Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: 8 Reasons Why You Should Work With a REALTOR®

Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: 8 Reasons Why You Should Work With a REALTOR®: Not all real estate practitioners are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional w...

8 Reasons Why You Should Work With a REALTOR®

Not all real estate practitioners are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Here's why it pays to work with a REALTOR®.

1. Navigate a complicated process. Buying or selling a home usually requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multipage settlement statements. A knowledgeable expert will help you prepare the best deal, and avoid delays or costly mistakes.
2. Information and opinions. REALTORS® can provide local community information on utilities, zoning, schools, and more. They’ll also be able to provide objective information about each property. A professional will be able to help you answer these two important questions: Will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell?
3. Help finding the best property out there. Sometimes the property you are seeking is available but not actively advertised in the market, and it will take some investigation by your REALTOR® to find all available properties.
4. Negotiating skills. There are many negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession, and inclusion or exclusion of repairs, furnishings, or equipment. In addition, the purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.
5. Property marketing power. Real estate doesn’t sell due to advertising alone. In fact, a large share of real estate sales comes as the result of a practitioner’s contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, and family. When a property is marketed with the help of a REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your REALTOR® will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.
6. Someone who speaks the language. If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with a professional who is immersed in the industry and knows the real estate language.
7. Experience. Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. Even if you have done it before, laws and regulations change. REALTORS®, on the other hand, handle hundreds of real estate transactions over the course of their career. Having an expert on your side is critical.
8. Objective voice. A home often symbolizes family, rest, and security — it’s not just four walls and a roof. Because of this, homebuying and selling can be an emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll every make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you stay focused on both the emotional and financial issues most important to you.

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Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: Welcome to my Blog ! Tiffany Fountain-Real Estate ...

Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: Welcome to my Blog ! Tiffany Fountain-Real Estate ...: Welcome to my Blog ! Tiffany Fountain-Real Estate Agent http://www.har.com/tiffanyfoun tain For assistance with your real estate needs! T...

Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: Home Staging Guide

Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: Home Staging Guide: Real Estate Agent Tiffany Fountain say's when trying to stage your home to appeal to buyers The Texas Association of Realtors ® suggest tr...

Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: 10 Ways to Prepare for Homeownership

Real Estate Expertise and Value you can count on!: 10 Ways to Prepare for Homeownership: Decide what you can afford . Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income. Develop your...

10 Ways to Prepare for Homeownership

1. Decide what you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income.
2. Develop your home wish list. Then, prioritize the features on your list.
3. Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you’d like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety.
4. Start saving. Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mortgage and cover your down payment? Ideally, you should have 20 percent of the purchase price saved as a down payment. Also, don’t forget to factor in closing costs. Closing costs — including taxes, attorney’s fee, and transfer fees — average between 2 and 7 percent of the home price.
5. Get your credit in order. Obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate and to correct any errors immediately. A credit report provides a history of your credit, bad debts, and any late payments.
6. Determine your mortgage qualifications. How large of mortgage do you qualify for? Also, explore different loan options — such as 30-year or 15-year fixed mortgages or ARMs — and decide what’s best for you.
7. Get preapproved. Organize all the documentation a lender will need to preapprove you for a loan. You might need W-2 forms, copies of at least one pay stub, account numbers, and copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements.
8. Weigh other sources of help with a down payment. Do you qualify for any special mortgage or down payment assistance programs? Check with your state and local government on down payment assistance programs for first-time buyers. Or, if you have an IRA account, you can use the money you’ve saved to buy your fist home without paying a penalty for early withdrawal.
9. Calculate the costs of homeownership. This should include property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, and association fees, if applicable.
10. Contact a REALTOR®. Find an experienced REALTOR® who can help guide you through the process.

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Home Staging Guide

Real Estate Agent Tiffany Fountain say's when trying to stage your home to appeal to buyers The Texas Association of Realtors® suggest trying

THESE AFFORDABLE IDEAS

Simple Staging Tips for Inside and Out
Before you show a home to any potential buyer, you want to make sure the staging is perfect. Follow these general tips and your home will look better than the competition.
Staging on a Budget
What's your best, most affordable staging idea? Dozens of real estate pros offer their best tips.
Small Things Can Make a Big Difference
Small touches can liven up your listings without breaking the bank.
Slideshow: 10 Affordable Home Redos
Sellers don't have to spend a lot to get their house ready to sell. Here are 10 reasonably-priced projects that can make a big impact.
Watch a Staging Master in Action
Staging expert Mary Brooks shows how staging can be done on a tight budget with dramatic results.
Affordable Staging Tips for Any Listing
Playback a webinar to hear staging experts give simple, inexpensive staging ideas to spruce up your listings and how to bring new life to your vacant REO properties by making them feel more welcoming to buyers. Original air date: Jan. 28, 2010
8 No-Cost or Low Cost Ways to Tweak Your Listings
Got a listing that needs a new look? Here are some inexpensive ways to make it shine.

PREPARE THE HOME
Finishing Touches
The reality today is that sellers don't want to spend big to get their house in tip-top shape for buyers. The good news is that there's plenty they can do for free or at a very low cost.
Showing Tips for Sellers
Get your listing in showing shape with these simple tips.
What's Your Favorite Staging Accessory?
Defining a space with your favorite staging accessory.
4 Interior Painting Tips
Painting is a quick and easy way to liven up a listing. But some smart prep work can make a huge difference in the quality of the results.
Create Scent Appeal
Real estate professionals share with us their favorite home scents that are sure to please buyers.
Showing Tips for Sellers
Let your sellers help, too. Here are some ideas to give to your sellers to prep a home for showings.
Overcome These 4 Common Staging Challenges
How to make the biggest staging problems go away.
Styled, Staged & Sold
Get more staging tips from REALTOR® Magazine’s Styled, Staged & Sold blog.

GET INSTANT CURB APPEAL
No Cost: A Photogenic Listing
Try these no-cost techniques for showing off curb appeal in online photos.
6 Landscaping Tricks That Wow Buyers
Attract buyers from the doorstep to get them inside. Here are a few landscaping ideas to get the house sparkling from the outside.
5 Ways to Add Condo Curb Appeal
Learn how can you make that condo stand out from others on the block. How’s the View? Using a few outdoor design elements, sellers can give their exterior all-around appeal.

VIEW ROOM TRANSFORMATIONS
Videos: Stage This Room!
Two hours, three rooms, $250 budget, and three REALTORS®. See how they transformed the rooms into showpieces.
9 Easy Room Makeovers That Wow Buyers
View before and after photos of readers' room transformations to get ideas for your listings.
Learn From the Professionals: Best Room Makeovers From Stagers
See how these staging professionals tackled trouble areas in a home and designed rooms that buyers love.

STAGE FOR VIRTUAL APPEAL
Virtual Staging: Stay True to Disclosing
Is using virtual staging to market unfurnished homes or rooms ethically wrong?
Staging in a Virtual Reality
Virtual staging brings empty homes to life on the computer screen.
Staging for Streetview
Curb appeal today means Web appeal, because if a house doesn't look good online, it won't attract all the buyers it could.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Professional Stager
A professional stager can help you set your listing apart. Here are some questions you'll want to ask to find the best person for the job.
Staging Basics
Get your most common questions answered about staging.

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Welcome to my Blog !

 

Tiffany Fountain-Real Estate Agent

http://www.har.com/tiffanyfountain For assistance with your real estate needs!

Tiffany Fountain, REALTOR® -Houston, TX 77035 with Bayou City Lights Properties

www.har.com

Tiffany Fountain, a member of the Houston Association of REALTORS, provides real estate services and real estate information. Visit Tiffany Fountain's web site for houston homes and houston real estate.