Does It Matter Who Put Your House On Market

Why does it matter who lists my home for sale? Don’t all Realtors put the house on the Multiple Listing Service? Yes, all local Realtors will put it on the multiple listing service. But not all Realtors market a home the same way. The difference can be the difference between your home selling and not selling. Just because I put the home on the multiple listing service does not mean I am doing the same thing as another Realtor to help you getting your home sold. A recent study by JD Power showed that 94% of homebuyers surveyed in 2010 found the home they purchased online. Online does not necessarily mean that they found the home through a realtor. A realtor may have contacted them and sent them listings to view. But most buyers today do searches on their own to locate homes and send them to their Realtor for advice and schedule a showing. So, is your realtor marketing the home in the best possible light to enhance your showings and generate traffic to your house for a potential buyer to view and buy? There are a few main portals that consumers today tend to view for homes. Is your home showcased on those sites? Is the description and photos showing the best light of the house? Would you go see your house based on those pictures and description? How you answer those questions says a lot to how your Realtor is effectively marketing your home. Does your Realtor use video to showcase your home? I do not mean taking a large amount of photos and creating a slide show presentation for the consumer to watch. Do they actually go in and video the house and highlight the features of the house through a virtual walk through on the house? According to another study I read last April 68% of people use You Tube for searches. In the home buying the chances of your home getting clicked on and viewed increased by over 90% with a video of the house. What other marketing techniques is your realtor using to enhance your home and get it out to as many potential buyers as possible? There are many streams of advertising available and not all work. But, putting all of our eggs in one basket is never a good idea either today. Are they using the latest technology to enhance your home? With smart phones being like a mini computer can your home be clicked on and viewed on the phone? Does your Realtor keep in touch with you on a regular basis to discuss how showings went and marketing is going on the house? Or are you left to wonder what is happening? Communication is vital to a successful transaction and if you do not have it on the listing you will not get it during the negotiation. I talk to a lot of potential sellers who do not even realize to ask these things when they are thinking of listing their house… But are you doing yourself justice by not asking? Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com

Why A Buyer In Charlotte, NC. Needs A Full-Time Realtor

Having a Full-time Realtor is vital to a successful home transaction whether you are on the buying side. Below are some of the behind the scenes things Realtors do that most buyers do not realize. 1. The buyer’s agent arranges for showings on a schedule that is accommodating for both of you. Generally most buyer’s agents will find time to show homes to prospective buyers when their schedule works (there are exceptions to the rule). 2. We look up the comparable to the house that you are interested in and supply you with data to make informed decisions about the house you want to put an offer in on. 3. We talk to the listing agent (sometimes at length) to find out the motivation behind the seller selling and any issues that may arise with the closing of the sale. 4. We arrange the home inspection for a time that is convenient for you and make sure that we are present for that home inspection. (A home inspection usually takes 3 to 4 hours depending on the size of the house). 5. We work with the mortgage lender to make sure the paperwork is in and that the loan is progressing as needed to close. I will drive around to pick up forms and get papers signed to help the loan officer get the file underwritten to close on time. 6. We work with and help make arrangements with the attorney to do the closing in North Carolina. I always check with the attorney to make sure that the title came back clean and that there is no issue with it prior to closing. 7. We negotiate the price of the house on your behalf and work to get you the best terms possible. 8. We negotiate with the sellers agent on any repairs that are needed prior to closing. 9. We are there for the closing and do a walk through on the property with you prior to closing to make sure the house is in the same standards it was in when you viewed it and put the offer in. 10. We follow up with you post sale to make sure everything is going fine. Doing all of these things requires the service of a FULL-TIME Realtor. Doing this part time does not allow for a Realtor to be able to do all the services required in order to ensure that the buyer is being properly represented. You run the risk of your Realtor not being able to show you homes and not potentially losing out on a house that you would have wanted to purchase. In addition you run the risk of not getting the home closed in the time frame you need…. As a wise person once told me when I first started in the business “a home is the largest purchase a person/family is going to make; treat them with the utmost respect and give them the time they want; they deserve at least that”. Dave dicecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com

New FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Increase April 2012

Yes it is true. The federal government Housing Administration is increasing the mortgage insurance on their FHA loans starting in April of this year. FHA charges a percentage of the loan amount as an insurance policy (so to speak) because of the low down payment that is required (3.5%) to acquire a mortgage on a house. The program is great and has helped many home buyers who otherwise would not be able to buy a home get it not a house. But, with the low down payment comes a higher risk and thus increased likelihood of default. The new guidelines which go into effect increase the amount they charge on loans beginning on April 9, 2012. The new rate will be 1.25% of the loan amount for loans with less than 5% down payment and 1.20% for loans with greater than 5% down payment. How does it affect you if you are looking for a house under the FHA guidelines? When I did the calculations for a $100,000 home under the current program and the new one the payment based on the same interest rate increased the payment $10.00 a month. So, in essence for every $100,000 you borrow you will be paying back an additional $10.00 a month. It may not seem like a lot but over the term of the loan it can add up...The benefit to this is that it is tax deductible. But it does not help you out every month just during tax time. You can avoid the increased premium by finding a house and locking an interest rate in prior to April 9, 2012. You do not have to close on the house by then; just have a rate lock and be under contract to close for a house by that date to save the money. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com