When buying or selling a home, people often question the need for a Realtor® because they are tempted to avoid paying the commission. Keep in mind that if you take on the duties of buying or selling a home unassisted, you also assume many difficult responsibilities.

Without a Realtor®, SELLERS do all the work and take all the risks.

Time and expense
You pay for costly ads that may prove ineffective and you pay for legal fees. You must stay constantly at home “on duty” seven days a week, or miss possible contact with potential buyers.

Screening
Your “For Sale” sign and advertising may attract unqualified, curious people seeking entry into your home. Identifying a real prospect is often difficult. Without an agent, you could spend all your time with unqualified buyers. Furthermore, an agent will use their valuable contacts to find the right buyer.

Negotiation
For sellers without a Realtor®, negotiations lead to the most difficulties. A skillful third-party negotiator is usually necessary to secure a beneficial final agreement between the buyer and the seller and to provide a greater net return on your investment.

Financing Arrangements
Realtors® can save you hours of research by sharing their knowledge about where money is available and who has the most competitive rates.

Is It Worth It? 
The commission “saved” may prove inadequate to meet the total costs of your own time and marketing efforts. Who wins if you sell through a Realtor®..? You do!

The often complex process required to sell your house can be confusing and exhausting. It helps to know you are not alone and that you have, at your disposal, your Agent’s professional expertise. I will help you to do the following:

• Educate you through the entire process
• Listen to your needs to understand your real estate objectives
• Help you understand all of the paperwork
• Handle any problems that arise during the transaction
• Properly prepare forms, contracts and disclosures, which are required by law, and make sure that they are legally correct
• Provide comparable sales data to assure that you are setting the proper price for your home
• Guide you regarding the repairs that should be made
• Show you homes in an effective and professional manner
• Guide you in your selection of escrow/closing and title people
• Oversee the closing process
• Help you spot buyers who are attempting to take advantage of you
• Help you understand the use and limitations of good faith deposits
• Advise you as to when you should seek the advice of an attorney
• Make sure the appraisal process is handled properly
• Help you to understand the complete escrow/closing and title process
• Advise you as to any inspections such as septic, well or soil, which might be applicable to your property
• Guide you as to how the escrow/closing instructions should be prepared
• Properly handle the walk-through process with you prior to the final closing
• See that any repairs or requirements are met prior to the closing
• Advise you as to what course of action should be taken if the buyer refuses to close the transaction
• Negotiate and deal effectively on your behalf with the buyers, other agents, escrow/closing, title people and attorneys
• See that each and every facet of the buying process is effectively and professionally handled in your best interest

The good news is that there are lots of folks out there who are very interested in lending you as much as 95% of the purchase price of your home, at very favorable interest rates. Furthermore, they are willing to spread out the payments over a long period of time so that you can afford the house you want. Home loans typically are offered in amounts of 80%, 90% and 95% of the price you are paying for the house. You are expected to pay the remaining amount in cash from your own funds.

The smaller the down payment, the greater the requirements are on a buyer’s financial condition. The reason a lender is willing to lend up to 95% of the value of the house is that history has shown real estate to be such an excellent investment. Lenders expect that the home will be worth more in the future than it is today – so their investment in your home is considered very safe.

That’s also why the interest rate you can obtain on a home loan is one of the best around. Consider that America’s largest and strongest corporations borrow at what is called the “prime rate,” and that today you can borrow a home loan – fixed at the same rate for many years – at substantially less than the prime rate. Lenders have found that home loans tend to be excellent investments, and you benefit every month when you make your loan payment.

What if I don’t have enough for the down payment?

Today’s homebuyers have more loan options. A homebuyer may have excellent credit and the ability to make the monthly mortgage payment, but not have the cash for the down payment. For this situation a nontraditional loan program such as an 80-10-10 may be the best loan. Homebuyers should not despair and assume that a home is out of reach. There are many loan options available for many different financial situations.

Before you step foot into the first home you look at, it’s a good idea to thoughtfully determine your wants and needs, and the difference between the two! By analyzing your needs you will be able to get a clear picture of exactly what you want your new home to look like and how it should function for you. Once you’re in the thick of viewing homes, it’s all too easy to fall in love with someone’s decorating or a home’s outstanding architecture – and to completely overlook that there aren’t enough bedrooms or bathrooms to fit your needs.

First, you should write down why you’re looking for a home. For example, are you currently renting and would like to have a home where you can begin building equity? Maybe you have outgrown your existing home or changed jobs which required you to move to a new city. These factors will all have an impact on how you approach your home search.

It is important to identify what you envision your home to look like and what features it should have. Writing this down helps to avoid ambiguity later in the home search process. You should make at least two lists: one should describe everything you would ideally like and the other should list the features of the home that are an absolute must. It is most likely that you will blend the two lists into one as you progress through the homebuying process. This is a natural and evolutionary process that becomes clearer as you determine what you want and what is available.

For most of us, buying a home is the biggest single investment we’re likely to make – and we’re only likely to do it maybe once or twice in a lifetime. The process is, by nature, filled with checks and balances – and many complex details. Traditionally, agents were legally obligated to protect the interests of the home seller. Today preferences are changing. One of these changes is that more homebuyers are choosing to have their own real estate agent, known as a buyer’s agent, to legally represent them.

A buyer’s agent represents you, the buyer, not the seller, and has full fiduciary duties, including loyalty to you. By definition, the buyer’s agent has your best interests in mind throughout the transaction. The percentage of homebuyers with buyer representation has grown significantly in the past decade. According to a recent National Association of Realtors® survey, nearly half (46%) of home buyers used the services of a buyer’s agent last year, and four out of every five buyer’s agent agreements were in writing.

The benefits of buyer representation is the dedication of a buyer’s agent to the home buyer. The buyer’s agent and homebuyer establish a mutual agreement, known as a buyer agency agreement, that will entitle the homebuyer to, but is not limited by:

Loyalty The real estate agent must act in the best interest of the buyer.

Disclosure All material facts such as relationships between agent and other parties, existence of other offers, status of earnest money, seller’s financial condition, property’s true worth, commission split with other brokers, and legal effect of important contract provisions.

Confidentiality Any discussions, facts, or information that should not be revealed to others but does not include responsibility of fairness and honesty in dealings with all parties.

Accounting in dealings Reporting of where any money placed in the hands of the broker is kept.

Reasonable Skill and Care Arriving at a reasonable purchase price and advising the buyer of such, affirmatively discovering material facts and disclosing them to the buyer, investigating the material facts related to the sale. With a buyer agency, the interests of the homebuyer will be represented in the purchase of the home. This scenario is different from a typical transaction where the buyer is not technically represented.

The long and winding road that leads to the door of your new home can be confusing and exhausting. It helps to know you are not alone and that you have, at your disposal, your Agent’s professional expertise. I will help you to do the following:

• Educate you through the entire process
• Listen to your needs to understand your real estate objectives
• Help you understand all of the paperwork
• Handle any problems that arise during the transaction
• Properly prepare forms, contracts and disclosures, which are required by law, and make sure that they are legally correct
• Provide comparable sales data to assure that you are paying the proper price for your home
• Help you find the right home in the right neighborhood
• Screen homes before your inspection to make sure the property meets your needs
• Guide you regarding the repairs that should be made
• Show you homes in an effective and professional manner
• Guide you in your selection of escrow/closing and title people
• Oversee the closing process
• See that the completion of the transaction is smooth, including obtaining keys and taking possession of the property
• Help you spot sellers who are attempting to take advantage of you
• Help you understand the use and limitations of good faith deposits
• Advise you as to when you should seek the advice of an attorney
• Make sure the appraisal process is handled properly
• Help you to understand the complete loan, escrow/closing and title process
• Advise you as to any inspections such as septic, well or soil, which might be applicable to the specific property in which you are interested
• Guide you as to how the escrow/closing instructions should be prepared
• Properly handle the walk-through process with you prior to the final closing
• See that any repairs or requirements are met prior to the closing
• Advise you as to what course of action should be taken if the seller refuses to close the transaction
• Negotiate and deal effectively on your behalf with the seller, other agents, escrow/closing, title people and attorneys
• See that each and every facet of the buying process is effectively and professionally handled in your best interest