Home Shopping without an buyer’s agent is like Reading your Own X-Ray



September 27, 2010We just recently had a house guest who is a very dear friend of the family, who is in his fourth year of medical school.  We were talking about the term “gestalt.” According to Wikipedia is the concept that “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”  It is the idea that a few lines and curves can be recognized as a figure.   For example, a few lines and a circle could be...

Why work with an buyer’s agent?



September 20, 2010I had such a great experience working with our exclusive buyers' agent that I take for granted that anyone buying a home would make the same decision and work with an agent. But I forget that there was a time that I considered, even temporarily, that I might want to just “save money” by buying a house without an agent.   It makes me smile and laugh at myself to think about that.  After...

Local Knowledge May Help You Find Your Dream Home



August 27, 2010Yesterday I was going for a stroll, when I met another one of my neighbors.  We had the typical new neighbor conversation; covering names, family members, abridged employment history and date moved to the neighborhood.   She has been here about 25 years.  I’ve been here about 2 months.  I told her that I was previously renting in the Denver University area, about a mile away from Wash...

Find an Agent You Trust



July 30, 2010Find an agent that you are comfortable sharing the information that will make your house-hunting more fruitful.   Also, find an agent whose experience you respect and trust.  Without trust, you will not get the most out of working with an agent. Throughout the home buying process, you will be sharing personal information.  At the bare minimum, you will need to be honest about your finances...

Can You Save Money By Not Using A Real Estate Agent?



July 27, 2010For some, convenience, advice, and peace of mind that a professional will correctly finish the job is more important than saving money. Others will go with the cheapest option, no matter what will be sacrificed. Whether you value time, money, convenience, or experience, you will be best suited by working with an agent. For me, I take this type of question very seriously. I do not carelessly...

3 Ways to Interview Your Buyer Agent



July 22, 2010Choosing your buyer’s agent is like hiring someone to work for you. You have several opportunities to determine whether the agent is a good fit before you sign your buyer agency agreement.   Take advantage of these interview opportunities. There is a great list of questions to ask your agent before working with them.  In addition to these questions, here are a few other “tests.” 1) How...

How to Choose a Buyers Agent



July 21, 2010Buying a home is probably the biggest investment I’ll ever make, and that’s true for most people.   This is not something to take lightly. I hate to say it, but I will- there are some bad agents out there.  Agents with good intentions and little experience, agents with bad intentions and lots of experience, and probably even some agents with bad intentions and no experience.  But,...