Connect2Agent - Home Buyers and Sellers

How do you communicate with your real estate agent?

How do you communicate with your real estate agent and are you finding it to be efficient?

You probably contact your agent on his/her cell phone and try to bypass the office line when possible.  After all, many agents are on the go and conduct their work from their car, an open house, their office and even a Starbucks. 

What about email?  Have you found this to be an effective communication strategy?

I used to use email to communicate all the time with friends and family, but even at work I am finding it to be less effective.  It takes time to organize important emails into folders.  More than once I have deleted something that I haven't meant to, so I am looking for a better solution.

Recently, a friend introduced me to Twitter.  It allows you to connect to those you want to keep in communication with by phone or text messaging.  What I like is that I can inform more than one person at the same time about something I have just seen or something I am doing that I want them to be aware of.  I also like the free price tag that is attached to this application.

Twitter could be useful for your real estate needs:

• You could twitter your agent if you were out and saw a house that you wanted to know more about. 
• Your agent could twitter you for a last minute showing on your house.
• Your agent could twitter you about a last minute house on the market.
• Your loan officer could twitter you about a new loan product.

I am new to Twitter, but I am sure the list can go on and on.

So I am encouraging you, home buyers and sellers, to explore Twitter.  Sign up and invite your real estate agent.  Let me know how this works for you.

Rebecca D. Levinson

Home Buyers: How can you protect the resale value of your home?

If you are in the market to buy a house you will want to consider the resale potential if you do not plan on living in the house for the long term. 

How can you accommodate your tastes and make sure that when you go to sell your house down the line, it will be attractive to a potential home buyer?  I asked three Connect2Agent members for advice they would give to a home buyer who wants to protect the resale value of their house.  Here is their response:

Bill Reilly of Bay Village, Ohio

A lot of bad work being done in houses, Reilly said.  Some homeowners overestimate their own talent, time and finances needed to upgrade houses they have purchased.  He warned against hiring contractors strictly based on price.  Reilly said that the best contractor is not obtained by a price driven estimate.  It is someone who performs quality work and uses quality materials.

Home Sellers: What should you consider before you list your house in the fall or winter seasons?

Are you a homeowner who is debating whether you should list your house in the fall or winter? 

Are you concerned about the number of home buyers who will want to move during these seasons?  Are you concerned about selling during the holidays?

I spoke with three Connect2Agent members and asked them, "What factors should a homeowner consider before they list their house in the Fall or Winter?"  Here are their answers:

Geoff Hausmann of Waterford, Connecticut

Hausmann stated that the fall and winter seasons should not discourage a home seller from listing their house.  He said here is opportunity because there are many buyers looking for the right house at this time of year.  Hausmann was recently working with a home buyer who said he was not going to buy a house until February but found a house they wanted to make an offer on.  This past Tuesday, he helped this buyer write a contract to purchase on a house.

Desperate Housewives compete for homeowner's association presidency

Do you live in a neighborhood with a homeowner's association?  Have you ever had to remove a lawn ornament, doormat, or mailbox because it didn't meet your associations standards?  Have you ever contacted your homeowner's association about an eyesore from a neighbor that you wanted removed?

I don't watch the show Desperate Housewives religiously but last Sunday the best plot line in this episode centered around two housewives, Lynette and Katherine, and their battle for presidency of their homeowner's association. 

The presidency post had been vacated for four years due to the death of a neighborhood resident who had previously held the position.  The interest in filling the presidency slot stemmed from a neighbor who had built an obstructive steel fountain in their front yard.  Katherine rallied the desperate housewives into resurrecting the homeowner's association to get rid of the steel fountain.   

Lynette decided to run against Katherine because she was fearful that the treehouse she and her husband had just built for their children would be the next target for the homeowner's association if Katherine became president.  The treehouse served as a place of refuge for their children as Lynette had just been diagnosed with cancer.

Both Lynette and Katherine campaigned heavily in their neighborhood- cleaning gutters, changing tires, and even giving one neighbor a pedicure- all in an attempt to garner their trust and get votes.  Katherine ended up winning the presidency position by one vote, and after some encouragement by her husband, promised to leave the treehouse alone and allow it to stay.

I don't have a treehouse for my kids, but I have wagons, bicycles, bouncing balls, and bubbles that linger on my porch steps and my side yard for days before they get put away.  I also have leaves that have only been blown once this year and are starting to pile up again.  I am sure that some homeowner's associations might consider these to be eyesores.  I do not live in a neighborhood with a homeowner's association, so it has not been a problem so far.

Please share your stories by commenting below.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

Home Buyers: How to tell if your dream house is not overpriced.

When you are looking to purchase a house price is usually a top consideration.

Once you have found the house that you want to make your home, how can you make sure that you end up paying what it is worth? I spoke with two Connect2Agent members and asked them information a real estate agent should provide to a home buyer before they make an offer to purchase a house.  Here is their advice:

Laurie King of Denver, Colorado

King believes that there are two things a real estate agent can do to educate a home buyer before they make an offer to purchase:

1. Check how long the house has been on the market- King explained that a home buyer's real estate agent can check the listing history on a house.  If it has been on the market for a long time and the price has been dropped there is a good chance the house was overpriced to begin with.
2. Obtain information on the houses that were sold in the area- She explained that a real estate agent can get information on the houses that were sold in the area that are of a similar condition and similar style to the house the home buyer is looking to make an offer on. 

King said that the home buyer's agent should be using houses that have sold rather than those that are listed to obtain a better market value.  She also said that the buyer's real estate agent should be using housing sales data from houses that have sold within the same neighborhood and within no more than one mile of the house the purchaser is looking to make an offer on.

Countrywide launches $16 Billion program to help save borrowers from foreclosure

If you are a homeowner and your mortgage is held by Countrywide you will want to read about their recent effort to help homeowners refinance their subprime loans into a prime (lower interest rate) loan.

Countrywide is offering three programs to assist homeowners:

1.  Refinance program for homeowners who have a strong payment history.
2.  Loan modification program for homeowners who have not been able to refinance and whose mortgage interest rate is going to reset soon.
3.  Simplified Loan Modification program for buyers whose interest rates have already reset and who are already delinquent on their mortgage.

I have contacted Countrywide Mortgage to get more information about their new loan initiatives to help homeowenrs.  Stay Tuned....I will share this information as soon as I get it.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

How you can help with disaster relief for the wildfires in Southern California

There are citizens in southern California who will need help with temporary housing and recovery from the wildfires that have been burning since Sunday. 

One of the best ways to help is to contribute by a monetary donation.  You can do this by contacting the Red Cross at #1-800-REDCROSS or your can go their website and donate online.  The Red Cross will only accept monetary donations, which they use to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical supplies and more to those who are distressed.

How your donations to the Red Cross can help

I spoke with Christi Harlan, a spokeswoman and volunteer for the Red Cross.  She stated that a monetary donation -cash- is the best way for people to contribute to those in need in southern California. Harlan said these donations allow their personnel to:

1. Guarantee that the same items will be available for all in need-Harlan explained that they have a shelter in San Bernardino occupied by 2700 people.  It would be difficult for them to clothe 2700 people with various clothing donations versus finding and acquiring the clothing in sizes that fit the displaced victims.
2. Stretch their dollars by buying in bulk- Harlan said that it is easier and more cost effective for the Red Cross to purchase food and water in bulk.  While individual donations are kind and well intentioned, monetary contributions allow the Red Cross to determine what is needed and to purchase in bulk.  She noted that can drives tend to be popular, but normally when a disaster strikes the need is more immediate.  Harlan mentioned an example of purchasing water by the truckload to accommodate a large number of people in need.

Home Sellers: Should you offer incentives to a home buyer or a home buyer's real estate agent? Three Connect2Agent members weigh in.

Many markets across the country are experiencing a large amount of houses on the market for sale. 

How can a seller get their house to stand out from the competition when it is right next door and has the same same style, amenities and almost the same price? 

How can a seller compete against builders who are offering new houses with thousands of dollars worth of free upgrades?

Some sellers and their agents have chosen to use incentives to buyers and/or their real estate agents to get traffic through their houses and to elicit offers from prospective buyers.  I asked three Connect2Agent members if they are seeing more incentives being offered to buyer's agents and if they feel that these incentives are working to get houses sold.  Here is their response:

Homebuyers: The pros and cons of homeowner's associations.

If you are a homebuyer with a pet, a child, or a knack for not being perfectly spotless 24/7, moving into a neighborhood with a homeowner's association could cause you some grief.  I had written a post on factors a homebuyer should consider before buying into a homeowner's association.

A recent article from the Washington Post,"Buyer Beware-Of the Association" is a great additional resource for homebuyers who are considering purchasing a house with an association.  One great tip is to ask for meeting minutes and to ask if the association has a financial reserve.

You will want to make sure the association has a reserve fund for future projects.  If they don't you could expect to see an increase in your assessments because the association isn't properly budgeting for future costs.

If you decide to buy a house in a neighborhood ruled by a homeowner's association, get involved.  Attend association meetings and voice your opinion. 

If you consider buying a house with a homeowner's association- get informed.  Read the convenants, restrictions and conditions that you receive from the Sellers.  Review the rules and regulations andmake sure that you can live with the terms.

Consult a local real estate professional for advice about the subdivisions you are considering. 

If you are an informed and active homebuyer, you will protect your real estate investment and ensure the lifestyle that you desire is attainable within the neighborhood you are looking to purchase a house in.

Posted by Rebecca D. Levinson

Homebuyers: How to avoid surprises at closing by having a final walkthrough

If you are purchasing a house do you:

1. Want to make sure that the light fixtures and appliances are the same as the day you signed the offer to purchase? 
2.  Want to make sure that the leaky roof you noted in the home inspection has been repaired? 
3.  Want to make sure that the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen haven't been replaced with outdated older models?

I spoke with three Connect2Agent members who all agreed that a final walkthrough can minimize these problems.  Each of the real estate agents I spoke with provided sound advice on what to look for on a walkthrough and why a homebuyer should have a final walkthrough.  Read on for their real estate advice:

Andrea Hafner Lynn of San Mateo, California

Lynn said that if the homebuyer finds any items missing from the personal property (i.e. window treatments, stove, refrigerator) listed on the contract the homebuyer would contact the seller by writing a letter.  This letter would be given to the buyer's real estate agent to deliver to the seller's real estate agent.