Now You Can Visualize Your New Home in Your Design Style!

Are you struggling to see the potential in the homes you are seeing for sale?

Are you worried that it will cost too much money to make one your own?

Do you feel like you don't know where to start?

PurpleWall can help!

How you say? PurpleWall will take basic information about the rooms you want to customize and connect you to talented designers virtually!  You can set your budget and leave with a shopping list!

SEE MORE!  VIDEO ON THE NEXT PAGE. :-)

You Want the Best Agent, But Do They Want YOU?

Do the best agents want to work with you?

Of course you want to work with the BEST agent because they will help you get the best price, handle things the best and help you have the best overall experience.

So naturally, the best agents want to focus their attention on the best buyers. So, how can you become one of those great buyers that agents WANT to work with?

Here are 5 tips to help you prove you deserve the best agent:

1. Have a plan for your move.

If you want an agent to bring high energy and attention to your search, make sure you’re clear about your timing. Ideally you’re prepared to purchase within 1-4 months of contacting an agent. It’s fine if it’s longer, as long as you are transparent about it and are contacting them early to help with the planning.

2. Get pre-approved and understand exactly how much you can afford.

Sounds obvious, but it’s necessary. Great agents will be far more interested if you can start the conversation with, “Which lender should I contact to get pre-approved? I'd like to have a clear understanding of what I can afford in the local area." or "I’ve been pre-approved for a $400,000 house, and I’ve got a down payment of $50,000 saved up. Given my household income, I’d feel comfortable with monthly housing expenses of about $2,500. Do you have experience helping people find and buy a house within that price range?”

3. Meet with the agent before you go on home tours.

Sending a request at 8pm on Wednesday evening for a home tour/showing the following Saturday morning is not showing motivation, just curiosity.

Have a realistic understanding of your wants and needs to present at your meeting. You need a true understanding of the things you’re willing to be flexible about, and those that are genuine deal-breakers. Force yourself to be flexible about things that are easy to change — an ugly shag rug isn’t a deal-breaker. Once your agent has this list, it’s much easier to get a sense of your likes and dislikes, and understand the things that truly matter to you.

4. Be honest and respectful.

Your agent asks questions for a reason, to better help you!  Answer their questions honestly. If you haven't thought about something before, let the agent guide you through the thought process.

Also, agents waste a lot of time showing properties that buyers don’t like. This isn’t a problem if it happens once or twice — that’s a natural part of the process. But great agents want immediate and detailed feedback so they can refine their search criteria or give you guidance if you have unrealistic expectations. If you aren't satisfied with the homes in your budget, you have two choices: Stop your search until you have enough money saved to get what you want or lower your expectations of what your money can buy. No agent can pull homes out of thin air.

5. Ask them what it takes to be a great client.

Everyone’s different, but it’s important to know what makes your agent tick. You’ll set yourself apart by asking a prospective agent a simple question at the very beginning: “What can I do to help you help me?” This sends the message that you’re motivated, and want to make sure they have everything they need to do their best possible work.
Since most of what an agent does for their clients happens when the client is not around, this will help the agent to trust you will not cause unnecessary headaches for them interfering with the important tasks they need to complete for your transaction.

Great agents don't chase for business. They provide expert advice, offer professional assistance and choose the clients they know are motivated and prepared.

If you are ready to be your best and work with the best, start by requesting a Buyer Questionnaire today!

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Three Things To Consider About Buying A Foreclosure

Are you looking for a good deal on a house?

While buying a distressed property (homes listed a short sales or foreclosures are considered distressed properties) can be a good deal, not everyone qualifies to buy one or should buy a distressed home... for a number of reasons.

Here are the three primary reasons many buyers need to skip over foreclosures and short sale properties in their home search:

• Your type of financing may restrict the condition of the home.
• You may not have the cash on hand to afford the upfront purchase expenses.
• You may not have the trade skills or handyman skill to fix a home up.

Let's talk a bit more about condition.
If you are getting a government insured loan, like FHA, VA or USDA, the home needs to be in habitable condition. An appraiser will be looking for safety concerns and major repairs and if they find any issues, correcting them will be a condition of the loan. Most of the time, the sellers won't correct these problems if they haven't already done so before a buyer made the offer.

Cash on hand.
In addition to the appraisal and other typical upfront buyer expenses, distressed properties often require more cash on hand for the buyer. Especially if you are buying a foreclosure through an auction, you often have bidding offer fees or "technology fees" upfront. Also, the real estate fees that commonly fall on the seller in a real estate transaction are often passed on the buyer as an upfront expense. Make sure you know any potentially hidden costs and have a little cushion in your budget if you are shopping foreclosures and short sale properties.

Repair and renovation skills.
Yes, most people can change light bulbs and often the average handyperson can even replace a sink faucet, paint the walls and change out light fixtures.  Calling a flooring company is pretty easy to accomplish as well.  The deeper concerns lie in what is lurking in the basement (mold, foundation problems, etc) or in the outdated electrical box.  These repairs and updates will require professionals and permits to cure.  Those expenses can add up quickly!


Continue reading:

Are Foreclosures a "Good Deal" in 2015?

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You - Buying a Foreclosure

8 Things you Must Know About Getting a Mortgage

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