What Your Realtor Isn't Telling You and How It Could Cost You Thousands!

What other agents might not tell you when youre buying a home:

1. The entire home buying process from submitting an offer to getting keys in your hand takes about 30-45 days at minimum, if everything goes smoothly. Its not realistic to think you can put an offer in on a house and move in 2 weeks later.
2. A great agent will show you comps on the house you are interested in making an offer on to ensure that you are not overpaying for the home.
3. You can ask the seller to help pay for your closing costs. Our clients save thousands of dollars when this is a part of our negotiation strategy.
4. After your offer is accepted, you have the right to get the house inspected. This part of the home buying process protects you from buying a house with latent defects or safety hazards. A great agent will help you negotiate these items being addressed before you move in or a credit to be added to your settlement so you can fix the issues once you move in.
5. Your earnest money deposit is fully refundable if you walk away from the transaction with a valid reason. You should never be at risk of losing your deposit.

Now, lets talk about what agents might not tell you when youre selling your home:

1. It will probably take money to get it ready for the market. This includes, painting, fixing minor repairs, landscaping, etc. You want your house to be in the best possible condition to sell fast and for as much as possible. A great agent will put you in touch with individuals who can make your house show perfectly which will help you get top dollar when the time comes.
2. Start emotionally detaching yourself from the home. Your Grandfather may have handcrafted the eat-in breakfast table, but that doesnt make the house more valuable, it only created a very special and sentimental place for you and your family. The new buyer doesnt know your Grandfather, so it wont mean the same thing to them, and that is okay! Its your agents job to know what buyers really care about so you can prep your home to maximize what you sell it for. Saying goodbye to your house and the memories it holds are part of this process, but not a part that should result in losing a deal or pricing your home incorrectly.
3. Once the house goes live on the market, you should start getting showings right away. This is the best indicator that the home is priced right and appealing to the majority of buyers looking in your area. You will need to be positioned to vacate your house at a moment's notice so that you can accommodate as many showings as possible. Your agent will tell you the way to set up your home for showings so it shows the way that will look best to buyers.
4. Once you accept an offer, the inspections begin, you will most likely have a buyer going through the inspections process on your home. They are able to ask you to repair any items in the house that are latent defects, safety hazards or inoperable systems. Your agent will help you negotiate how to respond to the requests that are made.

On both sides of the transaction, there are points where you can keep thousands of dollars in your pocket. The way you are represented will determine how well you maximize your largest investment so be sure you entrust an agent who has strong market knowledge and negotiation skills and start dreaming up your next move.