You're Not The Boss Of Me

If you are thinking about buying a new home and think you can do it all on your own, think again. Going through a realtor, you will be able to be pre-qualified for a mortage. Also, your real estate agent will carefully listen to your needs and try to find that perfect home you've been searching for in your price range. Your real estate agent also has access to homes you wouldn't otherwise find in your local newspaper or even on the internet. You will find your perfect home quicker and with less hassles by using a real estate agent to help you search. For more information, go to H&G Sells Homes.

If you are an owner who is trying to sell your own home, please employ every safety measure when showing your home to strangers. Check identification and use a sign-in sheet. Also, never show a home alone by yourself and never turn your back on a stranger. Make sure you walk behind them and not ahead of them. Keep windows and doors open if possible too. Better still, have a professional realtor help you in selling your home. They can easily check credit references after an offer is made which will save you time and money in the longrun. For more information, got to H &n G Realty.

Lending rates are up and that's scaring a lot of potential buyers from getting their dream home. However, just remember that home prices are falling which offsets the prime lending rate at the moment. Here on Long Island, houses that were selling for well over $400,000 are now listed well below that price, some even up to $50,000 less. Don't be discouraged when looking for a home. Visit a real estate agent who can quickly pre-qualify you for a mortage and be very decisive about the kind of home you are looking for. Do your homework first and look at neighborhoods, school districts, taxes and shopping areas. If you are a couple looking for a home, then make sure you have a meeting of the minds before you visit an agent. That way, you can all be on the same page when shopping for a home. People ask me "how will I know when I find the right home?". My answer to them is, it's very similar to the first time you fell in love. If you can't stop thinking about the home you saw, then that's probably the home you want to live in. As always, visit our website for more information on buying a home on Long Island at H & G Realty. Also, you can keep up to date on the prime lending rate at Bank Rate.

I'll let you in on a little secret. You don't have to call a real estate agent to get a free market analysis of your home. You can do it right online at Zillow. Of course, you will bet hounded by a realtor once you get your home value via e-mail, but you are under no obligation to follow through. Look, selling a home in today's market is beyond challenging. You may think you can go it alone, but you really need a reliable agent who can think outside the box to get your home sold at a price that is closest to the true value of your home. So, get your home's value first at Zillow and then start interviewing agents to find one that you can work with. Agents should be just as concerned about forming a relationship with you as much as they are about their commission. As always, check out our website at H & G Realty.

What an interesting experience being a real estate agent so far. I've met some very nice people, but I've also met some very nasty ones as well. People who insist on selling home themselves without the help of a real estate agent, need to do their homework very thoroughly before going it alone. A home is a person's most valuable tangible asset. You can easily lose more money than you would ever spend paying a broker, just by the mistakes you make trying to sell a house yourself. Many people don't know how to conduct an open house, know the value of their own home, don't know who they are allowing into their home or if a prospective purchase is even qualified to go to contract, let alone close on a home. Paying a broker's fee of 2% is money well worth spent in the advertising costs alone. Remember, only a broker can list a home on through a multiple listing service, only a broker as access to exclusive websites to market your home, only your broker will make sure that you get top dollar for your home and only a broker will make sure that your contract will lead to a successful closing. On the average, sellers who chose to sell their own homes, lost an average of $30,000. You'd spend a lot less in a small broker's fee. Do your homework! Once again you can get more information at H & G Real Estate.

I've started a new career in real estate. There probably couldn't be a worse time to begin because the real estate market is terrible right now. Unfortunately, mortage rates are rising, home prices are falling, there are too many houses for sale and not enough buyers. However, I plan on turning this around to my advantage by honing my sales skills to create opportunities for me. Other agents who have been in the business for a few years have been spoiled and are now facing the prospects of cold calling. Since I don't know anything else, I feel I have some advantage over them. I also don't have any other job so I can concentrate totally on getting listings. I'll be using this blog to update my progress. In the meantime, you can visit my sponsoring broker at H&G Sells Homes.