Why an Experienced Realtor is Essential for Buying a Home

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If you are in the market for a new house in the College Station, TX area, using an experienced realtor will provide many benefits over trying to figure out the complex real estate market on your own or getting involved with an agent who does not know what he is doing and cannot provide the service necessary to find your dream home.

A realtor who is experienced in the local market and for the type of property that you are interested in is an invaluable help to navigate the complicated home buying process. Look for the following traits to find the utmost satisfaction and success.

Simplified Process in a Complicated Market

It is possible for an individual who wants to buy a house to look at real estate classifieds or "For Sale By Owner" properties and contact the seller to make an offer. Unfortunately, the entire process is not that simple and cannot be completed with a few basic phone calls and writing a big check before moving in. An experienced realtor in College Station, TX can help homebuyers sort through available properties, various neighborhoods and the sometimes complicated process that begins with interest in a house and ends with receiving a brand-new set of keys.

Expert Negotiation Skills for the Best Price

No matter how good you think you are at haggling at a yard sale or getting a better contract at work, the real estate market price negotiation process requires a bit more research and expertise. The right agent who is qualified to have in depth financial discussions with the seller's agent will understand the local market, the rise and fall of price trends and have the skills it takes to make lowest possible offers that will be accepted you.

Complete, Correct and Legal Paperwork

The last thing any buyer needs is to research many properties, go through multiple negotiation sessions and pay a lot of money only to find out that some important document or contract was not filled out correctly or provided at all. The best realtors have an extensive working knowledge of the entire selling and buying process and will take care of all of the paperwork headaches for you. They also take more responsibility for keeping in touch with the seller's agent so any potential complications or questions can be handled professionally and with the best possible outcome.

Knowledge of the Area and Available Properties

When you hire a realtor to find the perfect home for you and your family, you need to be able to trust that they have a considerable working knowledge of the area in which you want to live and the dedication it takes to research all the properties and locations to find the best options. Realtors are professional house hunters and they can weigh all the different aspects of a property and neighborhood to determine how possible and appropriate it would be for a particular buyer to make an offer on the home.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904

Moving to a New Home: What Surprise Fees Could the Movers Charge?

At the process of eyeing and moving to a new house can be expensive enough without having unforeseen charges from the moving company. After your realtor inCollege Station, TX gets you a great deal on a wonderful new home, you need to feel confident that the people you sign a contract with to move your furniture and other belongings from the old house to the new one will not cause any problems.

Anyone who moves to a new house should be aware of the following possible charges and fees associated with the packing, transportation and unpacking furniture, boxes and bins.

Fees Associated With Packing and Unpacking

1 – Packing Service – When a moving company tells you they would be happy to help you pack your things into sturdy boxes or crates, they do not mean that they are volunteering for extra work. Expect to pay a fee associated with any help in actually putting your things insecure containers.

2 – Packing Materials – If the moving company uses any boxes, packing peanuts or pillows, shrink wrap or any other packing materials, you should expect to be charged for all of it. Be sure to ask before packing begins whether the cost of these things are included in the quoted price.

3 – Excessive Stairs or Tight Quarters – Movers may charge more for third floor fetching, narrow basement stairs or situations that involve tight turns, difficult maneuvers or the need for winches and police to lower furniture out of upstairs windows.

4 – Extra Large, Extra Heavy or Delicate Items – Things such as sofa beds, extra what large solid wood drawers or entertainment centers and pianos may incur additional fees because of the extra manpower needed and care the movers have to take with items that can be easily damaged.

5 – Taking Apart or Putting Together Furniture – If any of the furniture or fixtures in your old home need to be taken apart before they can be removed from the house, additional fees will be charged if the movers have to spend their time and energy tackling this job.

Featured Property for Sale in Bryan, TX

Fees Associated With the Journey

1 – Extra Stops Along the Way – In most circumstances, a moving truck picks up everything from one house and drives until it gets to the new house that your College Station, TX realtor found for you and your family. However, if you want the moving truck to also pick up a piece of furniture from a friend or family's house or take delivery from a store, you will have to pay an additional fee.

2 – Wait Time – When the movers get to the new house, they want to start unpacking right away. If you are not there for whatever reason and they have to wait for you, you may be charged for extra time. After all, moving companies make their money by doing as many moving jobs as possible within a selected time period.

3 – Remote or Inaccessible Location – Choosing a home on a quaint and quiet street or in a gated community may be an excellent choice for you and your family. However, large moving trucks may be unable to pull up in front of the house to unload. When movers need to park farther away from the destination and either cart or drive the furniture and boxes with a smaller vehicle, there will be extra charges involved.

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell on your house. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904

How to Buy the Right Home in the Right Texas Neighborhood

There is no question that a professional realtor in College Station, TX or Bryan, TX will be able to find you and your family a home that suits all your needs and dreams. However, before you make the decision, it is important to not only look at the house and property itself but also the surrounding neighborhood. You want a convenient and comfortable place to live with friendly neighbors and the type of lifestyle you want to follow.

The following tips will help you determine if a particular Texas neighborhood is the right one to choose for your family's long-term happiness.

Always Use an Experienced Realtor With Local Knowledge

A realtor in College Station, TX will know the local area and all the neighborhoods. She will be able to guide you to the right type of community for your family's particular needs. Real estate agents from outside the area have to rely on maps and demographic information and can therefore not provide the best recommendations.

Check for Home Owner's Association Fees, Rules and Restrictions

If you are considering a purchase in a neighborhood that has a Home Owners Association government, it is important to understand all the rules, regulations and restrictions associated with living there. Some of them charge monthly or yearly fees and in turn provide access to public areas such as playgrounds and pools, or even to all exterior maintenance of lawns and buildings. If you have particular interests when it comes to exterior home design or have a particular familial need like a basketball hoop in the driveway, it is essential to know if these things will be allowed before you move in.

Understand the Home's Construction, Renovation and Repair History

Whether you are purchasing an existing home or new construction, you should work with the realtor in finding out when and how the house was built, if any major or minor renovations were done and if repair was needed for any major systems. Not only does this help you understand the condition of the house, but also learn about any warranties that still exist or the possibility of future renovation or repair needs.

Hire an Independent Home Inspector

An independent inspection of the entire property is essential before you sign any contracts or purchase the home. You need to know what exactly you are buying from the quality of the foundation to the dripping faucet and upstairs bathroom. Lack of knowledge leads to unpleasant and costly surprises after the purchase is complete.

Get an Overall Impression of the Neighborhood

Take some time to drive around several neighborhoods in the College Station, TX and Bryan, TX area before choosing one that seems to fit your lifestyle and interests. Your realtor can also help you determine what locations may work best with information about access to public transportation, shopping and cultural attractions, the quality of schools and other community characteristics.

Scope Out the Neighbors and Local Activity

Once you and your realtor narrow down your choices to several properties of interest, the last determining factor, other than cost, could be the neighbors who live on the same street or on the lots surrounding the property. Although it is impossible to know everything about the people you may potentially live next to, it is a good idea to visit the neighborhood at different times of day to see if there is excessive noise, traffic or any other unpleasant situations you would not want to live near.

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904.

Five Traits of a Top-Quality Realtor in College Station, TX

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Anyone who wants to buy or sell a house in the College Station, TX or Bryan, TX area needs to choose the top quality realtor who can make the process quick, easy and with the most beneficial outcome. Both time and money are important to people who want to move to a new home, and both can be saved with a professional experience and local knowledge that helps match buyers to available properties and sellers to people searching for their dream house.

When a realtor has the following five traits, you can feel confident that she will do the best job when it comes to buying or selling property.

Experience is Essential

Although everyone must get a start somewhere, experience does help a realtor develop connections that can help locate properties and negotiation skills to get the best price. It does not come down solely to the number of years that the realtor has been licensed or operating in this industry. If you want to sell a large luxury home, for example, using a realtor in College Station, TX who has successfully sold luxury homes in the past cents. You would not choose one who specializes in commercial real estate or small condos.

Experienced realtors have more time and research invested in the local market and understand the trends in property availability and prices. They are thus better equipped to negotiate the best deals. For sellers, this means a quicker sale with the best price the market can support and for buyers, this means finding the right house for a budget-friendly value.

Local Knowledge and Expertise

Besides knowledge of the area real estate market and available properties, a local realtor can also guide people towards the types of properties that best suit their lifestyle interests. For example, they can easily match a family with children to if you properties in a neighborhood close to quality schools. On the more technical side of things, knowledgeable buyers can receive a comparative market analysis of properties they are interested in as compared to other properties that have sold in the area as well as projections for the future.

An Individual Approach to Each Client

Massive, national real estate agencies may promise quality customer service, but with so many clients in so many different locations spread across the country, the individual attention every buyer serves is simply impossible. A local realtor in the College Station area can work one on one with the buyer to narrow down a list of potential properties until the perfect solution is found.

Acceptable Fees and Billing

A top-quality realtor should disclose her fees prior to any contracts being signed or agreements made and they should be acceptable to the buyer or seller. In most cases, this fee is 6% of final price of the home.

Honest References and Testimonials

The best marketing in the world is word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted family members or friends. Honest and helpful realtors should be able to provide buyers and sellers with accessible references and testimonials from previous clients or customers. Even if the people recommending a particular realtor are not personal friends of yours, they should be sufficiently believable to form an educated opinion about the quality of one realtor over another.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904