As the article I read recently proclaims, America’s favorite springtime sport does not involve a stadium, peanuts or Cracker Jacks. It is browsing the real-estate market.
Online tools are great if you’re a novice to the market and just want to look around an area, city, or use a zip code to look at the property. However, in a specialty market, like the Outer Banks, there is nothing that beats a good agent.
Buying a house can be a very challenging process these days. Here’s a brief list of the most common situations that create the most issues in a transaction:
Flood insurance issues
The increasingly more difficult lending process,
Navigating the 11 plus addenda page legal contract
Finding trusted vendors who can get inspections/work done
And the home inspection issues that are the number one reason a deal falls apart
In today’s social climate, there’s a lot of extra tension we are all experiencing. Going this process without a proven professional will ONLY result in frustration, a deal not closed, and potentially find yourself in a back and forth battle of who’s right and who’s wrong.
The fact is, YOU already have a full-time job. So do I…dealing with all of these issues. It used to be that we would advertise, find a buyer, negotiate the terms and then turn it over to the attorney to close in 30 days. Boy those were the days! Not today. I’m finding that I’m more needed in the transaction at day 20 to 45 than even before the negotiation.
Sadly most of the lending problems don’t show up until the last minute. The flood insurance issues don’t pop up until the appraisal is done and elevation certificate is issued or turned over. It’s not the same to buy a house today, as it was when I started my career over 20 years ago. We had a simple 2-page contract then!
Online apps are not in a position to assist with any of these issues. Only a full time, professional real estate agent with lots of experience is going to be able to successfully navigate the way from contract to closing.
The last point I’ll make is summed up in 4 words. Errors and Omissions Insurance. Unless you want to take out your own policy when selling your home, you can’t beat the safety of hiring a professional who offers this coverage. We know people are more sensitive than ever. Do you really want to risk potentially saving a few thousand dollars to take on all the liability? One small mistake in disclosure is all it takes.
Yes, I’ll admit I’m biased. In my humble opinion, you cannot beat the real-life experience of a “live” real estate agent. When you find an agent passionate about their work, they really can make a HUGE difference in your home buying/selling process.
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