Buying a home is a Big Deal. My #1 job is to Make Sure you get it Right!

• How much should I pay for this home?
• What are all these disclosure documents telling me?
• Will I be able to get affordable fire insurance on this home?
• How many other buyers are competing for this home? Should I make an as-is” offer?
• Is this home in a flood zone, do I need flood insurance?
• Do I need to get the home inspected myself? What kind of inspections should I get?
• The foundation is cracked, but I like the home, what are my options?
• I love the home but don’t want a pool, what will it cost to remove it?
• Can I add additional square footage to the home without exceeding the allowable floor area?
• Why is the square footage of the home on the MLS greater than that in the county records? 
• I am pre-qualified for my loan.  Do I still need a loan contingency in my offer?
• The seller wants a rent back, how do I handle that? Will my lender allow it?
• Am I allowed to add a second story in this neighborhood?
• My lender says we will need section 1 clearance before closing. Can we ask the seller to make the repairs?
• What are the HOA fees, rules and restrictions for this home?
• A neighbor has an ingress/egress easement on this property, what does that mean to me?
• This home has a septic system instead of sewer, what maintenance is required?

Homes can be easy to find but are hard to buy.

• Buyer friendly web sites, high quality photography, video and drone presentations, 3D floor plans and open houses have certainly made finding homes easy. But how do you buy one?
• Using my years of experience, and continuing education, I will guide you through the property evaluation and purchasing process.
• We will decipher the seller’s disclosure documents.
• We will inspect, research and understand the condition of the property.
• We will write a purchase contract that balances your risks between making a completive offer versus making a financial blunder. 
• I will negotiate the purchase price and property repairs on your behalf.
• I will work together with your lender and title company to successfully close on your purchase.

You are hiring me to make sure that everything that can go wrong won’t go wrong!

I can help you find a home, but that’s not really what you pay me for.

• Find it on-line: There are many excellent web sites advertising residential properties for sale, such as Zillow, Realtor.com and Redfin. These national web sites aggregate listings from most of the regional MLS (multiple listing service) systems. These are great sources for finding your home.
• See it at an Open House: When listings first come on the market, most listing agents will hold open houses to the public on the weekends. This is a great opportunity to see homes on your own.
• Off-Market Listings: As an agent, I do find out about some coming-soon and off-market (for privacy reasons) homes for sale. If you are looking for something fairly specific, I can target homes to seek out potential sellers. The homes you see on the internet are the same listings I see on the MLS, however I will have access to additional information, regarding disclosures, showing instructions and offers.
• Showing You Homes: When an open house is not an option, then, as your agent, we will tour homes at a time convenient for you. I will set appointments with the sellers and have lockbox access to these homes.

A seller’s (listing) agent represents the seller. What about you? 

• Marketing vs Facts: The listing agent’s job is to market the seller’s home and will represent the home in its best light. Keep in mind, what you see on-line is marketing information from the seller. As a buyer’s agent, your agent, I will be helping you examine under the hood and make sure you understand exactly what you are buying.
• How Much to Offer: The listing agent’s job is to get the highest possible price for the seller’s home. As a buyer’s agent, your agent, I’m here to protect your money from the listing agent. The price you offer for a home is always your decision. My job is to help you get to that decision with as much context as possible.
• Confidence in Your Decision: When I represent you as a buyer, before you close on the purchase of your new home, we will have deciphered the seller’s disclosure documents, have read between the lines of the inspection reports, have understood local ordinances, and governing rules that may restrict your goals for the property and have analyzed the data supporting the value of the home. 

How Does a Buyer’s Agent Get Paid?

• Like a listing agent, the buyer’s agent gets paid a commission, which is typically a percentage of the purchase price of the home.
• A buyer will enter into a Buyer’s Representation Agreement with a buyer’s agent where the commission amount will be agreed upon as well as the duration of the agreement.
• Commissions are paid when the sale closes. 
• If you do not end up buying a home, I get paid nothing. I invest my time and expertise with you up front and take the risk. 
• The commission can be paid by you and included as part of your closing costs or, the commission can be included in your purchase offer price and paid by the seller.