Valuable Information

Many of our past clients suggested that we post some of the tips and information that we've provided over the years. So we listed a few of the most requested pieces of information that have saved our clients thousands of dollars.

Commissions

This advice has ranked at the top of most of our clients lists of information that has saved them the most money. Let's start by saying that a percentage (%) is nothing without an amount. EX. Is it better to pay 6% or 20% commission when selling your home? It would be impossible to determine this without knowing what the sales price will be, and the sales price is determined by the demand of the property. That means, if you list with a company that offers the most exposure, you will create a higher demand for your property, and in turn produce more activity, which ultimately results in more money for you. The other factor that home seller's often overlook, is the fact that they pay nothing upfront for all the thousands of dollars in marketing and professional representation they receive. Payment is made at closing when they accept an offer that meets their approval. It's up to them what they walk away with at closing, and what offer they're comfortable with. Once people understand this, the first question they ask is "why would anyone choose a discount company or an agent that doesn't offer full exposure?” The next time you're confronted with commissions, stop the conversation, and find out what they're offering first. Don't play the ‘discount commission game'; your only interest should be on the company that will increase your cash at closing; by offering maximum exposure for your property.

Lawsuits

This is a very unfortunate circumstance to be in, and we cannot offer enough warnings to our clients about this subject. First rule of thumb; when in doubt, disclose. If you are unsure about the condition of something, have it inspected by a professional. Take every action to cover yourself from future lawsuits, never leave room for error. There are attorneys that prey on new home owners, because they know that in 95% of real estate transactions some item was over-looked or not explained as clearly as it could have been. No one is perfect, and it's been known for humans to make mistakes on occasion. With an average of 80 different hands touching your file before closing, that's a lot of opportunities for something to go wrong. We offer our clients some of the most extensive protection in the industry; with an in-house auditing department that reviews all files, to a full-time on-staff real estate attorney that's available to help correct problems before it's too late. In closing, try to shift as much liability over to professionals, disclose everything, and be very cautious with things you say.

Goals

Everyone always talks about goals, everyone knows they're important, but few of us actually follow through with writing them down or sticking to them. Although, over the years, I've found that the clients that I've worked with that have set clear goals when purchasing real estate, have been much happier with their investments, and have accomplished what they set out to accomplish. Long-term goals are the key to buying or selling real estate. You should always put your goals above what the current market is doing. I suggest setting your goals at least five years out; determine what's most important to you in your real estate investing and buy and sell properties on your terms. I've had many clients, and I myself, believe in doing whatever the majority aren't doing. That means when everyone is selling that's when I'm buying, when everyone is buying that's when I'm selling. By doing this you are in a better position to negotiate with the seller's (because there are more properties for you to choose from) and when selling, you can demand top dollar from the buyers and sell quickly (because there are fewer properties to choose from). It's up to you to determine your own plans for real estate; you may want to purchase 10 properties a year for the next 10 years, or maybe just 1 in the next 3 months. Whatever you decide, find out what it will take to accomplish it, make a decision to take the first step, and allow our organization to provide you with all the help you need, every step of the way.

Renting vs. Owning

As you've probably heard or seen advertised many times, the famous "Why rent, when you can own?” slogan is very popular in the real estate industry. It's a very true statement, but most renters fail to understand the importance of owning a home. We look at renting much more seriously than most people, and dig deeper than the surface. By renting, you're giving up so many very important rights. Renters are no different than children in the home of their parents; they are told what they can or cannot do while living under the owners roof, they have to move-out when the owner commands them to, they have to pay their landlords mortgage for him, and when they leave they won't receive any of the thousands of dollars in potential equity that the property has earned in the time they were paying the owners mortgage. This is serious; many people use the famous quote "I can't afford to buy a home”. Well, the majority of homeowners have said that before they invested in their first home. Now most of them say "how can you afford NOT to own a home?” The place you make your home, raise your family, and sleep at night should be your own. The worst thing is when you find a great community, your family loves the home, you take pride in turning the home into just how you always imagined, and just when you get comfortable, the owner decides to sell the home. Don't let this happen to you. Put a plan together immediately to break-free from the renting cycle. Even if it's three years before you can clear-up your credit, or save the down payment, the important thing is you've decided that renting is unacceptable and you're going to do something about it.