Real Estate Search Direct

Buying a home can be an overwhelming process. There are a list of things to keep in mind before your meet your real estate agent. This simple guide will help you plan your buying process and make your home finding process easier.

1. It’s necessary to personally meet with your agent have a conversation about the things you are looking for in your home. You can provide details about the type of area, style of home, amenities and everything you really want in your next home. Your Real estate agents can access listing services that help them locate a house with suited to your specifications. You can follow up with your agent and look through the listings and set appointments for the showings. Your agent will be there to guide you at every step.

2. Many people go through the real estate classified section or browse the Internet to find a home that appeals to them. However, your real estate agent will have many listings available that may not appear in the newspaper or Internet on a continuous basis. New listings come on the market daily.

3. Real estate agents have access to listing services like MLS which provide a lot of detail about homes and properties for sale. These details can include Location, Price, Photographs, Utilities, Amenities, Annual Property Tax, Current Financing (when assumable), Listing Company, which are important to consider before making your decision.

4. When you are previewing a home, you should keep the following in mind: Write notes when previewing a home so you will be able to discuss the details later with your real estate agent, ask questions about the home and discuss any objections or concerns you may have, ask about the community – Schools, Shopping and Transportation, ask specific questions about the construction of the home; electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling systems, etc.

5. Have fun while shopping for your new home. It is definitely a rewarding experience and will give you something to cherish for many years ahead.

Find the best ottawa homes by visiting Ray Smiley’s real estate website today.

Comments (0) Dec 10 2009

If you are reading the classified ads looking to buy a house, you are probably familiar with the term FSBO (For Sale By Owner).  Should you buy a FSBO?

Homer Buyer thought that he would be able to buy a home at a better price if he bought a FSBO.  He figured that if the seller didn’t have to pay a real estate broker’s commissions, he could pass some of the savings on to the buyer.

Homer bought a local paper and started searching the classified ads.  He saw many that were listed with an agent or broker, but he skimmed over them.  He was searching for those listings that contained the magic letters – “FSBO”.

Homer found several listings in the paper. He noticed there was a wider selection of homes in the ads that he skipped than there were FSBOs.  He also saw that the ads for those listed by a broker were usually more descriptive and sometimes even had photographs.

He started calling on ads labeled “FSBO”.  He frequently got answering machines and sometimes no answer at all.  The seller was probably at work.  He did reach one little girl who told him only that “Mommy is sleeping,” and asked “Do you like cookies?”  Homer decided to try again in the evening.

That evening, Homer reached a few more of the FSBO sellers.  The first man, when he said he was calling about the ad in the paper, asked gruffly “Are you an agent?”

“I am interested in buying your house,” Homer replied.  The seller explained that he had been getting calls from agents trying to get his listing ever since he put the ad in the paper.  He asked Homer if he could come over right away to look at the house.

Homer still had several calls to make and he planned to take Saturday to look at several properties at once.  Besides, he wanted some time to research the properties before he met the seller.  He knew that he needed to be prepared to negotiate.

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Comments (0) Jan 29 2009

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

In your search for a home you need to know if your real estate agent is really looking out for your best interests.

When I bought my first home, my real estate agent was most concerned about quickly closing a deal without spending any more time than necessary.

She rushed me through viewing properties and showed me seven or eight very similar condominiums in the same complex in one day.  These properties were all in my price range and matched my specifications.

When it came time to make an offer, I could hardly remember which property was which.  I would have liked to take a second look at a few of them to be sure which one I wanted, but she urged me to make an offer right away.

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Comments (0) Dec 17 2008