BUYING A HOME

Most Buyers in today's market place appreciate the ability to sort through the possibilities available to them without being pressured by any Realtor to buy on the spot!! And eventually they need a Realtor to gain access to the houses that remain a possibility. But we are more than gatekeepers; we educate and inform buyers of what they can expect to experience through the buying process.  I tell my Seller clients all the time that an educated "buyer" is ready to buy...  The uneducated "buyer" is not a buyer at all...just getting ready!

Buyers typically have plenty of time leading up to the actual purchase of their next house. Buyers are typically more educated to the actual values in the marketplace because their whole process can last up to six months or more!

Access to the "inventory" (Multiple Listing Service, or MLS).... addresses included, is valuable to potential buyers at the beginning of their process. In this early stage, it might be more appropriate to say that you are a "looker", moving toward becoming a "buyer". At this stage, the consumer will often pass by many homes that would have served their needs. But they are still getting educated. Some buyers will throw exaggerated "low ball" offers at sellers in this stage. If they can find a "deal" they would take it....

But, surprise- there are no "steals" out there.... hardly any "deals" either.  Most sales reflect the marketplace being fair to both the buyer and the seller. Those buyers who "low ball" more than a few times eventually learn the true values of the homes that are out there. The buyers need time to learn which homes ARE actually priced fairly and are not therefore negotiable to any great degree. When a buyer loses one of these homes to another buyer... they learn their lesson quickly.  A good Buyer Agent can help speed that process for his/her client. Trust between the client and the Buyer agent is obviously necessary.

The Buyer Agent will also educate the client to the various inspections and contingencies which will protect the buyer from obvious problems that might accompany a purchase. Education and communication are the keys to a smooth transaction.