Key Information to Provide a Realtor When Shopping for a Home

Working with a realtor as a first-time home buyer can be a great experience. Not only can a realtor Saugerties area help find one's "dream home," but for first-time buyers, a realtor often comes at no cost, since it's the home seller that usually pays the commission. Still, when working with a realtor for the first time, there's some basic information that home buyers should be prepared to provide. This will ensure that the house hunt goes as smoothly as possible.

A List of Must-Haves

Buyers should begin by providing the realtor with a list of must-haves. These are not "wants," but a list of features that the buyer needs to see in a house in order to even consider it for purchase. For many, must-haves will include a certain amount of square footage, a minimum number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and other features such as a finished basement or home office space. The smaller the must-have list, the more successful a realtor can typically be in finding viable options.

Budget Range

Of course, it's also important for a realtor to know one's specific budget when shopping for a home. Generally, it's best to get pre-approved for a mortgage before working with a realtor. When pre-approved, the bank will provide a maximum loan amount, which can then be shared with the realtor to give him or her a better idea of the budget. Of course, home buyers aren't required to look at homes at their maximum loan amount; they can choose to go lower.

Ideal Neighborhood

Most home buyers have some kind of idea of what type of neighborhood they'd like to find themselves in. Some, for example, will prefer a home that's part of a homeowner's association, whereas others want just the opposite. For buyers with children, it may also be important to find a home within a specific school district.

Type of Sales

Finally, a realtor will want to know what kinds of home sales the buyer will consider. These may include traditional bank loan sales, for-sale-by-owner options, short sales, and even foreclosures. The more sale types the buyer is open to, the more options they'll have during the search. However, it's important to note that short sales and foreclosures can take a lot longer to close, so they may not be ideal for those eager to move in as soon as possible.

Real Estate Myths That Can Hinder Home Sales

Most people only participate in home sales a few times throughout the course of their lifetimes. Because it's not an area where the average person needs ot have much expertise, it's easy for those who are in the process of selling their home to buy into real estate myths that may have little or no relevance to their individual situations. For instance, it is often believed that setting the asking price above what the seller is prepared to accept is a smart strategy because it leaves room for negotiations, but this is not always the best way to gain interest among prospective buyers.

An overly inflated price will cause some people who are in the market for a new home to bypass certain properties because they believe them to be too expensive. This can have a serious impact on the number of interested parties. Although there will always be potential buyers who make lowball offers, standing firm on the price will eliminate them and limit the playing field to those who are truly interested in the property. Also, inflating the price may cause the home to sit on the market longer than what is normal for the area, and many buyers view properties that have been on the market for longer than normal with a great deal of suspicion.

In hot markets such as Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California, many sellers make the decision to set their official asking price a little less than what they will actually accept. They do this because properties in these markets almost always bring multiple offers, and bidding wars among prospective home buyers are extremely common. This strategy is not advised, however, for those who live in areas where the real estate market is in a decline.

Some sellers also buy into the fallacy that real estate prices always go up. This myth has been perpetuated over the years because in most places, home values really have risen with some degree of consistency over the passage of time. However, the real estate crash of 2008 changed the picture in many parts of the country, and although there has been a general recovery, many pockets exist that have yet to bounce back, and prices may never return to what they were prior to the crash. Those seeking to escape common real estate myths should engage the services of a competent realtor saugerties.

Choosing a Realtor in Saugerties When Selling a Home

Selling a home in New York may seem like a stressful endeavor, but it doesn't have to be. If a seller chooses the right Realtor it can be easier to get their home ready, put it up for sale, and see the offers come in. How to choose that real estate agent is one of the most significant issues they'll need to consider, so they can find the person they can work well with. A good agent will be able to do much more than put a sign in the yard and a listing on the MLS website.

That agent will also be able to help them with photos, staging ideas, needed changes, and other issues to make their home as sale-ready as possible When they set out to find a Realtor in Saugerties, sellers should make sure they know what they want from the relationship. It makes sense that they want their house sold as quickly as possible for the right price, but the communication they have with the real estate agent may also be very important to them. Some people want a hands-on Realtor who will update them frequently, while others are only interested in hearing from the agent when there is an offer on the house.

That agent will also be able to help them with photos, staging ideas, needed changes, and other issues to make their home as sale-ready as possible When they set out to find a Realtor in Saugerties, sellers should make sure they know what they want from the relationship. It makes sense that they want their house sold as quickly as possible for the right price, but the communication they have with the real estate agent may also be very important to them. Some people want a hands-on Realtor who will update them frequently, while others are only interested in hearing from the agent when there is an offer on the house.

Sellers should never be afraid to interview some agents and keep looking until they find the one they want. They don't have to choose the first agent they talk to, and they should never feel pressured into choosing a relationship with a particular agent. Even if that agent is recommended to them, they may find that their personality just doesn't mesh with agent's very well. That simply means they'll need to select a different agent to list and sell their home. It's their home, so they will want to make sure they feel good about the realtor saugerties they choose.