Although a real estate agent, such as myself, shines at sales, my goal is not to close a deal. Instead, it is to meet and exceed your every expectation.  A real estate agent protects your interests by providing you with all the advice and guidance you need to make the perfect decisions. Since the market is constantly changing of the market, the information available on listings is not always 100% accurate.  Much of the information available online is quite outdated.  There are many times when you need the most current information about what has sold or is for sale. The only way to get that valuable information is with a real estate agent.

Typically, the seller pays the fees. This is standard for MLS listings. That means that you will usually get my expertise without having to spend a dime. Where else can you get a personal coach for free?

I believe in building a family’s financial security. Buying a home can be a very solid investment. Since the interest rates are so low, it actually can be cheaper to pay a mortgage than to pay rent. However, there are many things to consider. Call me and we can talk about it in detail? Just remember that, even if you are only going to be here for a year or two, with rising property values in some areas, you might make money by buying. Buying a home is a great option in many cases, but not always.

The answer is yes and no. In a few cases, especially for high-income buyers, it is valuable to understand the market before talking to the bank. This helps the buyers determine how much of a loan to ask for, or even if they want a loan. I have had clients that, after seeing properties decided to pay cash. This does give some significant advantages in the negotiation process. However, in most cases the answer to the question above is YES!  There are tons of reasons why most people should talk with a bank and get pre-approved before looking at homes. The primary reason is that, by talking with a bank before looking at homes, the buyer can understand exactly how much he or she can afford. There is nothing more heartbreaking than showing a buyer homes that are out of their price range.

Another important reason to talk with a bank before looking at homes is so you understand exactly what costs are associated with buying a home. A mortgage professional can give you advice on the type of financing you should consider. The professional can also make recommendations to you as to whether or not you should request the seller to contribute towards your closing costs, also known as a seller’s concession. This can help me sell your offer and guarantee that it matches your exact needs.

Generally, real property never depreciates in value permanently. Even though the values go up and down, over time they will typically trend upward. This is why real estate is such great investment. Now there are neighborhoods that go downhill, but with my knowledge of the community, we can keep you away from those areas.

We have all heard about these on reality shows and podcasts. They are often considered golden opportunities. They do exist, however, they may not be right for you. When an owner is offering “rent-to-own” he or she is taking on a risk. Banks can keep the risk low by spreading them over thousands of loans, an owner cannot.  Since an owner is taking a higher risk, the terms for a rent-to-own must be considerably favorable to the owner. When looking at a rent-to-own as an option you can expect to pay a premium price a higher interest rate than what a lender is currently offering. Realtors, such as myself, can help connect you with traditional, pocket-listing and off-the-market deals with much better terms.

Older homes can generally cost less than new homes. They also have unique features that can make them easier to sell when the time comes. However, they also tend to have more repair costs. The choice between an older and newer home is based on your preference. If you love do-it-yourself projects and do not mind repairs, then you can often get amazing deals on new homes. However, if you want modern conveniences such as full house sound systems or huge walk-in closets, then we may want to focus on new homes. Worry not; when you work with me, I can guide you to the type of home that matches all of your needs.

These are expenses incurred by buyers and sellers in transferring ownership of a property. If they are an issue, I can provide some innovative options for covering these, such as requesting buyer’s credits.

Short sales are sales where the sales price is less than the value of the liens on the property. In these sales, lenders must approve the sale. The result is that, even though you can get great deals, it can take a long time to get a short sale. If you are on a tight timeline, these may not be right for you. Call me and we can see what type of sales would best serve you.

These are properties owned by a lender. They are sold as is. Many of my customers love these because they can fix them up and gain rapid financial advantages. They are definitely a favorite among investors and flippers.

FSBO stands for For Sale By Owner. This means that the owner is not being represented by an agent. In these types of sales, you have a great advantage over the seller when you have an agent in your corner.

This is most commonly seen in FSBO (for sale by owner). Here the owner agrees to pay a commission to an agent, again the buyer pays no commission, in exchange for the agent selling the property.

This is something I work with many buyers on. It requires something to occur in order for a contract to be valid. The most common contingency is an inspection contingency. This type of a contingency allows a buyer to do inspections once a selling price has been agreed to. During this inspection period, the buyer can ask for modifications or cancellations of the contract. In most cases, cancellation of a contract during this time period results in a full refund of deposits.

This is a tool used by financiers. A debt-to-income ratio is the percentage of a person’s monthly earnings used to pay off all debt obligations. We can use this to estimate how much of a loan one would qualify for.

This is an association, sometimes mandatory and sometimes voluntary, that manages the common areas of a development. In many cases, property owners are forced to abide by certain rules if they live in a community with an HOA. Some rules can be very strict. This is why I will go through CCRs and other associated HOA documents to help my clients avoid any nasty surprise from a HOA.