| Having
built and sold hundreds of homes over the years, I have
a unique perspective on the homebuying process. I view
things a bit differently than your average homebuyer or
REALTOR® for that matter. I routinely see potential
assets and potential problems in homes that others often
overlook or are unable to see.
As a rule, I prefer to
work with my Buyers as a Buyer's Representative - in a
client relationship. In this capacity, I can best
utilize my years of experience as a builder and
offer relevant advice to my Buyers/Clients and
really get involved in working on their behalf to
ensure that their best interests are served all the way
to closing.
In this capacity, I can
discuss with you, up front, the best ways to approach
your home search. I can advise you on market
conditions, discuss mortgage options, tax implications
and get you prepared for the process ahead.
Contrary to popular
opinion, finding a home is often the "easy" part of my
job. The true challenge comes after the home is found.
 Writing
up a Purchase and Sale Agreement today requires in-depth
understanding of the standardized purchase contract: the
verbage, the implications of each section, and the legal
ramifications. This past year, the official Georgia
Association of REALTORS® Purchase and Sale Contract was
revised from 5 pages to 7 pages with new options for
Buyers and is more complicated than ever.
Submitting an offer and
the negotiations which inevitably may follow require the
assistance and advice of a good real estate
professional. This is the most critical and stressful
time for the Buyer and Seller as you try to achieve the
best deal for you. Allow me to utilize my years of
experience and training to negotiate effectively for
you.
Once the contract is
accepted and becomes binding is when my services to you
really kick into full gear! The Binding Agreement comes
with a multitude of time limits and requirements for
both you, the Buyer, and the Seller. It is my
responsibility as your agent to ensure that you execute
in a timely manner all the details of the contract such
as obtaining financing and ordering a home inspection.
It is also my responsibility to you to work closely with
the Seller's agent to make sure they are holding up
their end of the contract within the time limits
established in the contract, such as clearing up Home
Inspection issues and ordering a Termite Clearance
Letter.
Normally, as your agent,
I will send your Closing Attorney the necessary
instructions and paperwork for your transaction. My
goal at this point is the allow you to focus on the
business of moving, not the contract and purchase
process. I also strive to always be present at the
Closing table, to answer any questions and to provide
moral support as you sign the paperwork and finalize the
purchase of your home!
Purchasing a home is a
major event for most people. With the right
representation, it can be a relatively simple process
with minimal stress. Don't you owe it to yourself and
your family to work with someone who will be your true
advocate, working diligently on your behalf?
Check out the links below for some great articles:
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Representation &
BRRETA
What Every Buyer Should Know
…and What It Means to You
Working with a REALTOR® is always in your best interest
when searching for a home. Sure, with today's
technology, you can do limitless searches on the
Internet on your own for homes in the area where you
want to live. But finding a home is only the
tip of the iceberg when it comes to buying a home and
the Internet, magazines and newspapers only offer
limited, superficial information. It really requires the
expertise of a licensed professional to get to the heart
of the matter and protect your interests during the
remainder of the process.
Working with a REALTOR® from the beginning of your
search can provide you with focus, direction and sound
advice to ensure your home search is conducted in an
effective and efficient manner.
Thanks to BRRETA, Brokerage
Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act,
passed by the Georgia Legislature in 1993 and effective
January 1, 1994, our state clearly defines the role of
Agent/Broker in a brokerage relationship with a client
or customer.
In the past, all real estate agents essentially
represented the Seller and was responsible for working
on behalf of the Seller's best interests, regardless of
who actually had the signed listing agreement with any
particular Seller. This left Buyers completely in the
cold, fending for themselves, often feeling like they
had been taken for a ride.
Today, thanks to BRRETA, a real estate agent ONLY
represents a client with a signed representation
contract, either in the form of a Listing Agreement with
the Seller or a Buyer's Representation contract with the
Buyer. This means that a Buyer can seek representation
from a real estate agent and be guaranteed that that
agent is obligated only to that Buyer and no one
else...be careful of Dual Agency (talk to me for more
information on this!)
What's the difference between a client and a customer?
According to BRRETA, a client is one
who engages a Broker/Agent to assist them in their
homebuying process. As a client, they have the right
to a higher level of services from their real estate
professional.
A real estate agent is obligated to offer a
customer only honesty, fairness, accounting and
reasonable skill and care. In this capacity, an agent
can perform ministerial acts only, such as showing
property, completing contracts and referring the
customer to other resources to help them complete their
transaction. The agent cannot offer any advice to a
customer, cannot guarantee confidentiality, does not
have to provide full-disclosure.
As a client, however, an agent can advise the Buyer
throughout the homebuying process, assist with
negotiations, offer full-disclosure of any material
information, keep all information confidential, obey all
legal instructions, and always act in the client's best
interest above all else.
For more information on Client-vs-Customer services,
contact me!
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