Given the current financial environment we would recommend that all real estate buyers utilize the services of a qualified REALTOR® in the role of buyer’s agent. Typically a buyer’s agent represents a buyer’s interest, and is legally bound to assist and promote their client’s interest throughout the entire Real Estate Transaction including the following:
- Evaluate a buyer’s specific needs / desires and locate homes that meet these requirements.
- Assist in pre-qualifying a potential buyer for a mortgage so that affordability is a central attribute of the home search.
- Assist the buyer finding detailed information about their properties of interest including tax rates, neighborhoods, and school systems.
- Preview homes, set up showing appointments, and accompany the buyer on showings.
- Researching short list properties to identify problems / issues to help the buyer make an informed decision before making an offer.
- Advising a buyer when making an offer by utilizing Comparative Market Analysis and local market knowledge ensuring an offer is appropriately structured with buyer protections including the use of a home inspection contingency.
- Present the offer on behalf of the client and negotiate contract modifications with the buyer’s interest in mind.
- Assist in securing appropriate financing when an offer is accepted.
- Provide assistance in locating qualified professionals such as attorneys, home inspectors, home repairs, movers, etc if these are needed.
- Accompany or represent the buyer at the closing table thus fully representing the buyer throughout the entire transaction.
Obviously having the expertise of a buyer’s agent is more valuable the further along you get in the home buying process; nonetheless having the right buyer’s agent early in the process can also be extremely valuable. Today’s buyers just beginning their home search don’t want to view specific homes, determine market value, or make an offer.
In the age of the internet, early shoppers simply want to view homes online with as much flexibility as possible and that is exactly what we have tried to provide with our Huntsville Alabama Homes property search engine. You can search for properties by specific neighborhood, school systems, square footage, and of course price range. If you’re a registered user you can also save for quick recall your favorite searches, favorite individual properties, and optionally choose to receive an automated daily email with links to brand new listings coming on the market that exactly match your saved search criteria. Having ready access to needed information is also valuable and on our site you will find hundreds of articles about buying and selling real estate, current market conditions, and a wide range of specific neighborhood articles.
Moreover as many new Huntsville area home shoppers can attest, our local MLS rules prohibit the public display of some very important property information such as addresses, maps, directions, square footage detail, etc. We have had clients tell us some real horror stories about how difficult it was in the early stages of their property search to simply get an address to map a particular property or for a simple drive by look, and have told us how many of their emails and phone calls to listing agents were simply not answered. We too can not present this information publicly, but I can honestly tell you we answer every single request for information that we receive, perhaps not immediately but you will receive a response. Buyers have also told us they hate to inundate their agents with constant information requests when they are simply in the early tire kicking stage of their home hunt. Thus for our client’s accounts we have automated many of the typical information requests so their will be absolutely no impact on us for these types of information requests!
Of course when your search matures and you are ready to actually visit particular homes, assess your short list in more detail, perform a market analysis to make an offer, and negotiate contract terms and conditions we will be there for you.
Happy House Hunting,
Elizabeth
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