How We're Helping Our Clients

This year, our Team has helped over 75 families and individuals with their move. 

By itself this is an incredible accomplishment... but I wanted to share some of the problems that we've helped solve along the way.  At the end of the day, this is what we do for a living.  We're really good at it and because of that, we do a lot of deals. 

However, we realize that our clients often know very little about the process and only do it a few times in their lives.

Let's cover some of the most common problems that we solve as Realtors. 

1.  - The 20% Down Payment Myth

We've all heard that you should have 20% down payment to buy a home, and it's complete nonsense.  Most of our clients that are purchasing, especially first time buyers, are putting between 3.5% - 10% down. 

The days of needing 20% down to buy a home are long gone, and in a lot of cases it doesn't even make sense to put more down.  Yes, this means that you'd be paying mortgage insurance, but it beats renting. 

Not to mention, on a $500k house, the difference between 5% and 20% down is $75k.  How long is it going to take to save up that difference?  How many years will you be renting while you're saving?  How much could you have saved in taxes in that time?  The most important question, how much will prices rise before you save it? 

2.  - Buying a Home with Problems

There is no secret that becoming a homeowner leads to fixing things that break.  There are several points here, as it is a huge concern for most buyers. 

While looking at homes for sale in person, our clients are typically looking at the feel of the home, the finishes...  We are looking for potential problems.  How old is the HVAC, water heater, signs of water damage and so much more. 

Our clients check for the fun stuff, and if they seem to like it, we find the things to be concerned about. 

When we negotiate an offer, we always make sure that we're giving ourselves and our clients enough time to do their due-diligence. This is where we'll suggest several different inspections so that the client knows what they're getting themselves into.  Are there problems that we didn't see while we toured the home?  If there are, we negotiate to help the situation. 

After our clients close, most of the time, we've negotiated the seller to buy a 13 month home warranty.  They don't cover every issue that can arise, but they definitely help save money when things go wrong.  

3.  - Avoid buying the wrong home

When you work with a lot of people through the home buying process, you learn what to look for.  We always suggest that you drive through the neighborhood at night before buying a home. 

Some places look very different at night vs. during the day.  You want to find that out before its too late.

Also, check the commute times during rush hours.  There may be a big difference. 

4.  - Emotions derailing a deal

Moving isn't all fun.  Buying or selling, and especially buying and selling at the same time can be emotional.  We also understand, like I said earlier, that we do this every day.  Our clients often times do not. 

When it comes down to negotiating a deal, we know the questions to ask and more importantly, what to keep to ourselves.  There are a lot of people involved in a deal, and managing everyone's emotions to keep it all together is part of the job. 

Most deals are pretty 'smooth' because we know what we're doing, and our clients usually don't see or hear about the issues we deal with.  Yet there are times where tensions may rise in a negotiation, and having a level head is key.  We always make a point to stay level so we can see all sides to the deal and make the best decisions with our clients. 

At the end of the day, we're consultants through the home buying, selling, investment process.  It isn't our home and it's not our money.  Our clients work with us because of our advice and expertise. 

Doing a lot of deals, leads to a lot of experience.