There are many benefits to opening a house for sale on a Sunday afternoon. It saves having to make an appointment to see it, and it makes it convenient for everybody in the family to come together to tour properties. The seller benefits by having more people see the house in one afternoon instead of individual appointments. Most of the time however, visitors dismiss the help offered by the Realtor hosting the Open House and are reluctant to provide any information or ask any questions.

When visiting my Open House, do not be shy! ask questions and listen carefully, the information you need to make an informed decision is right there in front of you! I am the „Mobile Real Estate Information Center“ and I am here for a reason: I want to give you all the information you need to help you purchase a home, maybe even this one.

I know this house very well, I know when it was built, how long it is been on the market, what type of inspections are available, what type of work is needed, why the seller is moving. I also know the neighborhood well, ask me about proximity to schools, shopping centers, public transportation, demographics, theaters, I also know exactly how far is the library or the post office for example.

Before the Open House I print and bring with me a CMA (Comparative market Analysis) of the property so not only can I show how this house compares to others in the same area, but also what other houses have sold recently in the proximity. If this particular house is too big or too small, I have a list of other homes available for sale, I can share some addresses with you right there and then.

I might even have valuable and timely „inside information“ of homes about to come on the market, bank owned or foreclosed properties that I know are going to be listed soon. This information is potentially profitable for you Mr./Ms. home buyer… Just talk to me!

Even though I am not a loan officer, I know what the prevailing interest rates are and can quickly calculate your monthly mortgage payments with taxes and insurance, I can give you an idea of what your closing costs would be, I can even pre-qualify you on the spot! If I know what type of financing you need, I can tell you what type of documents you will need to get ready.

I am NOT just a Door Greeter, I can talk to you about investment properties, I can tell you some of the biggest tax consequences and/or benefits of owning a residence or an investment property. I can highlight to you the benefits of a tax deferred 1031 exchange and much more.

For me being at an Open House is like bringing my real estate office out on a road trip… Who benefits the most from my experience? Those who dare to talk to me about their real estate goals and dreams, you can pick my brain, I am committed to stay on that house for 4 hours so take your time!

Studies have shown that people are far more relaxed and willing to communicate with others on a weekend, they are more autonomous, they have time to slow down. Do not rush through the Open House, slow down and take full advantage of my 25+ years of experience and knowledge, it is all there for the taking! If you are not in my area, call me and tell me where you want to go, I will then put you in contact with the most active professional Realtor in that area… for FREE!

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Antonio Cardenas

So you want to sell your own house? Perhaps you want to save money on a commission that would be paid to a broker. Perhaps you are one of those individuals that believe that selling a home is a simple process because it appears so easy on TV. I understand it’s probably not as difficult as performing a root canal on yourself, but if attempted without preparation it might feel like you attempted the aforementioned.

The first thing to consider when selling your own house is to determine what the current market is like in your local area. This does not mean you should buy a copy of the Wall Street Journal and try to extrapolate what your local market is like based on national or worse yet, international trends. Some markets never experienced a large up or down over the last decade despite what was going on elsewhere. So how can you find out information that is pertinent to the local area? One way is to contact a local real estate agent and ask, but that can bring on some unwanted pressure to list with them instead; which I actually suggest for the vast majority of homeowners. Another way is to check local papers that may disclose certain statistics such as average days on market, a comparison of sales prices to listing prices (they are rarely the same, except perhaps in a hot market), and local interest rates. Now what do you do with all this information? For now hold onto it, as we will be using it to help price your home.

Once we have gathered some basic data the next step is to start finding some comparable properties. A comparative market analysis is the most accurate way to price a „normal“ home. It may not be the best way to assess the value of a new home, historic home, income property, or commercial property. What you will want to do is gather the SOLD price of at least SIX comparable homes, that have sold in the last 6 months. If you use home sales older than that, you risk the comparison not being very accurate. Comparable homes should be as similar to your home as possible, but do not have to be identical. These homes should be in the same school district, zip code, and if possible same housing complex if applicable. Explaining exactly how to do this process can be very verbose, so what I will say is that for an amateur analysis make sure your home is priced less than homes offering greater amenities and size and greater than homes offering less size or that are not as updated. Knowing exactly how much these differences effect the price of your home from the comps takes market knowledge that most homeowners don’t have. Remember that money spent on renovations does not correlate 100% to an increase in value.

Ok, so we now have an idea about the list price. The next thing we need to do is go back to what is happening in the local market. If homes are selling fast, I would suggest sticking near your estimated price for a quick sale of your home. If homes are selling at an average rate 3- 6 months (again average is different depending on location) I’d consider sticking at your estimate list price or as much as ten percent less if you are hoping for a quick sale. If homes are not selling on average in less than 120 days, as a for sale by owner you will need to price yourself well below the competition 10% or more. My reasoning for this is that highly marketed homes are not selling, where your home will have a fraction of the advertising versus those listed with a broker. You will need an edge to beat out the competition.

Well, we accomplished step one; pricing our home. This is actually one of the easier tasks we will have to do. Step two will be determining our budget for marketing the home. This is actually the main reason I suggest hiring a broker, since advertising if done haphazardly can cost MORE than hiring an agent. Now you can advertise on sites that cater to for sale by owners, but honestly the traffic they generate is simply pathetic compared to many of the better known sites. If you are serious about this, I suggest you list on a big name site. As far as advertising in the local paper goes, it certainly does not hurt, but realize that more buyers find their home online than through the local paper. The local paper though does appeal to the older generations and can help with a cross generational marketing campaign. Another consideration is that according to the national association of REALTORS 89% of surveyed home buyers in 2011 used an agent to buy. That means, whether you want to or not, you will likely have to deal with and or pay an agent. As a for sale by owner you can offer to pay an agent for bringing a buyer to you. This may help you save some money compared to having an agent list it as well. A good number to start with is offering a 2-3% commission to any buyer’s agents. This will ensure that the 89% of buyers searching for a home with the aid of an agent will not totally avoid your home. Another marketing tool you can use is a yard sign. These can be obtained relatively cheap from a local printer or online. If you are gutsy enough to let total strangers roam through your home, you can also host an open house. It is estimated that nearly 5% of home purchases are done on impulse, so it cannot hurt your sales effort. I would like you to consider that bringing strangers in your home can be unsafe so proceed with caution.

Alright, we are moving right along to getting our home sold. We have a price, we know how we are going to market it, and we are ready to list right? No, I’m sorry we still have some work to do. The next thing we have to do is complete a seller’s disclosure form to give to potential buyers. This form can be obtained from a local housing authority or online. In addition, we need to provide potential buyers with a lead-based paint disclosure act if your house was built in 1978 or earlier, thanks to a 1992 law. In addition, this is the time to neutralize your home, fix peeling paint (trust me, fix peeling paint), and complete any other small maintenance tasks that need done.

Ok, now we can go ahead and list the home. The easy part is done, we are moving onto the hard and hardest parts of selling a home. Now if you listed it yourself I suggest purchasing a land line phone number to use for advertisement purposes. There are many places where you can find one cheaply. When your first perspective buyer calls, greet them politely and share whatever information they need. As tempting as it may be, before having them over to view the house, make sure they have be pre-approved, or at least pre-qualified for a loan; ask them to bring their pre-approval letter. People have no problem wasting your time. If they refuse to bring any such paperwork, skip the viewing because it is likely they are not that interested in your house anyways. In fact, they cannot even make a real offer at this point. Show buyers around that have met the pre-qualifications, but refrain from harping about anything personalized within the home, as they will likely be envisioning how they can change your house to suit their needs. If they are interested in making an offer, please do not entertain a verbal negotiation of price. First, their offer is not legally enforceable by the statute of frauds and back and forth negotiations may elicit an emotional response on your part. Instead, insist on a written offer and binding contract. It is likely they will be working with an agent, so this is usually a mute point. When the offer is presented, remain emotionless whether it is more than you had hoped for, or less since most buyers will expect the savings you received from not paying a commission to be passed onto them (Now if you used my suggestion of offering a buyer’s agent commission you might find that you receive a more reasonable offer). You have two options; accept or reject the offer. If you reject the offer, you can always counter-offer. Some things to expect during this time is the buyers wanting you to purchase a home owners insurance warranty (which you should do to save yourself a headache 6 months from now when your water pipes burst or your furnace dies at only 4 years of age). The second is that they will likely place several contingencies on the offer, which are completely normal. These contingences may include a home inspection, land survey, title insurance, dye test, as well as several others.

Ok so you have found a buyer and your home is under contract. The coming 30-90 days will be the roughest yet, but hang on because you are almost there. During this time a home inspector after examining your home will come up with a list of several hundred problems that your house has. If you already disclosed these items in your seller’s disclosure there should be little concern, as they will not be items that your potential buyer could use to back out of the transaction. Now for the things you were unaware of, buyers may try to haggle the price even lower. I suggest for small ticket items, hold your ground. Bigger ticket items will likely require some concessions on your part. Your other option is to not give any concessions and try the whole process over again, disclosing the newfound issues. If things do progress past this point, prepare for yet more expenses at closing. You will need to pay transfer taxes on the property, as well as, prorated property taxes if you have not yet done so for the fiscal year. Again, there will be some other expenses and rather going into detail here, I suggest you take a look at a HUD-1 form to get a strong understanding of what expenses are dealt with at closing. If closing is not being taken care of by their agent, I suggest you hire either a transaction licensee or lawyer to handle the paperwork. DO NOT attempt to complete this stage on your own unless you are an agent or an attorney.

Well if you made it past closing, you have done what only 15% of for sale by owners are able to! Congratulations, and when you go to look for your next home use an agent.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Adam M Slivka

If you are in the unfortunate position of not being able to sell your house and keep asking yourself „how do I sell my house for cash“, especially if you want to get rid as soon as possible, this article will point you in the right direction. You will find out the best and most efficient way to sell your house.

This article will also go into the reasons why people want to sell their home and why some people need a quick sale. It will also go into the whole process of a quick sale and what to expect when exploring an alternative to the long drawn out process of the traditional estate agents.

The reasons why most people ask „how can I sell my house for cash“ and want a quick sale may differ greatly:

*Couples going through a divorce would find it beneficial to cut all ties as soon as possible, so selling the house and splitting the proceeds would be of benefit in a very stressful situation.

*People who are in debt and heading towards repossession will be able to cash in before they totally lose out.

*People who need to relocate in a hurry can use the cash to help set up their new home.

*People wishing to downsize to a smaller property

*People wishing to upsize to a larger property

*People who simply cannot wait for the long drawn out process through the traditional open market via estate agents.

For whatever reason you wish to sell, you will benefit from the cash outlay after the speedy completion.

The process for a speedy home sale is relatively easy and straightforward. You simply provide details about your home to an efficient cash buyer. They will then assess your needs, requirements and suitability for a cash purchase. They will then give you an estimated offer.

Assuming you are both in agreement, a viewing of your property will be arranged. If the homeowner would like to proceed then a written offer will be made. All associated costs such as solicitor’s fees and all other legal costs of selling a house will be borne by the cash buyer. There are also no hidden charges so you will not be caught out forking out for unexpected costs.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Claudia Cilandros

Sometimes it can be a challenge to discover what the best would be in any given situation. When you are looking at the best running shoes for women, several things comes to mind which includes its reliability, the level of comfort you can get and of course the price you have to pay for them. There are many different types to choose from which all offers a different type of functionality to enhance the users‘ experience.

There are plenty of different models that get top choice awards or the different functionalities it offer. Here are the top ten tips which can help you choose the best running shoes for women.

1. Stability

The stability of the running shoes is vitally important since you would be moving around in these shoes so this should be a very important factor to consider. The stability of the shoe would never be jeopardized. The best running shoes for women must come with a reliable and considerable stability so you would not be likely to wobble and fall just because the shoes gave way when you are running.

2. Cushioning

Everyone wants to wear a pair of shoes that is comfortable. The best running shoes for women must be exceptionally comfortable; which would hardly cause any form of pain on the feet. Shoes that are too tight can cause injury and severe discomfort and so are shoes which are too loose. You would want a snug fit which hugs your feet comfortably when you are running. Those with high arch should be careful about choosing the right shoe with extra padding for comfort.

3. Motion Control

Shoes which are excellent for running should have great motion control. A good shoe must give maximum support for the arch of the feet and at the front of the feet as well. The shoes should enable you to move about and pause at any time necessary without slipping.

4. Price

The pricing of the running shoes plays a very important role in choosing the right running shoes. Running shoes for women come at varying degrees of price level so you can always select the one that is best for you.

5. Durability

The durability of the shoe is another important factor in deciding on the running shoe. Take into account the durability of the shoe. A good pair of running shoes should be able to withstand the assaults and the tough environment it would be subjected to i.e. running across open terrains and planes with the shoes on. Naturally, these types of shoes often wear out faster than shoes used for other occasions.

6. Reliability

The reliability of the shoe is very important as well. The shoe should have the proper traction and be able to grip on many different surfaces without slipping or giving way.

7. Manufacturer

It is also important to choose a manufacturer that has a reliable track record of producing excellent quality shoes for running. Different manufacturers offer different types of running shoes that has its own positive qualities and negative points, and you would want to select those that would enhance your own strengths and augments your weaknesses.

8. Warranty

Check the warranty period when you purchased. A good pair of running shoe would have its own warranty period which protects it against all kinds of manufacturing defect If the shoes are found to suffer from manufacturing defaults during this period, you can return it and get a new pair of shoes or a full refund of your purchase price.

9. Reviews

Read reviews so you know which shoes are best for your specific condition and which are the ones that needs to be avoided. The experience of others can direct you in choosing the right shoe for your needs. There are many online stores and sites hat offer customer reviews and opinions you can read, s and share your own feedback as well. Make it a point to fully use these sites as much as you can.

10. Comparison Shopping

Before deciding on the best running shoes and settling on the best one as your own running shoes, do some comparison shopping to check for the pieces and deals offered. This can be done easily if you plan on getting one online. There are also some good fakes being sold out there as the genuine stuff. Be wary of such incidence so you can avoid getting scammed especially in the online world.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Catarina Migliorini

Despite the rise of LCD digital projectors, overhead projectors are still widely used in different settings such as classrooms and business meetings. They are very sturdy, easy to use, and fairly affordable. In short, an overhead projector can be rightfully considered as a practical tool for presenting visuals to a large group of people.

Read on and learn about the advantages and disadvantages of using this type of projector.

Pros

1. They are easy to operate. The most obvious benefit here is that these projectors are equipped with simple technology. It doesn’t have complicated parts nor does it have too many cables that’s why setting it up is never a hassle. You won’t have to worry about figuring out different settings and requirements such as software troubleshooting and others. This also means you will be able to avoid computer-related concerns which could possibly ruin your presentations.

2. They are less expensive to acquire and maintain. Compared with modern LCD projectors, overhead projectors require lesser amount of money to acquire and maintain. Purchasing from the right resources could lead you to about 50 percent savings and so this makes a nice choice if you are tight on budget. Look around and try browsing the available options. You will likely find projectors that have almost the same price as an LCD lamp.

3. Transparencies are available everywhere. Regardless if you are using an inkjet or laser printer, there are transparency films that are perfect for your device. These transparencies can be bought from nearby stores that carry office supplies and they are often available for a cheap price.

Cons

1. The heat. Although projector cases are designed to endure the heat of internal lamps, you as a user may still find it too hot to touch. Moreover, certain parts could even cause burns if you are not too careful. Also, be extra cautious not to place flammable materials beside it during or after use. This is important so you can avoid untoward incidents.

2. The toxins. There’s always the tendency for the projector’s plastic and metal parts to melt because of its heat level. When this happens, the machine will likely release toxic chemicals which may induce dizziness, skin irritation, and others. In case you suspect that you are are experiencing any of these symptoms after using the machine, then it’s always best to contact a professional technician to perform checks and repairs.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Shaan Berg

In the country of Germany you will find many interesting cities and towns like Heidelberg to visit. This charming city can be found in the Baden-Wurttemberg region. The city is located in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis rural district. Heidelberg is situated close to the River Neckar where the river leaves its home steep valley in the Odenwald to join with the Rhine River. You will find this wonderful city is part of the region which is called the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region.

For the interested visitor you will find a visit to Heidelberg to be most pleasurable. This city has a number of interesting places for you to visit as well as many modern amenities to enjoy. You will find there are a number of hotels, inns and other accommodations which will fit the budgets of many visitors. The shopping and fine dining that you will be able to enjoy alongside with that of sightseeing is sure to enhance your pleasure of this city. As there are many interesting places for you to visit while you are in Heidelberg you may wish to take some time planning the sights that you wish to visit well in advance so that you can enjoy all of the pleasures that Heidelberg has to offer you.

Of the many places that you can visit while you are in Heidelberg you may wish to see the Philosophers‘ Walk. This walkway which in German is called Philosophenweg is located in Heidelberg itself. You will find this walkway near the ruins of the Celtic fortress located there. The name for this place comes from the fact that the university professors and philosophers of the city used to walk and talk here. As you visit this spot you will be able to see some excellent views of Heidelberg castle and the Old town.

Another great place that you may wish to visit while you are in Heidelberg is that of the Heiligenberg Mountain. From the summit of the mountain you will be able to see a spectacular view over the old town of Heidelberg itself. Nature lovers will enjoy coming here to see the beauty of the surrounding countryside as well. Not too far from here you will be able to see the remnants of an ancient wall which was built by the Celts to keep Germanic tribes out of the area.

Besides taking a look at these ruins you will also be able to look at the Heidenloch which is a deep well. The origins of this well are unknown however it is an interesting place to see as it indicates the city of Heidelberg has a history that is older than may be known. Also while you are in the vicinity of the Heiligenberg you should take the time to visit the ruins of a 10th century Heidelberg cloister.

These are you see are just a few of the interesting places that you can visit while you are in the city of Heidelberg. The next time you are planning a visit to Germany you may wish to spend some time exploring this charming city and see what you can uncover for yourself.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Hannah Rollmaker

Long distance transport for the older horse

The details for preparing an older horse for a long trip are pretty much the same to move any horse long-distance, remembering that the recovery time for an older horse is longer than for a younger horse. Here are the steps to keep a horse safe and to make it a good experience. First let’s talk about the things that you should not do before setting off on a long trip. It is never a good idea to trim your horse’s feet or to vaccinate them a couple days before transport. How many times have we seen horses become footsore because of that trim. And of course, older horses have a higher chance of running a temperature after being vaccinated. If your horse requires a rabies certificate or requires new shoes, please do it several days prior to shipping.

The day of shipping, particularly when it is warm outside, to not grain your horse. Even with slight dehydration, a horse can impact colic from undigested grain in their system. Another note here, horses that are not great shippers have a higher incidence of ulcers. Transport can be highly stressful. Many horse vets recommend medications like Gastrogard to reduce the ulcer risk.

We’ll spend some time here talking about you transporting your horse. Later in the article I’ll have some thoughts about what to expect for your older horse by shipping with a commercial carrier. After you have successfully loaded your horse, one of the most important things you can do is to make their journey comfortable. You should not keep them tied. This prevents them from dropping their heads and keeping their sinuses clear, leading to congestion and possible pneumonia. Next, bring a sufficient supply of hay that they have been eating. Just as we are careful to slowly switch our horses from old hay to new hay at the barn, it is also important to be careful here, and not switch hay, if at all possible.

I recently transported a yearling filly The folks where I picked her up went out to the grain store and bought hay to go with her. It was not the hay that she was used to and she had loose poops as a result. It’s also important to have water available for your horse too. Most horses will not drink in the first 12 hours of transit. Particularly when it’s hot it is important to have water in front of them. We hang a Foraflex bucket and fill it half full while we are moving.

I recommend that you carry water that the horse is used to. It is not always possible but like hay it’s important to keep them eating and drinking the same things they used to at home. It’s also important carry water with you when it is hot weather, if for any reason you are delayed in transit. The last two things to consider when moving your horse cross country are blanketing in winter and rest. I encourage my clients to put a sweat sheet beneath the blanket. That way if the horse is a little upset and sweats up, the sweat has a chance to be wicked away from the body and not stay in the blanket and give them a chill. There are many thoughts about resting the horse in transit.

One is to stop for an hour every four hours to let the horse rest. Recently a study done at Texas A&M found that short periods of rest were not effective. Because I transport horses alone I need to stop each day for an eight hour rest period.

This gives the horses a chance to rest and recover and rehydrate. They come off the trailer fresh at the end of the journey. If time is not an issue and you want your horse off the trailer overnight, I recommend websites like HorseTrip.com that lists horse hotels across the country.

I wanted to take a moment to discuss commercial carriers and how they operate. Most commercial carriers have two drivers, and so equipment really never stops moving. Horses never get a chance to rest and recover. Also many carriers, never give horses their head, but keep them tied. Horses finish their trip often exhausted, dehydrated, and even sick. There are many trucking companies out there that the drivers are just that, drivers not horseman. They’re hauling freight, not horses. The other thing that happens with long-distance commercial carriers is that they don’t take the most direct route. Most recent example I can give you was a transport that I bid on and the person who bought the horse decided to have another hauler to the work, because he was cheaper. What the hauler did not tell him when he picked the horse up in Georgia to go to New York was that he was going via Texas.

Two things occurred here. First, the horse was coming from warmer climate to a winter climate and should have been blanketed for the second half of the trip. And second, the trucker did not tell the client that he was not taking the most direct route. The horse was on the trailer three days longer than necessary, exhausted and sick. So much for saving a couple hundred bucks for the transport. So when you need to use a commercial hauler there a couple of things that you should ask and get answered. First, is it the most direct route possible and second, you need at least three references. I What you horse reaches its destination. It is important to give them at least one day of no work to recover from the trip, and two days with no work is even better. I also suggest that y u give them a full day to rehydrate and not feed to any grain.

That’s it from here. Safe travel.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Tony Lepore

The Wentworth Estate village (in Virginia Water, Surrey) is one of the most exclusive residential areas in the world. It is the home of millionaires as well as one of the world renowed golf courses that shares its name: the Wentworth Golf Club.

With such exclusive residents of the Wentworth Estate or the remaining areas of Virginia Water, there is no shortage of private schools around the area. Here are some of the good private schools nearby:

Papplewick is as a prep school for 200 boys aged 6 to 13. By setting the bar high, Papplewick boys gain entry to the top UK senior schools including Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Wellington, Charterhouse, and Stowe.

St Mary’s Schools is a leading Roman Catholic boarding school for girls aged between 11 and 18 years set in 55 acres of beautiful grounds in the heart of Berkshire. They are a friendly, stable and caring community, proud of our academic and extra-curricular achievements and dedicated to bringing out the full potential of each of our 380 pupils.

Gordons School is listed as one of Britain’s outstanding schools by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Gordon’s is a unique non-selective state boarding school that recognises that a good education is not just about outstanding examination results but a thorough preparation for life. Gordons is one of Britain’s most academically successful state schools.

Heathfield is a leading, all-boarding school for girls aged 11 to 18 years old. The school is set in 36 acres of magnificent grounds, and conveniently situated in Ascot. The school is fully equipped with all the teaching, sporting and leisure facilities required to make education a challenging and positive experience.

The Marist The establishment of a boarding and day school in the Berkshire village of Sunninghill by the Marist Sisters was a direct result of the German air offensive against London in the early 1940s. Today the Marist Schools are independent Catholic day schools for girls aged 2½ to 11 and 11 to 18 years. Both schools are situated within 55 acres of woodland on one site.

Hall Grove The school occupies a unique site, with lots of open space, parkland and woodland. The school started with just 6 pupils. The property was in near derelict condition and had been empty for over two years. Today, it is a vibrant, happy community of over 400 boys and girls with an outstanding reputation for academic, musical and sporting success.

Coworth Flexlands is a preparatory day school and nursery set in 13 acres of countryside on the Surrey and Berkshire borders near Chobham. They provide places for 160 girls with boys being accepted into the nursery between the ages of 3 and 5 years.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Fatin Gunes

„Buying a new home, especially if it’s your first home, is not an easy thing to do. There’s new terminology to learn, an entire process to follow and a large number of decisions to make. That’s why almost everyone who buys a home works with professionals in the field to make sure that they get a good deal on a good home without too much of a headache. The most important person in the team of professionals that you’ll want as a home buyer is your realtor. But how do you go about finding a good realtor?

Here are some of the top ways that successful home buyers find good realtors:

1) Word-of-mouth. Often, the best way to get a good realtor is to start asking everyone you know if they know of a good realtor. You’ve probably gotten other professional help this way (everyone’s always asking if you know of a good dentist, right?) Of course, you shouldn’t just jump into bed with the first realtor who gets referred to you – your Aunt Sally’s blind elderly neighbor that talks to his cat might come with her referral but he might not be able to meet your home buying needs. But good word-of-mouth referrals are a great starting point for finding a good realtor.

2) Look at the ads in real estate magazines. A picture is worth a thousand words right? If someone is invested enough to get a good professional picture and take the time to advertise in key locations, he probably cares a lot about his real estate business. And that means he’s got a good chance of being a dedicated realtor. It doesn’t hurt to search the ads to see who is out there and to make an appointment to meet with some people.

3) Make use of your search engine. You can do a whole lot of research into local realtors by typing your information request into your search engine. Review some realtor websites and look for positive reviews of realtors in your area to help you find a good realtor.

4) Put together a list of interview questions and don’t be afraid to interview a number of different realtors until you find the one that you want to work with. Yes, you might be seen as a pesky client but if a realtor wants your business, she’s going to work hard to get it which means she’ll fully answer the questions that you have. Things you’ll want to know include the length of time she’s been in business, how well she knows the area that you’re interested in buying a home in and what she’s going to do to help you understand the home buying process.

If you find a good realtor, the rest of the home buying process should go relatively smoothly. Yes, you’ll still have decisions to make but you’ll have a professional real estate agent there to help you with those decisions. And you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that the hard part is over. Well, at least until it’s time to start moving in!“

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Kinan I Beck

If you are in the market to buy your first new home, you may happy to learn that you may be able to qualify for first time home buyer grants, which can provide you with down payment assistance on the purchase of your new home. These grant programs are often provided to new home buyers, regardless of credit or income.

With first time home buyer grants, those buyers can get money for down payment, closing and to help reduce mortgage payments. Because the funds that are awarded are not loans, the applicant never has to worry about paying the money back. It’s just a matter of finding and applying for them.

Traditionally, first time home buyer grants are provided by local or state government agencies. They are used to help expand or develop the community. By providing these grants, the government is able to effectively raise home values, attract new home owners and small business. That means more tax revenue for the government, making time home buyer grants end up being a win-win situation.

Different types of grants are available with various terms. As you search the grant directory, you’ll want to review the terms of each grant to find the one that is most suitable for you and most closely matches your qualifications. There is, however, no limit on the number of grants you can apply for or receive. As long as you are at least 18 years old and a tax paying citizen, you are free to apply for as many government and private foundation grants as you like.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by David Sklonic