out of the lot, it's not new," she says.
9. If you're buying a condo, know the rules
"Condo lending rules have become more stringent, making it difficult for some would-be buyers to get financing. Lenders generally want buildings to be at least 50 percent owner-occupied, Dwyer says."
10. Think about a home's intrinsic value
"[Buying a home] has always been a consumption decision and an investment decision," says Nicolas Retsinas, director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. In recent years, "we moved that dot along the continuum, and it became an investment decision... Questions such as 'Is this where I want to raise a family' and 'Is this close to the things that are important to me' will factor more into the decision."
10 things to know if you're buying a home now [Boston.com]
1. Get your financing in order
"The seller wants to know that if they do accept the offer, that barring catastrophic title issues or inspection issues, the deal is going to go through," said Gary Dwyer, broker-owner of Buyer Agents of Boston. Another expert recommends having a full pre-approval within the past 30 days: "Six months is no good anymore, because the rules keep changing."
2. Understand your time horizon
"As a shorter-term buyer, you might consider whether the place is a good investment, and if it's the kind of property that's going to be attractive for the next buyer...A house near train tracks, for instance, is probably not what most people are looking for. But for someone who's planning to stay longer, a good school system or larger lot size might make up for the trains thundering past."
3. Know the overall market conditions
Investigate what comparable properties have sold for over the past three to six months, Dwyer advises. If you're not working with an agent, sites with pricing information such Zillow.com or Trulia.com could help.
4. Search and buy within your means
"If the housing crisis has taught us anything, it's that buying with the expectation that prices will continuously go up — and that if you can eke out the payments each month, you'll be in a good spot in the long run — isn't such a good idea."
5. If you're waiting for prices to go lower, think again
Real estate is a bit like the stock market, Hillman says, in that it's unpredictable. Though some people might be waiting on the sidelines for housing prices to dip lower, she says, "looking at the numbers, I can't see them continuing to go down."
6. Don't get too sucked in by appearances
Buyers should keep in mind that many sellers will try to present their homes in the best possible light. "If the house has been staged, what [potential buyers] forget is that all that stuff is going out when [the sellers] leave," says Needham realtor Harriet Lieb. "Sometimes you're better off buying something that needs a little decorating, because it's going to take on your own look anyway."
7. Have questions prepared
"Sellers and their agents should be prepared to answer questions including how old the roof, heating system, hot water heater, and windows are; if the basement has taken water in the time the seller has been there, and if there's a sump pump; and what utilities and homeowner insurance generally cost... If there's been recent renovation work, buyers should find out of all building permits have been signed off and if all of the contractors and sub-contractors have been paid in full. If there's a pool, buyers should ask if the seller has a permit from the city or town."
8. If you're thinking of buying a brand new house...
Consider that a home that's been lived in has been tested, says Lieb. The seller will be able to tell you if the basement takes on water in a rainstorm, for instance.
"People will pay a lot of money for a brand new house. I tell people, it's only new once. It's like a car — you drive it out of the lot, it's not new," she says.
9. If you're buying a condo, know the rules
"Condo lending rules have become more stringent, making it difficult for some would-be buyers to get financing. Lenders generally want buildings to be at least 50 percent owner-occupied, Dwyer says."
10. Think about a home's intrinsic value
"[Buying a home] has always been a consumption decision and an investment decision," says Nicolas Retsinas, director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. In recent years, "we moved that dot along the continuum, and it became an investment decision... Questions such as 'Is this where I want to raise a family' and 'Is this close to the things that are important to me' will factor more into the decision."
10 things to know if you're buying a home now [Boston.com]
Monday, July 30, 2012
Press Release: A Short Sale is Always the Better Option
For more information, please contact:
Thomas Curry, P.A. , CDPE
Realtor, SFR, ABR
Certified Distress Property Expert
954.336.9593
TCurry954@comcast.net
Short sale is always a better option than foreclosure for homeowners in distress
Fort Lauderdale, FL – 07/30/2012 – When homeowners find themselves facing foreclosure, it can sometimes be difficult to get out from under the weight of the pressure and stress. Homeowners who find themselves in this circumstance are often blind to the options that are available to them.
“Many experts have popped up on the news saying some untrue things about foreclosures and short sales. In reality, a short sale is always the better option for numerous reasons,” says Thomas Curry, CDPE P.A. RE/MAX Consultants Realty I.
“Most people know that a foreclosure is bad for your credit,” said Curry “but not many people realize that it can affect things like current and future employment as well.”
As a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Thomas Curry has intimate knowledge about the benefits of a short sale over foreclosure. “These benefits are nothing new,” Thomas Curry said, “but there is so much misinformation out there that it is easy to be misled.”
A Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) is knowledgeable of the entire landscape of foreclosure avoidance options and is distinctly qualified to negotiate with banks and help struggling homeowners regain peace of mind and a sense of stability for the future.
Thomas Curry has developed a free report entitled, “The Foreclosure Fairytale,” which is accessible from his website, http://hosted.cdpe.com/thomascurry.
The report provides a thorough rundown of all of the ways that a short sale is more beneficial to homeowners than foreclosure.
For More Information About
Thomas Curry
RE/MAX Consultants Realty I
Please Visit: http://www.thomascurry.com/ and click the "About Agent" tab.
Please Visit: http://www.thomascurry.com/ and click the "About Agent" tab.
For more information about the CDPE Designation, visit http://www.cdpe.com/.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
What Can You Use Blogger For?
New Listings
Buyer/Seller Needs
Fundraising
Interesting Facts
Real Estate News
Sharing Stories
Asking Questions
Advice
Sharing Photos (feel free to post your cute baby photos :))
Anything and Everything you would want to share with everyone in the office...it can be real estate related or not. The more people who use the blog, the more useful it will become...so let's start sharing!!!
Buyer/Seller Needs
Fundraising
Interesting Facts
Real Estate News
Sharing Stories
Asking Questions
Advice
Sharing Photos (feel free to post your cute baby photos :))
Anything and Everything you would want to share with everyone in the office...it can be real estate related or not. The more people who use the blog, the more useful it will become...so let's start sharing!!!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Low-ball offers don’t work anymore
WASHINGTON – April 23, 2012 – When the number of home sellers grossly outpaces the number of buyers, no offer can be ignored, even if it’s 25 percent or more off the asking price. But in today’s rebounding market, those low-ball offers don’t often work. Many times, the potential buyer finds that they don’t get a counter-offer. And, in many cases, another more re......alistic buyer gets the home.
A low-ball offer – generally 25 or more off the asking price – allows buyers to see if they can land a great deal, even if they’re willing to pay more. In a survey last year conducted by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), one in 10 respondents cited low-ball offers as a concern. According to real estate columnist Kenneth Harney, a NAR survey conducted in March and not yet released found that almost no one complained about low offers.
When the number of listings outpaced the number of buyers, many potential homeowners submitted a shockingly low offer on the theory that they had nothing to lose. If the seller balked, most would still counter with something below their asking price. Today, however, offers close to the asking price – or even beating it – will probably come in fairly quickly from someone else if a home is priced correctly in the first place.
Even buyers who still want to low-ball an offer on a home many times switch tactics after they lose a property or two to a more aggressive buyer.
Florida Realtor Marnie Matarese works with J Wood Realty in Sarasota. She told Harney that fewer buyers want to low-ball an offer in her area, but they still come in – mainly from out-of-state or out-of-the-country people who have read about the state’s foreclosures and short sales. That news, however, is old – it has not kept up with reality in many areas.
Matarese says some people still insist on making a low-ball offer, but that she doesn’t mind. “You can’t blame a buyer for trying to get a good deal,” she says. In some cases, a seller isn’t offended by a low-ball offer, but their counter-offer shaves only a little bit off their original asking price. An Olympia, Wash., real estate agent had a $150,000 offer for a $250,000 listing, according to Harney. But after the dust settled and the seller shook off his irritation, he and the buyer agreed to $230,000.
Harney closed his column with this advice: “Rolling low-balls at sellers may have been an effective approach between 2008 and early 2011. But in 2012’s environment – at least in rebounding markets – it could be counterproductive if you truly want to buy.”
A low-ball offer – generally 25 or more off the asking price – allows buyers to see if they can land a great deal, even if they’re willing to pay more. In a survey last year conducted by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), one in 10 respondents cited low-ball offers as a concern. According to real estate columnist Kenneth Harney, a NAR survey conducted in March and not yet released found that almost no one complained about low offers.
When the number of listings outpaced the number of buyers, many potential homeowners submitted a shockingly low offer on the theory that they had nothing to lose. If the seller balked, most would still counter with something below their asking price. Today, however, offers close to the asking price – or even beating it – will probably come in fairly quickly from someone else if a home is priced correctly in the first place.
Even buyers who still want to low-ball an offer on a home many times switch tactics after they lose a property or two to a more aggressive buyer.
Florida Realtor Marnie Matarese works with J Wood Realty in Sarasota. She told Harney that fewer buyers want to low-ball an offer in her area, but they still come in – mainly from out-of-state or out-of-the-country people who have read about the state’s foreclosures and short sales. That news, however, is old – it has not kept up with reality in many areas.
Matarese says some people still insist on making a low-ball offer, but that she doesn’t mind. “You can’t blame a buyer for trying to get a good deal,” she says. In some cases, a seller isn’t offended by a low-ball offer, but their counter-offer shaves only a little bit off their original asking price. An Olympia, Wash., real estate agent had a $150,000 offer for a $250,000 listing, according to Harney. But after the dust settled and the seller shook off his irritation, he and the buyer agreed to $230,000.
Harney closed his column with this advice: “Rolling low-balls at sellers may have been an effective approach between 2008 and early 2011. But in 2012’s environment – at least in rebounding markets – it could be counterproductive if you truly want to buy.”
Sales and closing prices of existing U.S. homes grew in April and listed inventory fell, indicating a strengthening recovery, according to data released today by the National Association of Realtors.
Completed sales on existing homes increased 3.4 percent from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million in April 2012. Sales are up 10 percent from the 4.2 million rate recorded in April 2011. The median price for all types of existing homes rose 10.1 percent from last year to $177,400.
The inventory of listed existing homes has fallen 20.6 percent from April 2011, although total inventory increased 9.5 percent to 2.54 million from March 2012.
“It is no longer just the investors who are taking advantage of high affordability conditions. A return of normal home buying for occupancy is helping home sales across all price points, and now the recovery appears to be extending to home prices,” Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said. “The general downtrend in both listed and shadow inventory has shifted from a buyers’ market to one that is much more balanced, but in some areas it has become a seller’s market.”
Despite the importance of these apparent improvements in housing for national financial markets, the accuracy of the NAR’s past monthly existing-home data has been called into question and the organization had to adjust years worth of data because it had been gathered incorrectly. — Christopher Cameron
Completed sales on existing homes increased 3.4 percent from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million in April 2012. Sales are up 10 percent from the 4.2 million rate recorded in April 2011. The median price for all types of existing homes rose 10.1 percent from last year to $177,400.
The inventory of listed existing homes has fallen 20.6 percent from April 2011, although total inventory increased 9.5 percent to 2.54 million from March 2012.
“It is no longer just the investors who are taking advantage of high affordability conditions. A return of normal home buying for occupancy is helping home sales across all price points, and now the recovery appears to be extending to home prices,” Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said. “The general downtrend in both listed and shadow inventory has shifted from a buyers’ market to one that is much more balanced, but in some areas it has become a seller’s market.”
Despite the importance of these apparent improvements in housing for national financial markets, the accuracy of the NAR’s past monthly existing-home data has been called into question and the organization had to adjust years worth of data because it had been gathered incorrectly. — Christopher Cameron
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Monday, May 21, 2012
Welcome to RE/MAX CONSULTANTS REALTYI
This blog was created that all our agents can freely post and share ideas with each other. If you have more questions, please contact me. 954-767-4667.
Look forward to your content.
Shakira
Look forward to your content.
Shakira
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