Tricia Curtis REALTOR® - YOUR GUIDE TO PURCHASING A HOME

YOUR GUIDE TO PURCHASING A HOME

Tricia Curtis REALTOR®

Table Of Contents

How Real Estate Agents Help Home Buyers

Owning Vs. Renting

Buyers' Needs And Desires

Real Estate Horror Stories To Learn From 31

Searching For The Right Home

Buying A House: Negotiation Dos And Don'ts 47

What To Know About Home Inspections

Shopping For A Home Loan

Programs For Home Buyers

10. The Closing Process

11. Organizing Your Move

Foreword When I first ventured into the real estate industry years ago, I did so with the hopes of helping sellers like you avoid the headaches often associated with the home-selling process. In my years of experience, not only have I helped alleviate the stress of selling for numerous clients, but I’ve also accumulated years of knowledge to help them get more money for their homes in the least amount of time. I decided to share all of my expertise in one place with potential clients. And that’s why you’re receiving this book. I want to help you have the best possible home-selling experience. And by that, I mean I want you to 1. Get the most money possible for your home, 2. Sell in the least amount of time, and 3. Avoid the headaches most commonly associated with the home-selling process. Think of this book as my gift to you. It contains insider advice on the home-selling process to help you achieve your ultimate real estate goals, including: • Secret strategies to sell your home for more money • Marketing techniques employed by top agents • Advice on how to appeal to today’s buyers • And much, much more If, after reading through it, you want to hire me to help you sell your home, I’d be more than happy to meet with you to discuss a specific plan to sell your home. Happy reading!

Case Studies of Homes My Team Sold that Other Agents Couldn’t Sell

Each of the case studies below is a house that another agent failed to sell… that I listed… and successfully sold. Case Study #1: Home was for sale for about a year with two different Realtors. The seller hired me, and I sold it in a few weeks for the previous agent’s price. Case Study #2: Home was for sale for a year with 2 Realtors… and didn’t sell. I put the home on the market a month after the listing expired with the last agent. The seller left the same asking price. It sold in 2 weeks for 97% of the asking price. Case Study #3: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 16 days for 97% of the asking price. Case Study #4: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 72 days for 99.6% of the asking price. Case Study #5: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 22 days for 98.5% of the asking price. Case Study #6: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 4 months for 97% of the asking price.

Case Study #7: Home was for sale for 6 months with another

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Realtor. They hired me, and I sold it in 98 days for 100% of the asking price. Case Study #8: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 81 days for 99.5% of the asking price. Case Study #9: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. They hired me, and I sold it in 20 days for $10,000 above the asking price. Case Study #10: Home was for sale for 12 months with two other Realtors. The sellers hired me, and I sold it in 8 days for 98.3% of the asking price. This was an interesting sale. The sellers had been trying to sell the home for a year and really struggled at it. The reason the home wasn’t selling was not because of the price. (The home was absolutely worth what the sellers were asking for.) BUT, there was a minor complication. The neighborhood where the home was located was considering some major upgrades. They were considering assessing everyone in the neighborhood for $7,000 to $8,000 each to cover the cost. The buyers would look at the house and get cold feet because of the pending assessment. Most of the buyers would say something like, “I’ll buy your house, but I want an $8,000 discount on the price because of the special assessment.” The sellers would reply, “I’m glad to sell you my house, but I am not going to discount $8,000 because we think the special assessment is not going to go through.”

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The sellers told me about the problem when I put the home up for sale. I thought about it for a few minutes and proposed a solution. Here’s what I told them: “Let’s sell the house and agree to hold $8,000 in escrow. If the special assessment goes through within a year, the buyers get that $8,000. If it does not go through within a year, the $8,000 goes to you.” We all agreed that that sounded like a good idea. The home sold very fast for 98.3% of the asking price. $8,000 was put into escrow, and an attorney typed up the escrow agreement. It turned out that the sellers were correct. The opposition in the neighborhood was strong and the special assessment never went through. A year later, the sellers received the $8,000 that had been put into escrow. This story gives you a great example of some of the problems a good agent solves on a day-to-day basis. I don’t think my idea was particularly revolutionary, but it did solve the problem. Honestly, I am sometimes surprised at how little effort other people put into selling a home. Case Study #11: Home was for sale for 5 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 71 days for 99.6% of the asking price. Case Study #12: Home was for sale for 11 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 4 months for 97.5% of the asking price.

Case Study #13: Mike & Melinda Monaghan’s Home was for sale

for over a year with another Realtor. They hired me, and I sold it in 28 days for 100% of the asking price. Case Study #14: Home was for sale for 8 months with another Realtor. The sellers hired me, and I sold it in 46 days for 104% of the asking price. Multiple buyers fell in love with the home, and we had a bidding war. Case Study #15: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. The sellers hired me, and I sold it in 4 months for 97.8% of the asking price. Case Study #16: Home was for sale for 7 months with another Realtor. The sellers hired me, and I sold it in 81 days for 96.8% of the asking price. Case Study #17: Home was for sale for 7 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 6 months for 96.4% of the asking price. Case Study #18: Home was for sale for 7 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 6 months for 96.4% of the asking price. Case Study #19: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. The seller hired me, and I sold it in 4 months for 96% of the asking price. Case Study #20: Home was for sale for 6 months with another Realtor. They hired me, and I sold it in 94 days for 100% of the asking price.

Resources The process of selling a home can be stressful, even if you’re working with a professional real estate agent, like myself. Chances are, you’ll have to hire various professionals throughout the process, either to prepare your home for sale, or to fix any of the numerous issues that can pop up in a home inspection. The last thing you want to do is hire an unreliable contractor who delays — or even ruins — your home sale. In this section, I've provided you with a brief explanation of how even the smallest improvements can help you have the ultimate home-selling experience.

Have You Gone “Nose Blind?”

“What is that smell?”

Is that the first thing you want buyers to say when they walk through the door to your beautiful home? Despite how much you may vacuum — and even scrub — your carpets, there’s a chance you may have gone “nose blind” — to quote Febreze — to all the odors they contain. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend hundreds, or even thousands, tearing up and replacing your carpets. A deep carpet cleaning can restore even the oldest, dingiest carpets. Sure, you can rent a unit from a local hardware store to clean them yourself, but if you really want to eliminate troublesome

odors and remove any deep, set-in stains, you really should turn to a professional.

Clean is Always in Style You may think that to sell your home, you need to do major kitchen renovations, install hardwood floors, and knock down a bunch of walls. And while those changes aren’t necessarily a bad idea if you want to sell for top dollar, they’re not always worth the return on investment.

But do you know what is? Cleaning .

Cleaning and organizing your home before a sale is the easiest way to ensure it sells quickly — and for the most money possible.

So what should you do to get your home in tip-top shape?

• Deep clean every surface — floors, walls, carpets, countertops, cabinets, appliances, toilets, tubs, etc. • Organize and remove clutter. • Consider investing in a storage unit to store knick knacks, toys, tools, old furniture, unused small kitchen appliances, and piles of paperwork. If this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it can be. You’re much better off leaving these tasks to professionals. You may not realize it, but there are professionals whose entire job is to declutter and organize spaces. Whether you need someone to organize your closet space or simply help you get rid xii

of items around the house you no longer use, take a minute to search for the best company for the job.

Why Curb Appeal Matters They say you can’t judge a book by its cover — but it’s also true that books with worn out or torn covers tend to stay on the shelf. When you’re trying to sell your home, you know you have to prep and clean the inside to get it ready to show. But did you consider how your home might look from the outside? When potential buyers pull up to your property — or even when they’re checking out photos online — the exterior is the first thing they see. If your landscaping is in disarray, or your exterior paint is peeling, buyers may not even venture inside. So what should you do to get the outside of your home buyer- ready? The National Association of Realtors® offers the following tips to enhance your curb appeal:

• Clean exterior walls and windows • Apply a fresh coat of exterior paint • Keep grass green and trimmed • Clean and repair your roof

Luckily for you, I have worked with lots of reliable contractors who are experts in creating curb appeal. Working with a professional can help you increase the value of your home and sell for top dollar, fast!

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A fresh coat of paint can transform your home from dull and dingy to bright and welcoming displaying its most pristine state.

Electrical Issues Can Ruin Deals

Electrical issues are some of the most costly — and potentially dangerous — issues uncovered in any home inspection. In fact, the American Society of Home Inspectors counts electrical issues as one of the top deal-killers in the home-buying process. Some of the most frequent electrical issues found include:

• Undergrounded three-prong plugs • Painted outlets • Double tapping of circuit breakers • Reversed polarity • Improperly modified electrical panels • Knob and tube wiring • Aluminum wiring • Federal Pacific breaker panels • No GFCI protection

Unless the extent of your electrical issues is a burned-out lightbulb, all electrical work should be handled by a licensed professional. Besides being too complicated for most homeowners to handle, electrical repairs pose a huge risk of electrocution and fire.

Are Your Floors Buyer-Approved?

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If you’ve watched any HGTV show in the last several years, you know one of the first things home buyers are likely to notice is the type of flooring running through the house. If your flooring is dirty, chipped, worn, outdated — or an unappealing color — chances are, buyers will take notice — and move on to the next house. When buyers see bad floors, they immediately see dollar signs. And no one wants to see extra dollar signs before they even purchase a home.

So what kind of flooring should you get?

Based on data from the National Association of Realtors®, 54% of home buyers were willing to pay more for wood floors. But if you can’t afford wood floors, there are many options for wood- look tiles, vinyls and laminates — some even waterproof — that will more than satisfy picky buyers.

Your Front Door: The Ultimate First Impression

Your front door is the gateway to your home.

A freshly stained or painted door, with shiny new hardware and clean glass, says “Welcome home!” to buyers who come to see your house. A front door with peeling paint, rusted hardware and fingerprinted glass might just leave them out in the cold. First impressions matter, and your front door is the ultimate first impression.

Stand outside your house, and if you’re less than satisfied with how your front door looks, change it up! Consider a fresh coat of paint or stain — one of the newest trends in real estate is to make your front door pop with a bold, contrasting color — replace old hardware, and clean any glass surfaces on the door. With something as important as your front door, you may want to put your DIY skills on hold. A professional painter has access to the most durable, weather- resistant materials and will create a pristine finish.

Get a Handyman on Your Side

When you finally accept an offer on your home, you may think the hard work is over.

But unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Once your buyers order an inspection of your home, chances are, they’re going to come back with a list of demands — or ask for a price reduction based on the list of repairs the inspector says they need. But rather than dropping your price, you can turn to a great handyman to make any last-minute repairs and salvage your deal.

Read This Before You Sign a Contract With a Buyer

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Imagine taking your home off the market for 60 days while a prospective buyer tries to buy it. Then, 60 days later, the buyer finds out they can’t get a loan. You just wasted 60 days of marketing time! Now, imagine that during the 60 days, another buyer wanted to buy your home. But the buyer couldn’t purchase it. Why? Because you signed a contract with the first buyer. By the time you find out the first buyer could not obtain financing, the other buyer has already bought a house! Ouch! You just lost a sale! This is why it’s so important to make sure a buyer is able to obtain financing before you sign a contract. Work with a mortgage lender who can pre-qualify any prospective buyers. They will tell you whether they’ll be able to obtain financing. Their lenders can help buyers get a loan with the most competitive interest rates available. You can rest easy, knowing they’ll be able to obtain financing.

They’ll help buyers get the best loan for their financial needs:

• Conventional—A conventional mortgage can lead to a low fixed rate or adjustable rate for your primary home, secondary home, or investment property. • FHA—An FHA mortgage is a great program for buyers. Its advantages are a low down payment without private mortgage insurance. The lender process can be streamlined, with no appraisal and reduced loan documentation to qualified applicants. • VA—A VA Mortgage offers many benefits, including no

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down payment and lower interest rates. • USDA—These are only available in certain areas deemed “rural” by the United States Department of Agriculture. Surprisingly, many properties on the outskirts of a metro area will qualify for these loan programs. The advantages of a USDA Mortgage are lower interest rates and zero down payment.

Is Your Faucet Leaking?

No one wants to find themselves knee-deep in plumbing issues — both literally and figuratively. And even worse, no seller wants a home inspector to discover those issues when they’re just about to reach the finish line of a great deal. That’s why I always recommend my clients have their plumbing inspected by a professional before they put their homes up for sale.

Pool Worries, Be Gone!

If you own a pool, you know how much work can go into maintaining it. That stress doubles when you’re preparing to sell your home and want your pool to look like the relaxing oasis buyers imagine it to be. Having a pool can be a major selling feature for the right buyer. But buyers looking for a pool don’t want to see your pool and

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immediately think, “This is going to be a lot of work.”

Before you sell your home, you should consider the following:

• Is your pool clean? If it’s an above-ground pool, are the parts rusting and liner showing signs of wear and tear? If it’s an in-ground pool, are the cement, tile and grout spotless? • Are there any broken parts or leaks? Does it have broken tiles or cracked cement? • Is it fenced in? You may run into zoning code issues if you don’t have a proper fence installed. • Is it low on water? If buyers don’t notice these issues themselves, a home inspector will be sure to point them out. You’re better off handling any potential issues before you put your home for sale, rather than scrambling to fix them later on. Pool maintenance can be stressful — and costly — if you don’t know what you’re doing. This is one job you’re better off leaving to a professional. The Roof Over Your Head The old saying goes, “As long as you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food on the table, and good friends and family, you have all you need to live a happy life.” But if your roof is leaky, old, or missing a few shingles, buyers won’t be happy making an offer on your home. Roof issues can be a major sticking point for buyers — and will 100% turn up in a home inspection. Likewise, many home buyer

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programs won’t finance homes with old or broken roofs.

If you want to save yourself the hassle of scrambling to make repairs at the last minute, I recommend having your roof checked out by a licensed professional before you put your home up for sale. The Secret to Selling for Top Dollar According to the National Association of Realtors® 2017 Profile of Home Staging, about one-third of buyer’s agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value their clients offered between 1 and 5% compared to other similar homes on the market that were not staged.

So what exactly is staging?

Home staging is the act of preparing a home for sale by arranging furniture and decor that allows potential buyers to picture themselves living in the home. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, causing it to sell more quickly and at a higher price point. As a real estate agent, I have a pretty good understanding of staging concepts. But I really prefer to recommend a professional to give my clients the best chance of selling their homes for top dollar in the least time possible.

Ensure Your Closing is Smooth and Easy

Here is everything a real estate agent can do to ensure you have a stress-free, smooth, and easy real estate closing: • Solid Communication. They keep you updated on what’s happening at all times and respond to your inquiries in a timely manner. • No surprises. They work hard to get everything lined up properly early on in the transaction, so there are no surprises later. • Convenient closings. They work hard to close at a time that is convenient to your schedule. If you can’t make it to the closing, they’ll handle it with a convenient “mail- away” closing. • Competitive Rates. They work hard to offer their services at a competitive, affordable price. • Knowledgeable. They understand that real estate is a complicated industry. If you have any questions throughout the process, they’ll answer them for you.

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CHAPTER 1 How Real Estate Agents Help Home Buyers

I’ll come right out at the start and tell you I’m a real estate agent — proudly so! Nice to meet you! I’m not trying to sell you anything, but I’m pleased to be of service. In fact, generally, real estate agents for buyers are paid for out of the listing agent’s commission. So, I’m not looking to part you from your money. Instead, I’m giving you the benefits of experience and advice I have gleaned throughout my career selling houses and being in real estate transactions — for both sellers and buyers. If you want me to help you find a house, we can talk. Call me if you need me. Technology has changed the way homes are sought and bought today. In this “Information Era,” most buyers are first introduced to the home they eventually purchase via the internet, through Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo! Homes, Realtor.com, Redfin or one of hundreds of other real estate websites. So that means there’s no real need for a buyer’s real estate agent, right? The reason to use a real estate agent is to find a home and show homes available for sale, right? If a buyer can find and visit a home on the web all on their own, why involve another party?

WHY HOME BUYERS NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT

Ah, not so fast, friend. The reasons to use a real estate agent today are as valid as yesterday. The ease of online transactions and proliferation of services to assist buyers in handling their 1

own real estate transactions came about recently, throughout the last decade. This has caused buyers to wonder if using a real estate agent is no longer necessary or if it's an expense that can be avoided. While doing the work yourself can save you money if you buy a “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) house and the seller agrees to reduce the price by 3% (half of what a listing agent would receive), for many, a do-it-yourself home purchase might be pricier than a real estate agent’s commission in the long run. Besides, a buyer generally doesn’t directly pay any commission to an agent on a house purchase. On most home sales, there is a listing agent (the agent engaged by the seller to sell the property) and a selling agent (the agent who introduces the eventual buyer into the transaction). The selling agent is sometimes called the “buyer’s agent” because he or she is often working on a certain buyer’s behalf, and it’s easier than explaining that the selling agent is not the listing agent but really the buyer’s agent. There are some real estate agents that market themselves as “buyer’s agents,” “exclusive buyer’s agents,” or “buyer’s representatives.” These real estate agents have chosen to make a business of finding homes for prospective buyers and handling the negotiations and transactions attendant to the purchase. These agents want to accentuate the reasons a buyer shouldn’t go directly to the listing agent when they purchase real estate. A buyer who goes directly to the listing agent and allows that agent to “manage” both sides of the transaction is dealing with an agent who has conflicting responsibilities. Their job is to get a good price for the seller, and they might not zealously represent the interests of the buyer. Those who market themselves as buyer’s agents indicate they’re only working for the buyer in a real estate transaction. The buyer’s agent's commission is paid by the seller, with rare exceptions. They either get paid directly by the seller or set up the

transaction so that the seller provides a “credit” to the buyer for how much the real estate commission is — then the buyer pays the commission. A maxim in real estate is, “No matter how it’s set up, the buyer still walks away with the house and the seller still walks away with 94% of the purchase price.”

MORE ACCESS TO THE REAL ESTATE MARKET

A real estate agent will have better access to the market and a special knowledge of local conditions. The agent is a full-time liaison between sellers and buyers. An agent will have ready access to other properties listed by other agents. Buyers’ and sellers’ agents know how to put a real estate deal together. A real estate agent will track down homes that meet your criteria, contact sellers’ agents, and secure appointments for viewing the homes. On their own, buyers have a more difficult time with these things. This is even more so the case when a buyer is moving due to relocation or employment opportunity and does not engage a buyer’s agent to handle matters.

NEGOTIATING IS HARDER ON YOUR OWN

A real estate agent will keep the transaction “at arm’s length,” such that personalities and emotions do not become involved. Price negotiations take a special skill and understanding of the psychology of offering and counter-offering. Agents keep the transaction dispassionate and rational. For example, a buyer (you) might like a home but despise its wood- paneled walls, shag carpet, and lurid orange kitchen. When you work with an agent, you can express your opinions on the current owner’s decorating skills and complain about how much it will cost to upgrade the home without insulting the owner. Your agent will translate that to the seller — that you very much like

the property but can see having to spend a certain amount in decorating costs, and thus can offer that much less.

CONTRACTUALLY SPEAKING…

There are many contracts and documents involved in purchasing a house. The stack is more than an inch thick. Unless you’re a real estate lawyer or title agent, these documents will be foreign to you. Yet, they require detailed and accurate completions. Buying a property is not necessarily a “fill-in-the- blanks” transaction. One mistake, let’s say in title work, could haunt the buyer well down the line after purchase. This very situation happened. A property that sat on a double lot was put on the market. The neighbor bought it to carve off a bit of the second lot to expand his own yard. The seller then put the home back on the market, and it sold. Months later, through a property tax notification, it came out that, in preparing new deeds for the properties, the expanded yard area was correctly in the name of the neighbor; however, the house had been transferred to the home buyer. The new homeowner now owned both houses, and the neighbor owned his expanded driveway and yard. Fortunately, they were good neighbors and settled the matter with a few signatures. A real estate agent deals regularly with these contracts, conditions, and unexpected situations and is familiar with which conditions should be used, when they can safely be removed, and how to use the contract to protect you.

YOU WON'T NECESSARILY SAVE MONEY

The point of not using a real estate agent would be to save money,

right? Otherwise, why would someone turn down professional assistance in finding a home? However, it’s unlikely that both the buyer and the seller will reap the benefits of not paying real estate agent commissions. It works like this: An owner selling on his own (FSBO) will price the house based on the sale prices of other comparable properties in the area. Many of these properties will be sold with the help of an agent; therefore, the seller profits in getting to keep the percentage of the home’s sale price that might otherwise be paid to the real estate agent (usually 6%). Buyers looking to purchase a home sold by owner without an agent may believe they can save money on the home by not having an agent involved, and so they look solely at FSBO houses. They might expect money to be saved and make an offer accordingly. Unless the buyer and seller agree to split the savings, they can’t both save the commission — and that’s if the listing price was not already lowered by near the commission amount to make it more market-attractive. Here’s a short list of the advantages that using a real estate agent can bring to your buying experience:

• Education and experience • Neighborhood knowledge • Price guidance • Market conditions information • Negotiation skills and confidentiality • The ability to handle paperwork • The ability to handle closing questions • Relationships for Future Business

It’s extremely important to know the “ins and outs” of real estate agents before you bring one along with you to help in your search 5

for a home, just so that you might know what to expect, and what will be expected of you.

WHO A REAL ESTATE AGENT IS

Simply put, a real estate agent is someone licensed to list and sell real estate, including homes, multi-family properties, commercial, and industrial buildings. A Realtor®, however, is somewhat different. A Realtor® is a member of the National Association of Realtors®. While an agent is always a real estate agent, a real estate agent isn’t always a Realtor®. As mentioned, real estate agents who work on behalf of the best interests of the buyer are commonly called buyer’s agents. All listing agents represent the seller, but other agents who don’t have buyer-agency agreements with prospective buyers — even though they may show homes to those buyers — are working on behalf of the seller and must obtain the best price they can for the seller. In contrast, buyer’s agents work on commission, which is contracted in the listing agreement. When a buyer’s agent brings the buyer, the listing agent must split the contracted commission with the buyer’s agent.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST AGENT FOR YOUR NEEDS

You might feel the urge to pick the first real estate agent who appeals to or approaches you, but that’s something to avoid. As with any professional, there are degrees of professionalism, dedication, and experience. The “wow factor” will simply wear off. Meet with prospective buyer's agents in their offices. A good buyer’s agent will want to know whether you’re preapproved for

a loan by a financer, what kind, and the terms of the loan you’re getting. They should spend adequate time to discover what you’re looking for in a house. They should listen as much as talk and ask questions. Watch to see if the agent makes notes. If the agent doesn’t broach the topic, ask for an explanation of his understanding of agency relationships and obligations to you. The law requires agents to explain whether they’ll be working for the buyer or the seller whenever they have substantive contact with a customer or prospective client. If the agent doesn’t offer you a buyer’s agency agreement, that agent is representing the seller, not you. If the agent can’t explain agency concepts to you, then move to the next agent. Be sure that the agent will be showing you all listings or properties on the market that meet your requirements, and not only listings that are handled in-house. Buyer’s agents have the legal duty to put the buyer’s needs ahead of their own. Even when an agent will be paid more for selling an in-house listing, they must inform you about other available, suitable listings and take you to see viable prospects. A good buyer’s agent will provide a home-buying education. The listing agent will point out all the features of a home; a good buyer’s agent will point to the faults — or advise when they can be overlooked. Competent buyer’s agents help their buyers to think clearly as the home-buying process unfolds. For example, if a house is a good buy, a buyer’s agent might suggest looking past the dated bathroom and kitchen and look at the space above the garage that will make the perfect art studio you desire. Likewise, a cute house with all the amenities but with knob-and-tube wiring or a 40-year-old roof might not be worth the asking price. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Home Guide, if you decide to buy with the intention of building an addition, the agent should

advise you to check the zoning before making an offer.

Agree to sign a buyer’s agency agreement after you have met with an agent. Some people sign an agency agreement after attending a showing given by the agent. Working with a seller’s agent is a mistake, according to an article by Amy Fontinelle of Forbes’ Investopedia. Any information you reveal will become leverage that the seller can use in a purchase negotiation. A buyer’s agent is legally required to maintain your confidentiality, disclose material facts to you, and maintain loyalty to you. These are fiduciary duties.

LOOK FOR PROPER CREDENTIALS

You wouldn’t trust a doctor who didn't have the proper credentials and licensing. Don’t trust a real estate agent who doesn’t present theirs or doesn’t have them at all. It’s easy to find real estate agents who can take the job, but finding agents with special credentials — those who have gone that extra step to take additional classes in certain specialties of real estate sales — is worth looking into. Here are just a few credentials within real estate that you should be on the lookout for: • Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR): Completed additional education during representation of buyers in their transactions. • Certified Residential Specialist (CRS): Completed additional training during the handling of residential real estate, such as houses and apartments. • Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES): Completed training for the purpose of helping sellers and buyers 50+ years old.

Similarly, if you choose to use a real estate agent who’s also a member of the National Association of Realtors®, it will be a bonus. However, ensure they have credentials that are relevant to your need(s).

RESEARCH LICENSING

Your state will have a license board for all active Realtors® and agents, which you can easily access. You will also be able to see their contact information, disciplinary actions, complaints, or any other information that you’ll need to help influence your decision — especially since most of the information is now posted online.

GIVE THE “WHAT ELSE” TEST

A good agent will know about all the other properties for sale in the area. Also, a good agent always does their research regarding the events in the current market, and those homes that are out there for the taking. In short, you want an agent who’s an expert of the current market, and someone who always stays on top of things.

RESEARCH THEIR BUSINESS ACTIVITY

Learning the type of market presence that a real estate agent has is the best way to figure them out. Ideally, you’re going to want an agent who specializes in one or two real estate markets, and who understands which types of homes and amenities are available within your price range. You can unearth this information by asking them or by asking the state licensing authority if you’re not comfortable with asking the agent directly. You’re better off with an agent who’s engaged actively in one area and price range — e.g., residential homes around the $200,000 to $250,000 range or the $400,000 and up range.

GOING THE BUYER'S AGENT ROUTE

So, you’re ready to take the plunge and look for a place to call “home.” To get the most out of it, use a buyer’s agent to avoid a flurry of paperwork, stampedes of buyers competing for the same property, and other challenges. Home buying can be exciting and exhilarating, but it can also be complex and stressful — which is why having a pro by your side can make an enormous difference. As discussed, you’ve probably heard of buyer’s agents, seller’s agents, listing agents, and so on. You’re a buyer, so what’s a buyer’s agent? True to the name, buyer’s agents assist home buyers every step of the way; they can also save you both time and money on the road to homeownership. When you find the right one for you, these real estate agents will work day and night to ensure all your needs and requirements are met when it comes to finding the right home.

WHAT BUYER'S AGENTS DO FOR YOU

Your buyer’s agent will have a vast knowledge of the current real estate market for the area, which will include neighborhood amenities and conditions, the law, zoning issues, price trends, negotiations, taxes, financing, and insurance. Once you meet with the buyer’s agent, they’ll generally help you determine your needs and wants when it comes to finding a home and a neighborhood. The agent will teach you what you can afford, help you set a budget, provide some insight on the current conditions of the market, and explain what you should expect while shopping for a home. During the shopping period, you’ll meet with your agent for tours of homes in which you might be interested.

They will give your insight into the floor plans, the home’s pertinent selling points, and the overall crime rate of that neighborhood. They will also give you the rundown for local activities, restaurants, shopping centers, and schools nearby. Your agent is responsible for ensuring inspections of the homes are complete, as well as the disclosures therein. They’re also in charge of ensuring coordination and completion is done through the roof inspector, attorneys, lenders, and all other professionals involved with the purchase of the home. If bargains need to be made over the price, you won’t have to negotiate yourself. Your buyer’s agent will do that for you, along with signing the final closing documents. They will be present whenever there are documents to go through and sign.

DUAL AGENCY: THE BASICS

A “dual agency” relationship occurs when a buyer is being represented by a brokerage firm that controls the listing. Once an agent represents both the seller and the buyer within the same transaction, the situation is known as “dual agency.” In multiple states, this is illegal because of the conflicts of interest that can arise regarding the broker. All agents hold the same responsibility, which is to inform their clients of all potential risks that could arise due to conflicts of interest. Legally, agents are not allowed to work on both sides of any transaction without consent from the clients. If you’re selling your home and you don’t want your agent to also work with the buyer of your home, it’s your right to say so in the listing agreement. This is also true for buyers. A buyer can get out of an agreement with an agent if they are interested in purchasing a home their agent is listing.

When it comes to dual agency, there are definite advantages for the seller. • Trust has already been gained with your listing agent, so representation for the buyer has been established. • Your agent brought you the buyer knowing that you’re selling, even if your property has not yet hit the market. • Your listing agent will have already covered and researched your neighborhood’s market to gain buyer inquiries, which means your agent will be working from all sides of the deal to sell your house faster, and with more incentive. • Your agent works together with corporate relocation buyers who need to find a house quickly, and they will ensure it’s your house that’s bought. There are also cons for the seller when it comes to dual agency, and they are: • You can’t be advised by your agent as thoroughly when they must act as a dual agent because impartial facilitation is required. • Your listing agent is not allowed to negotiate the best or highest price for you if also negotiating both the best and lowest terms for the buyer. • Earning a full commission, if the opportunity arises, may tempt the agent to coerce a deal that you might not accept otherwise. • Your agent may inhibit all access to your listing through buyers with agents.

To avoid surprises or missteps in a dual agency sale, always ensure you have clarified important details with your agent ahead of time. You can do this by using an exclusive buyer agency agreement, or a listing agreement.

HOW REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE PAID

The National Association of Realtors® 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers states approximately 8% of homeowners opted to put their homes up for sale in 2017 without using a real estate agent or Realtor®. A handful of For Sale By Owner (FSBO) transactions dealt with sellers and buyers who previously knew each other or were directly related; 87% of buyers chose to work with a real estate agent or Realtor®, on the buyer’s side. Real estate agents and Realtors® — unlike professionals in different categories who bill by hourly rates or earn a salary — get paid through a transaction (commission) at the end of each sale. For example, if an agent has worked with a seller or a buyer for months, they don’t get paid for the time spent if there is no transaction during that period. Agents receive a commission once the transaction goes through to settlement (closes) based on the selling price of the home. At that point, the commission is earned. The commission itself is negotiated — in most cases, between the seller and the agent. Typically, an agent will earn a commission of 6% from the sale price, but some brokerages have commission discounts for the sellers with whom they work.

Essentially, the listing agent and the buyer’s agent will split the commission. That can bring forth some issues. For example, sometimes the split might not be negotiated evenly. A seller could have agreed to pay a commission of 5.5% that, if further divided, the buyer’s agent would receive 2.5% while the listing agent receives 3% of the commission. Even though some agents are associate brokers, or brokers in general, all commission payments are instructed to go through to the broker who’s managing the brokerage where the agent is working. From there, the commission is then split to the agent and the broker, according to the agreement that’s been made. The split will vary; sometimes, newer agents will earn a small portion of the commission compared to the experienced or successful agents who generally sell more expensive properties or homes.

PAYING THE COMMISSION ITSELF

The overall commission is paid for at the settlement period by the seller. The fee is taken from the proceeds of the sale of the home or the property. However, the buyers pay the commission because they’re literally paying to purchase the house, while the sellers take the commission for the agent into account during the process of determining the price for the listing. From there, the commission is then divided during the settlement process between the buyer’s agent brokerage and the listing agent’s brokerage. Afterward, the agents who made the real estate sale are further paid by their brokers.

CHAPTER 2 Owning vs. Renting

Owning your own home might be one of the defining qualities of the “American Dream:” the set of ideals that includes opportunity for prosperity and success and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work. Home ownership is surely ingrained as one of the strongest representations of that vision — 66% of Americans own their own home, and more hope they will or wish they did. Something about home ownership plucks a strong chord with Americans. Financial security, permanency, status, and pride are values many of us seek. Lifestyle plays a big role in the decision to own versus rent. Home buying is most often driven by household formation, such as marriage and growing a family. Less than 40% of people under 35 years old own homes, 60% of people over 35 years old own homes, and more than 80% of people 65 years old or over own homes. Interestingly, for the millennial generation, the primary reason for buying a home? Owning a dog. The U.S. homeownership rate has fluctuated between 62% and 70% since the 1950s. Most young people begin their independent lives renting an apartment, maximizing lifestyle flexibility and minimizing the hefty upfront costs associated with purchasing a home. As they build careers, save money, and start families, many choose to buy a home, recognizing that home ownership, as opposed to rental living, is more appropriate to their growing family needs. At the other end of the age spectrum are homeowners nearing 15

retirement who may desire to sell their homes, downsize, avoid the maintenance and other obligations, and go back to renting.

WHICH IS BEST?

Is it better to rent or buy a home? Most adults ask themselves this at some point as they form their goals and plan for the years ahead. Before you answer the question, here are some things to ask yourself. Owning and renting each have their advantages, but what’s best for you depends on your circumstances. What will be the duration of your stay in the home? Each market is different, but whether the time you plan to spend in the house warrants its purchase is possible to predict. In general terms, it takes four to seven years to break even on a home (i.e., where there has been enough appreciation to pay back the cost of the transaction and cost of ownership). If you’re thinking about buying a home and selling it in two years, buying is very unlikely to be cheaper than renting. Do you think of or need your house as an investment in your retirement plan? Americans are used to their homes being a store for wealth to liquidate in retirement when downsizing their lifestyle. In 2015, Gallup reported that for the second straight year, more Americans named real estate than stocks, gold, savings accounts/CDs, or bonds as the best long-term investment. Real estate leads, with 31% of Americans choosing it, followed by stocks/mutual funds at 25%. A cautionary note though — although home prices have recovered their pre-2006 market slump and continue to rise, the value of your home can fall, as well as rise. Are you financially ready? Owning a home is a financial commitment that requires planning how home ownership fits into where your life is headed. Ask yourself what your budget is and if either buying or renting would require you to stretch

your finances. Crunch all the numbers. A frequent mistake of first-time home buyers is comparing a month’s rent to a month’s mortgage payment. Many people don’t have all the numbers. There are many additional fees necessary to include to make a fair comparison: principal interest, property taxes, property insurance, homeowners’ association (HOA) fees, and ongoing maintenance. Are you prepared for the down payment? This is the lump sum payment that funds your equity in the property (how much of the property you actually own). Down payments vary; 20% is preferred and gets the best rates. There are some loans that allow down payments as low as 3%. Sometimes relatives help with the down payment. If you have a choice, take a gift rather than a loan because lenders will add the loan debt to other monthly obligations and potential mortgage payments to determine your debt-to-income ratio, which generally can’t top 43% to qualify for a home loan. Can you afford the monthly mortgage and its components? Generally, a mortgage includes loan principal and interest (both amortized over the life of the loan) plus homeowner’s insurance and property taxes (prorated). These items can affect the monthly loan-only payment by several hundred dollars. Are you emotionally ready? Can you handle the stress? A big factor to consider when buying a home is stress. The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, a landmark stress study, ranks many events that go along with buying a home in the top 43 most stressful circumstances in life. Four events are specifically home-related: change in financial state (No. 16), large mortgage or loan (No. 20), change in living conditions (No. 28), and change in residence (No. 32). If someone has recently made other life changes, such as marriage (No. 7), switching careers (No. 18), or having a child (No. 14), it might be wise to postpone buying a home. Stress overload can lead to missed payments, which can result in

destroyed credit or even losing the home. It’s better to rent if your life is in flux and then buy when your stress levels are lower. Are you ready for commitment? Are you ready to make lots of decisions, from picking a real estate agent to picking paint colors? Are you confident enough to choose a neighborhood where you believe home values will continue to appreciate and that will serve your needs (i.e., proximity to schools, shopping, recreation, etc.)? Are you ready for devoting the time and attention to maintaining a home (i.e., leaf-raking, grass-cutting, appliance maintenance and repair, etc.)? Taking care of your biggest investment can be gratifying, but only if you’re ready.

ADVANTAGES OF BUYING YOUR HOME

Control over housing expense. By selecting a fixed-rate 15-, 20-, 25-, or 30-year mortgage, the homeowner has assurance that housing costs won’t increase over the period, and, in fact, will be eliminated at the end of the term (subject to refinancing). You build equity. Some of each monthly mortgage payment goes toward the loan’s interest. Other portions may go to homeowner’s insurance and county taxes. The remainder pays down the loan principal. Every dollar put toward your loan’s principal represents a dollar of equity — actual ownership of the property. Further, the property should appreciate in value each year, further adding to equity (what the house could be sold for versus what is owed on it). Discounting certain blip periods, such as the 2006 housing bubble burst, home prices in the U.S. appreciate nationally at an average annual rate between 3% and 5%. Remember, though, home value appreciation in different metro areas can appreciate at markedly different rates than the national average. Improvements increase your home’s value. A homeowner can also increase a home’s value through home improvements, thus

both making your home more comfortable and enjoyable while growing its loan-to-value (LTV) ratio. For instance, adding a bathroom or finishing a basement substantially increases the property’s functionality and appeal, while potentially boosting its value. Tax advantages of home ownership. There are significant tax benefits associated with buying a house, both at the time of purchase and for the duration of time you own the home: • Homestead exemption. Many states exempt owner- occupied homes (homesteads) from a portion of the property tax amount that would normally accrue. For instance, Louisiana exempts the first $75,000 of a home’s value from property tax assessments, so a $200,000 home in New Orleans is taxed as if it were worth $125,000. • Federal tax deductions. When you’re looking to purchase a home, it’s important to understand what can be deducted on your tax return and what can’t. Property taxes and interest paid on your mortgage can be deducted if you itemize your federal income taxes, which can reduce your income tax burden. Many home buyers, unfortunately, overlook the effect of mortgage interest on their federal income tax payments. Mortgage interest can be a powerful financial planning tool. Calculate the amount of mortgage interest deductions you are eligible for, and include that in your annual financial planning. Then, make a point of checking Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1098, which you’ll receive from your lender at the end of the year. This form shows the amount of mortgage interest that you’ve paid. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) applies from 2018 to 2025 and limits the

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