Why You Should Contact A Realtor To Buy New Construction

Many families today have choices out there when it comes to buying a house....One of them is purchasing of new construction. It can be a home that already is built (builder spec house) or one that you contract to build with the builder. There is one thing most (and I do mean most) families do not realize is that when you go into these model homes. Those friendly Realtors that you are greeted by and offer you there help work for the builder---NOT YOU. They are well trained to show a perception they are working for you....but the reality is that the builder pays them...not you. There job is to sell the homes that the builder builds for the most amount of money...Our job as a buyer's Realtor is to help you find the right house (new or old) that fits your needs for the fairest price. To protect YOUR interests when buying new construction you should have a Realtor accompany you to the negotiation and purchase of the home. Chances are you have not purchased a home in a few years (for some it is the first purchase). A Realtor can help you with decisions about what to ask comes in the house. Options that you may not think of or know about that we do because we do it everyday. We can help you with the negotiations on the price and options. help you make an informed decision on the financing terms offered by the builder...... Surveys have shown that home buyers that walk into and purchase a new construction home with the aide of a Realtor (not working for the builder) come out on average almost 10% better between price and financing terms over the 30 years..... Think about that for a minute. if you are buying a $200,000 home that is potentially $20,000 saved with the help of a Realtor...and the best part is the builder will pay us to help you...So, it costs you NOTHING...... Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com

When Do You Contact A Realtor For Buying A House?

All of the studies that we read say that over 90% of homebuyers begin their search for a home online....When do you contact a Realtor? When is the right time to contact a Realtor? These are questions asked each day..... I talk to various home buyers online that say I am a month away and others who say I am six months or more away...but I always get the same question..."should we be talking now or closer to buying?" Now ther is no magic time frame on when to contact a Realtor. Some prefer to do it in the beginning of the process. A time when they have decided to consider looking for homes, not sure what is out there and have no particular time frame in mind for buying. For some this is the optimal time to contact Realtors and see which ones work best for them....Not all Realtors are the same. Sometimes finding one that works best with you takes a few different meetings with different ones. A Realtor can help you narrow areas and homes for you so you are not spending hours looking through various websites for homes and give you a better understanding of the processes and time frames needed to find and close on a home. Others prefer to do the intial research online then contact a Realtor when they have narrowed down what they want in a home. I know when my wife and I was looking for a home last time we had a list of what we wanted and a budget we wanted to look in...Then we went out and visited open houses and drove by neighborhoods. Doing this we eliminated areas and homes. Once we decided on what we knew we wanted in a home we contacted a Realtor to help us out (yes I was not in the business back then). Still others prefer to do all the research online and then contact a Realtor when they have narrowed down their selection and know what exactly they want...This way they feel they have done all the necessary work and made a descision that is best for them. Is there a wrong time to contact a Realtor? NO. Is there a right time to contact a realtor? NO. It depends on you. As a Realtor I have dealt with professionals and families in all spectrums of the home buying process and each person is different and thus their needs and wants from a Realtor vary... But, contacting a Realtor will help give you insight into homes and areas. In addition a Realtor can direct you to various websites for a variety of information that may be helpful in your home search when certain factors are important.....i.e. schools, crime rates, public transportation, convience to shopping, commute to work. Whether you are at the beginning, the middle or the end of the looking process there is never a bad time to contact a Realtor...We are here to help you. I strive to make the home buying experience one of great joy and ease for home buyers. I beleive in treating each individual as I would want to be treated in the process; regardless of where they are in it....... Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com .

10 year Anniversary Of 9/11---I Will Never Forget

Tomorrow marks the 10 year anniversary of one of the most devasting attacks on US soil. Most of us are to young to remember Pearl Harbor and the lives lost there....However; all of us are old enough to remember 9/11/2001. That day will always, in my lifetime, be a rememberance for me. I had the unfortuante experience of being in New York City in lower Manhattan at what is now called ground zero when it occurred. I watched as the rest of the country did in shock at what was unfolding before my eyes and not knowing what to do or what really was happening at that moment. I remember not being able to use cell phone and walking for what seemed like an eternity to get out of New York with hundreds of thousands of people. But despite all the tragedy that occurred during that day...I also witnessed some of the greatest moments in my life and ones that made me proud to be an AMERICAN and a VETERAN. I witnessed first responders (firemen, police officers, EMT'S) rush into the buildings with no regard for their own lives to try and save someone they did not even know...They were doing a job. Those brave men and women put their lives at risk to save people like you and me. I remember sitting glued in front fo the televison for hours on end after it happened for the next few days as they went through the debris looking for people still alive and yet never complaining once.

I lost a few friends during the devastation that hit New York City that day. I vowed that I would never forget them or that day. As the healing continues, I saw something that made me stop today and write this now. Driving by Presbyterian Hospital in Matthews, NC. there is a banner out by the entrance symbolizing the 10 year anniversary. What got me was located by the pond at the entrance way were american flags. One for each person that died during that great tragedy. The flags are placed under a weeping willow tree.... I stopped and visited that spot a few moments before sitting down to write this blog. I knelt, prayed and cried. I felt my heart fill up with sadness as I remeber watching the people that lost their lives for no apparent reason at all and the first responders who lost their lives trying to save ours. To all those that gave their life that day and ALL those that saved lives that day and beyond....THANK YOU....I WILL NEVER FORGET. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com