It's not uncommon for a buyer or seller to make some serious mistakes when dealing with real estate or choosing a real estate agent. It's not difficult to buy or sell a home, it's just an involved process that takes some careful thought. Skipping the details and cutting corners is what starts to create problems with real estate. Here are the top 5 real estate mistakes of 2011
Picking the Wrong Agent - The real estate market is saturated with agents who would be more than happy to help you find the perfect home. With the sheer number of people available there's a good chance you can run into a less than favorable choice. If you want to work with an agent then treat it like the investment a home really is and spend time interviewing agents to find the right one.
A great way to find a good agent is to ask the people you know for a referral. If they had a great experience then the chances are good that you'll have one as well. While speaking with different agents you should visit their office to check on their organization skills and attend open houses to see how they interact with other buyers.
Skipping the Agent - Whether you think you're an informed buyer, a savvy dealer, a haggler or just a veteran home buyer is irrelevant. You shouldn't skip working with a real estate agent just because you think you have it all under wraps. There's a lot more to selling and buying a home than what media portrays and an agent can help you navigate the entire process whether you're buying or selling.
An agent will also handle showing the home for you but if you're trying to sell the property alone then you'll be the one selling it, doing walkthroughs, etc. If you do sell on your own, be prepared to have a lawyer handy to take care of the complex paperwork that an agent would otherwise handle for you.
Buying the Wrong Home - Without an agent to help guide you it's easy to wind up in the wrong house such as what happens when people buy the most expensive home on the block. An expensive home is only going to depreciate over time and in many cases these homes are overbuilt vs the surrounding homes which can ring down the overall value of that property. Price the surrounding homes and appraise the neighborhood to find out what you should be paying if you want to live there.
Only Visiting Once - Most decisions can't be made on a whim. You don't buy a car as soon as you set eyes on it, you don't adopt an animal (or a child) after visiting once so the last thing you should do is choose a house (a major investment) after only performing a single walk through. Make the most informed decisions and walk through multiple times to avoid winding up with a lot problems you didn't spot the first time around.
Skipping Pre-Approval - pre-approval is almost a must for buying a home these days. Not only is it a great tool to leverage the right price on a home you like but many sellers won't allow an agent to show their home unless its to someone with mortgage preapproval. This saves them from wasting time on buyers that are just kicking tired without the funds to back their interest.
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Buying a home is a big step and it's not something you should have to endure alone. Partner with a Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent to help you find the perfect home for you're family. Partner with Realtors in Virginia to get the home you need. Paragon Remodeling - 8000 Towers Crescent Dr - Vienna, VA 22182
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