Home Buyers! Do not buy real estate until you have read the following free reports made available to you by Resh Realty Group. Each of these reports contains a wealth of information that can help you convert the pain of home buying into a wonderful experience.
1. Michelle J, “Resh Realty Group went above and beyond as our buyer’s agent in our transition to Hampton Roads from Ohio. We’ve just retained them again to list our property. We wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else for our Real Estate Needs “ (757) 223-5390 misha3@cox.net
2. Troy & Shana C. “We couldn’t believe how knowledgeable our buyer’s agent, Bill was! Not only did he help us negotiate great terms on our home, he also helped us rebuild our credit and really made us feel like we were priority #1!” (757) 620-6911 troycoleman@cox.net
3. Mackenzie A. “Rob & Maria did a great job keying in on exactly what I wanted. I never felt pressured or rushed, and they were very attentive to all my needs!” abridello2@msn.com
4. Daniel N. “Resh Realty Group really helped me as a 1st time buyer. I had no idea what to expect, and they really spent a lot of time helping me understand all facets of the buying process. I highly recommend them as a buyers agent!” (757)478-9299 apinieves@yahoo.com
5. Mark K. “I've bought and sold 5 properties with Resh Realty Group. I've always found them to maintain the highest ethical standards, work diligently to maximize my interests in each sale, and I highly recommend their services to all of my friends and family!” (757)589-2838
caymanbargain@hotmail.com
DEATH, DIVORCE & MOVING are the three most stressful experiences in life.
There are two very different kinds of needs that people have while moving.
First there are the transactional needs, like finding the home that is just
right for you, finding a seller who is realistic, negotiating the price,
filling out the paperwork, handling the escrow, and arranging for the move.
But there are also emotional needs that are involved when moving, and this
is where the biggest stress comes in. Any competent agent will handle the
transactional needs for you, but if your emotional needs are unfulfilled,
you'll be frustrated and may not act in your own best interests. The ideal
real estate agent is one, who is competent with paperwork and numbers, but
can also guide, direct, and counsel you through the emotional ups and downs
of moving. Here are the six best ways we've found to beat the stress.
1. Begin with the end in mind. Have an ultimate scenario of where you're
trying to be. What will life be like when you get there? How will it be
better than where you are now? Dwell on that picture and write it out, fill
up at least a page about how it feels in the new place. This is imperative.
Having the goal in front of you at all times energizes you to achieve it, in
spite of setbacks and frustrations. Emotions will run high and you need an
anchor. In childbirth, the Lamaze method teaches you to focus on one spot
when enduring labor pains. In the Bible it says that Jesus willingly went to
the cross by focusing on the joy He would have when it was over. In the same
way, you too must focus on that future goal when anxiety threatens to get
the better of you.
2. Be flexible. In your monetary calculations, overestimate by a thousand
dollars. In this market, anything can happen between contract acceptance and
closing. It could be the inspections reveal areas of concern that the seller
is unwilling to fix or the repair costs are higher than the amount limited
in the contract. Or the interest rate changes which affects the necessary
down payment and closing costs you will need to come up with. As your real
estate team, we will strive to tie up loose ends as quickly as possible, but
remember there is no perfect world. Most buyers feel a bit overwhelmed when
taking on a new mortgage and the responsibilities of a new home and we've
seen many buyers get angry when it seems like the cost just keeps going up.
Anger is caused when reality doesn't match up with the expectations you had
in your mind. So if you anticipate this happening in advance, you won't get
angry. In fact, it'll probably go better than you expected.
3. Trust in the process. There's just so much to do, it's easy to panic. You
wonder if it will ever work out. In fact, when we bought our house, we
couldn't eat for a day, we felt sick to our stomachs! You think you're
taking a big chance, but the truth is you're giving yourself a big chance.
Even though you can't see every step of the way, as you move towards your
goals, the way opens up. We know that you haven't moved in a long time and
it's a major upheaval in your life. But we've been there many times before,
and we'll be looking out for you. Trust that we know the way to get you
there.
4. Get knowledge. One thing you'll probably feel during this transition time
is being out of control. It feels like everyone else has taken over your
life. The seller, your lender, the appraiser, the inspectors, they all have
the power to say yes or no to your moving plans. We'll try our best to let
you know ahead of time what your expenses will be, and what the unknowns
are. We'll tie down the loose ends as soon as possible. We'll try to get
your loan approved within a reasonable time frame. We'll educate you as best
we can and let you in "behind the scenes" so you won't ever feel stupid or
out of control.
5. What is your option? When things don't go as smoothly as you had hoped,
don't let emotions take over. Always ask yourself "What is my option?"
because there are always options. Let's pretend the lender takes longer
than agreed upon to get your loan. He keeps asking you for more and more
documentation until if feels like he also needs to know how many gold
fillings you have in your mouth! You'll feel upset because you wanted to
feel certain about the move and now you still have to live with the
uncertainty. You want to say "Forget it, I'm fed up with this!" But what is
your option? Find a new lender and start the process over again? That may
take weeks, plus you will have to provide all the paperwork over again. If
the lender is trying his best, it may be better to give him a few more days.
Each case is unique, but when setbacks occur we've found that asking
yourself this question helps to defuse the situation and restore clear
headed thinking.
6. Seek entertainment. When there's nothing you can do about the situation,
take your mind off of it altogether. Maybe you expected loan approval on
Friday, but now it won't come until Monday. You hate being in limbo and
feeling powerless. So do something else entirely, maybe something where you
aren't powerless. Take a hike, play tennis, get out of town for the day.
Watch a movie, pray, or pour yourself into your work. Whatever diversion
works best for you, now would be a good time to engage in it. Just forget
the situation and refuse to listen to those irritating thoughts when they
come into your head. Think about something else instead and just take it one
day at a time. To keep stress to a minimum, here's how I'll serve you when
you work with me in buying your new home: Give my best-reasoned expert
counsel and advice with your best interests in mind. Clarify your goals and
motivation, and decide if moving is the wisest choice at this time. Provide
recommendations and information to help your kids through all the changes.
Negotiate effectively for you to get the lowest possible price for your new
home. Treat your money like it was my own, shaving every expense possible.
Protect your interests during escrow, keeping a detailed record of the
transaction. Be your levelheaded sounding board or relief valve when the
stress is overwhelming. Counsel you through the feelings of "buyer's
remorse". Alert you ahead of time to every possibility so you feel more in
control. Contact you daily during the last 10 days of the transaction to
serve your needs. Provide guidance and help with movers, change of address,
utilities shut off, cleaning, etc. Deliver your closing paperwork. Continue
to give you information of value after the transaction... for life.
You've probably seen lots of financial arguments about why you should own
your own home rather than rent. This includes budgeting (no rent increases)
and the tax savings you'll most likely have. Now I'm going to give you some
reasons you probably haven't heard.
Freedom to pursue other goals in life once the major goal of home ownership
is achieved
Strange as it sounds, many of my first-time buyers have told me
that once they bought the house, other things in their life started to fall
into place. It's as if not owning took so much of their mental energy that
other goals were not worked on until that big goal was reached. So buy a
home and get on with your life!
A greater sense of belonging to the community
Once you own a home, you feel more attached to the city in which you live.
You're more interested in what happens in town, to the roads, schools, and
shopping areas. Some people even become involved in local politics, which
you seldom see a renter do.
A commitment to something, a sense of stability
Home ownership is an anchor, something that cannot be pulled out from under
you. You'll never get a notice that you have to move. You're kids will never
have to change schools. It gives you freedom to plan years ahead.
You can change things, a feeling of being in control
It's your home. You can add to it, remodel it, change the landscaping, do
whatever projects you want. You have a feeling of being in control of
something in your life. At work we don't always have control of what
happens, but your home is your castle that you have dominion over. You can
see what you're building take shape before your eyes.
More control over the children than in an apartment complex
In a neighborhood, kids usually play in the yards or go to friend's houses a
few doors away. My clients have told me that in an apartment complex they
never knew where the kids were. They could be in any of hundreds of
apartments, doing who knows what. In a home you get to know the neighbors
and watch out for each other's kids.
Children do better in school and feel more secure
This one surprised me, but buyers have reported to me that their kids calmed
down in school after they bought a house. I don't know why, but it seems to
work that way. I remember a single mom watching her son play in the yard,
making steps in the slope and building things. She didn't have to tell him
to leave everything alone, like she did at the apartment complex. I guess
kids feel the same need for control we adults do.
Time and money saved by not going to the Laundromat
A small point, but if you have kids, you know the value of this one. You
gain a whole evening a week when you buy a house! The wash gets done in
between other things, or while you're at work. What would you do with the
extra evening you'll have? How about going out for dessert with your spouse
with all those quarters?
We've been in a home of our own for so long; we take these benefits for
granted. We forgot what it's like to be renters! If you have anything you
can add to the list, please let me know via email. I'd love to hear from
you!
* Don't Get "Pre-Qualified! Get Preapproved!"
Do you want to get the best house you can for the least amount of money?
Then make sure you are in the strongest negotiating position possible. Price
is only one bargaining chip in the negotiations, and not necessarily the
most important one. Often other terms, such as the strength of the buyer or
the length of escrow, are critical to a seller. In years past, we always
recommended that buyers get "pre-qualified" by a lender. This means that you
spend a few minutes on the phone with a lender who asks you a few
questions. Based on the answers, the lender pronounces you "pre-qualified"
and issues a certificate that you can show to a seller. Sellers are aware
that such certificates are WORTHLESS, and here's why! None of the
information has been verified! Many times unknown problems surface! Some of
the problems I've seen include recorded judgments, child support payments
due, glitches on the credit report due to any number of reasons both
accurately and inaccurately, down payments that have not been in the
clients' bank account long enough, etc. So the way to make a strong offer
today is to get "underwriting approved". This happens AFTER all information has
been checked and verified. You are actually APPROVED for the loan and the only
loose end is the appraisal on the property. This process takes anywhere from
a few days to a few weeks depending on your situation. It's VERY POWERFUL
and a weapon we recommend all my clients have in their negotiating arsenal. Numerica Funding Inc, a local V.A./FHA/Conventional Lender offers a 24 hour online preapproval service at www.2ownahome.com
* Sell First, Then Buy
If you have a house to sell, sell it before selecting a house to buy! We
haven't seen a contingent sale work in the last 3 years, unless it's with a
new home builder who has other houses to sell and can afford to put one on a
contingency. Let's pretend that we go out looking for the perfect house for
you. We find it and you love it! Now you have to go make an offer to the
seller. You want the seller to reduce the price and wait until you sell your
house. The seller figures that's a risky deal, since he might pass up a
buyer who DOESN'T have to sell a house while he's waiting for you. So he
says OK, he'll do the contingency but it has to be a full price offer! So
you see, you paid more for the house than you could have because of the
contingency. Now you have to sell your existing house, and in a hurry!
Otherwise you lose the dream house! So to sell quickly you might take an
offer that's lower than if you had more time. The bottom line is that buying
before selling might cost you TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars. We always
recommend that you sell first, then buy. If you're concerned that there is
not a house on the market for you, then go on a window-shopping trip. You
can identify possible houses and locations without falling in love with a
specific house. If you feel confident after that, then put your house on the
market. Another tactic is to make the sale "subject to seller finding
suitable housing". Adding this phrase to the listing means that WHEN YOU DO
FIND A BUYER, you will have some time to find the new place. If you don't
find anything to your liking, you don't have to sell your present home.
* Play the Game of Nines
Before house hunting, make a list of nine things you want in the new place.
Then make a list of the nine things you don't want. We call this "NINE OF
THIS AND NONE OF THAT". You can use this list as a scorecard to rate each
property that you see. The one with the biggest score wins! This helps avoid
confusion and keeps things in perspective when you're comparing homes. When
house hunting, keep in mind the difference between "SKIN AND BONES". The BONES
are things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot,
noise in the area, school district, and floor plan. The SKIN represents easily
changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color, and window coverings.
Buy the house with good BONES, because the SKIN can always be changed to match
your tastes. We always recommend that you imagine each house as if it were
vacant. Consider each house on its underlying merits, not the seller's
decorating skills.
* Don't Be Pushed Into Any House
Your agent should show you everything available that meets your
requirements. Don't make a decision on a house until you feel that you've
seen enough to pick the best one. Go to the Multiple Listing computer with
your agent to make sure that you are getting a COMPLETE list. In the late
1980's early 90's, homes were selling quickly, usually a few days after
listing. In
that kind of market, agents advised their clients to make an offer ON THE
SPOT if they liked the house. That was good advice at the time. Today there
isn't always this urgency, unless a home is drastically under priced, and
you'll know if it is. Don't forget to check into the SCHOOL DISTRICTS of
the area you're considering. Information is available on every school; such
as class sizes, % of students that go on to college, SAT scores, etc. You
can get this information from your agent or directly from the school.
* Stop Calling Ads!
A word of caution - Realtors create ads solely to make the phone ring! Many of
the homes have some drawback that's not mentioned in the ad, such as traffic
noise, power lines, or litigation in the community. What's not mentioned in
the ad is usually more important than what is. For this reason, we want you
to be very careful when reading ads. Remember that the person writing the ad
is looking for a buyer and not necessarily one for that property! The most
important thing you can do
is have someone on your side looking out for your best interests. Your own
agent will critique the property with an eye towards how well it meets your
needs and will point out any drawbacks you should know about. So whether
you decide to work with us or not, pick a Real Estate agent you feel
comfortable with
and enlist the services of that Realtor as a buyer's broker. Then you become a
client with all the rights, benefits, and privileges created by this agency
relationship, and you're no longer just a shopper. Did you know that many
homes are sold WITHOUT A SIGN ever going up or an AD EVER BEING PUT IN THE
PAPER? These "great deals" go to those people who are committed to working
with one agent. When a Realtor hears of a great buy, who do you think he's
going to call? His client, who he has a legal obligation to work hard for
you, or someone who just called on the phone and said "keep your eyes open"?
So to get the best buy on a property, we always recommend that you hire your
own real estate agent and stick with them.
