4 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Real Estate Agent

After you get your home appraised and have a good idea of how much you can expect to receive for the sell of your home, it is time for you to start deciding how you are going to go about selling the home. Of course, you might decide that you want to represent yourself in the sell of your home. But, if you prefer to hire a real estate agent to help you through the process, there are several key questions you should be sure to ask. This way, you can be certain to get the right agent for the job and to achieve the best possible results. To that end, here is a look at a few of the key questions you should be sure to ask when interviewing potential real estate agents.

How Long Have You Been in the Real Estate Business?

Ideally, you want to work with a real estate agent who either has many years of experience in the field or who has a mentor with a great deal of experience in the business. One benefit to working with a newer agent is that they tend to provide their clients with a great deal of attention. Just make certain the agent has a competent mentor that he or she can contact if problems should arise.

What Strategies Will You Use to Sell My Home?

Your real estate agent should have a solid plan in place for successfully marketing your home to potential buyers. This may include implementing a direct mail campaign, creating flyers and using the Internet to advertise your home. Ask the agent to explain the methods that he or she plans to use and why using these strategies should be an effective method for selling your home.

What Makes You Better Than Other Real Estate Agents?

In addition to helping you learn more about what you can expect from the agent, asking this question also helps you can gain a better understanding of the qualities and characteristics the real estate agent thinks are important. Obviously, you will need to pick an agent who exhibits the characteristics you find to be most important as well. For example, is it more important for the agent to be an excellent negotiator or are you looking for someone who is friendly and easy to reach by phone or email? Choose the agent who best suits your personal needs.

What is Your List Price to Sales Price Ratio?

The agent’s list price to sales price ratio represents the difference between the price you are asking for the home compared to the price at which the agent sells the home. As a seller, you are looking for a real estate agent with a high list price to sales price ratio, as this indicates the agent does a good job selling properties at the price the owner is asking.

About the Author: Shannon Kietzman is a well known author and trusted resource. Shannon regularly writes for http://www.electronicappraiser.com/, which is a leading provider of on-line home appraisals and offers a nationwide personalized instant informational report about home appraisal. For more information, please visit .
http://www.electronicappraiser.com.

What to Expect from a Home Inspection

If you are trying to sell your home or if you are interested in purchasing a home, you may mistakenly believe that getting an appraisal is the same as getting a home inspection. While there are some similarities between the two processes, they are actually quite different and serve very unique purposes. Whereas an appraisal is meant to help determine the value of the property that is being bought or sold, a home inspection is meant to help the potential buyer understand what may be wrong with the home before making a purchase. In fact, after completing a home inspection, the buyer may want to renegotiate the price of the home based on the repairs that are going to need to be made.

What is Inspected During a Home Inspection?

There are several key areas of the home that are reviewed during a home inspection. These include:

· Appliances - includes range, oven, dishwasher, garbage disposals, microwaves and smoke detectors
· Attic - includes ventilation, framing, roof construction, gutters and flashing
· Electrical - includes grounding, wiring, ceiling fans, exhaust fans and light fixtures
· Exterior - includes grading, landscaping, elevation, wall covering, fences, driveways, trim, driveways, sidewalks, windows, fascia and lights
· Garage - includes ceiling, walls, slabs, firewall, openers, garage doors, exterior windows, lights, roof and windows
· House Systems - includes furnaces, water heaters, duct work, air conditioning, sprinklers and fireplaces
· Plumbing - includes showers, toilets, faucets, sinks and traps
· Structure - includes the floors, ceilings, walls, foundation and roof

The report you receive after the inspection will tell you about any problems that may be a danger to your health or safety as well as any moisture or drainage issues. You will also receive notification if the roof has a short life expectancy, if the foundation is deficient or if your furnace or air conditioner are malfunctioning.

What is Not Inspected During a Home Inspection?

While there are certainly many things included in a home inspection, there are many areas that are not addressed by the typical home inspection. For example, the home inspector will not check for asbestos, radiation, radon, lead, formaldehyde or methane. He or she also will not check for wood-destroying organisms such as termites, for rodents or for mildew, mold or fungi. This is primarily because the home inspector is not certified to check for these particular problems. Therefore, it is a good idea for you to hire a professional to check for these potential health and safety issues as well.

About the Author: Shannon Kietzman is a well known author and trusted resource. Shannon regularly writes for http://www.electronicappraiser.com/, which is a leading provider of on-line home appraisals and offers a nationwide personalized instant informational report about home appraisal. For more information, please visit .
http://www.electronicappraiser.com.

Deciding How Long to List Your Home

Are you considering hiring an agent to help you with getting your home sold? If so, there are many things you will need to take into consideration when negotiating the services you would like the agent to provide. One of these is how long you want your home to be listed. Remember, it is up to you to determine the listing length of your home. Therefore, it is important for you to have an idea of the pros and cons of various listing lengths so you can determine which length is best for you.

The 30 Day Listing

If your home is in a hot market where most other properties are selling in less than 30 days, a 30-day listing may be your best option. This way, if your agent fails to sell the home within those 30 days, you can hire the services of another agent who can get the job done more quickly. Before giving your agent the boot, however, you should take a closer look at your property and what you are asking for it. It is possible that you are asking for more than the property is actually worth, which could be the reason why it has failed to sell in such a short time period.

The 90 Day Listing

The 90 day listing is one of the most common in the housing market. Nonetheless, you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not the property is priced right within the first 30 days. With a 90 day listing, however, you can get an idea of whether or not your property is priced right and then you can work with your agent to determine what changes might need to be made in order to make your home more desirable to potential buyers.

The 180 Day Listing

The 180 day listing makes more sense when dealing with a buyer’s market, such as what most markets are currently facing. If you go with a 90 day listing within a buyer’s market, the listing might expire while it is still in escrow. If this happens, you may need to extend the listing anyway. Therefore, it is often easier to simply start off with a 180 day listing when in a buyer’s market. When agreeing to a 180 day listing, however, it is a good idea to ask the agent to provide you with a written guarantee that you can cancel the listing after 90 days if you are not happy with the service. If the agent refuses to provide a guarantee, you are better off hiring someone who will.

The One Year Listing

If you live in a more remote area or in a market where homes move slowly, a one year listing contract may be your best option. The same is true if you are selling an unusually large or unique property, vacation homes and private islands as these homes tend to take longer to sell because there are less potential buyers for these homes.

About the Author: Shannon Kietzman is a well known author and trusted resource. Shannon regularly writes for http://www.electronicappraiser.com/, which is a leading provider of on-line home appraisals and offers a nationwide personalized instant informational report about home appraisal. For more information, please visit .
http://www.electronicappraiser.com.

What Impacts the Value of Your Home?

Did you know that there are more things involved in determining the value of your home that its most basic features? The reality is that there are several features and characteristics that homeowners are looking for when purchasing a new place to live. Here is a look at just a few of those things.

The Street

The street and the location of the property on that street will be important to your buyers. If your home is located on a busy street, for example, you will probably have to knock thousands of dollars off of your price. This is because houses on busy streets tend to be noisier and, if the buyer has children or plans to have children, a busy street is a safety hazard. The same is true of houses with corner lots. While these homes generally have larger lots than other homes on the street, they do have more problems with traffic noise and trespassing than homes that are not on corner lots. If your home is in a cul de sac, on the other hand, buyers with children will be far more attracted to your home.

School Districts

Although school districts are technically subject to change, they often are pretty static. Therefore, if your home is located in an area with a top-notch school system, you will find it easier to sell your home to buyers with families.

Special Amenities

Those little "extras" in your home may help make it more attractive to potential buyers, though some buyers won't be willing to pay extra for certain added perks. Therefore, you generally don't want to add extra amenities in order to increase your chances for a sale. If you already have extras such as a spa, a pool or a fireplace, however, it may help you get a little extra or your home.

Availability of Utilities

The availability of utilities such as satellite service, DSL service and access to public utilities such as water and sewage will also impact your sale. Most buyers are looking for a home that allows them to enjoy these modern conveniences, which means you may have a harder time making a sale if these amenities are not available in your home.

Condition of Electrical, Plumbing and Heating and Cooling Units

The condition of items such as your electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling units will also impact the value of your property to potential buyers. After all, no one wants to purchase a new home and have to replace these items within the first couple of years. Therefore, if your electrical, plumbing or heating and cooling units are outdated or in need of repair, you should either replace them or expect to knock down the price your are asking for your home.

About the Author: Shannon Kietzman is a well known author and trusted resource. Shannon regularly writes for http://www.electronicappraiser.com/, which is a leading provider of on-line home appraisals and offers a nationwide personalized instant informational report about home appraisal. For more information, please visit .
http://www.electronicappraiser.com.