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Archive of posts filed under the Helpful Tools in Real Estate category.

Real Estate Wish-List

20 January 2010, 7:39 pm

One of the most common problems between brokers and prospective homescroll buyer’s is a lack of communication, which often leads to frustration. On the broker’s side, he/she feels that the client is too picky and will never find the perfect property; while the home buyer gets annoyed with the properties that the broker is sending and begins to feel that they are incompetent. Believe me, a broker only want to serve his/her clients in the most efficient way possible, conserving time for both himself and his clients. This is why withholding information, such as maximum price or preferences, from your agent will only make delay the process and waste time on both sides. If you feel that your broker is only presenting homes at the top of your price range, then that is not someone you should work with. But, keep in mind, your taste may be expensive and that only the homes that meet those tastes are at the top of your price range. Be sure you to justify your reasoning before you just to such conclusions. Apart from the few unethical brokers, we truly want to serve our clients at our highest level possible.

In order to be efficient with time, I find that a home buyer’s wish-list is an effective way to communicate efficiently. My home buyer’s wish-list, is a two page form containing questions and possible preferences a client may have. With this list, I am not only able to save my time but I am able to serve my clients more efficiently by being on the same page.  Also, it is not uncommon to work with clients for over a year, making it difficult to remember the specifics. I can constantly reference the list when searching the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for possible homes. It is important to be as honest as possible when filling out the wish-list.  After all, if you can’t trust your broker with matching your preferences, how can you trust him/her to negotiate on your behalf? Purchasing a home is a huge decision, and you must be comfortable with your broker.

Feel free to use the attached wish-list. To find more helpful real estate tools, please visit Helpful Real Estate Tools.

Robert Larsen
Coast Sotheby’s International Realty
Robert.Larsen@CoastSIR.com

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Searching for the Perfect Home

29 December 2009, 1:41 pm

The Home Buyer’s Checklist

- Robert Larsen December 29, 2009

Searching for that perfect home can be quite a challenge. Sooner or later, the dozen upon dozen of homes that you have viewed will quickly blur together and you won’t be able to remember the specific details that you liked and dislikes about the individual homes. Often times, this can become very stressful and make the exciting task of finding your dream home about as fun as going to the dentist for a root canal. Don’t let this happen to you, or if you’re an broker, don’t let this happen to your clients. Remember this is the home that you, or your clients, will be living in the the next 5, 10, or 50 years of your/their life. Don’t start off with negative memories of the home.

Prospective home-buyer’s need to stay as relaxed about the situation as possible, in order to make the transition from one home to another as memorable as it should be. Also, stress can lead to forced decisions in purchasing a home, which could mean that it is a decision that you could soon regret. You should not be required to compromise your needs and wants when trying to find your perfect dream home, because it is out there and sooner or later you will find it. In order to relieve some of the stress of trying to remember all the little details about each home, it is beneficial to write things down and keep good notes. If you’re anything like me and need to constantly stay organized, instead of using blank pieces of paper, try using this Home Buyer’s Checklist. This simple, yet efficient, checklist will keep your thoughts on specific properties organized; try to keep them all in one folder. If you have questions about a property that you had previously seen, just simply refer back to your folder of checklists.

Equally as important, especially in today’s market, make sure you are up-to-date with new listings and price reductions, because your perfect home is probably another person’s perfect home as well. Depending on your time-frame, you should be reviewing the changing real estate market on a daily basis. It doesn’t take long, but if you don’t, there is a good chance that someone else will be purchasing your dream home. Have your agent email you updates daily to keep you informs.

If you would like to receive more helpful forms like the Home Buyer’s Checklist, please visit my other website, Captivating Estates, by clicking the link. Or copy and paste the URL below into your web browser.

http://captivatingestates.com

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