Real Estate Investing 101: What First-Time Investors Need to Know

Real estate is often considered a fairly safe place to keep your money. After all, homes have a tendency to go up in value over time. That’s true if you’re buying a home for yourself, but when it comes to investing, it isn’t always quite so easy.

Lovely Homes for Sale: How to Save Money before Making the Purchase

When you decide it’s time to purchase a new home, creating your budget is usually one of the first things you have to do. If you happen to find a couple of homes for sale that are well under or within your budget, you’ll have to consider whether or not the property entails additional costs or expenses after the purchase (i.e. repair fees, landscaping). These are just some of the many things you must consider when looking for a new home. Here are a few more:

Home Inspections Can Greatly Help in Making Real Estate Purchases

Purchasing a real estate property can be an exciting proposition for anyone. Doing it right helps ensure an affordable purchase price and provides a clearer picture of the property as a whole. When making such an important decision, contact an experienced exclusive buyer’s agent. These specialists work closely with you in order to help you get the best possible price.

What Are the Advantages of Buying Homes for Sale around Kansas City?

When you're moving to the Kansas City area, you'll soon find there are a lot of great homes for sale in some of the suburbs that are worth a closer look. Some of these suburbs are very desirable because of their access to local amenities while offering a more quiet setting than living in the city does.

Blue Springs is just one example of a suburb that many like to consider as an option.

Homes for Sale: Top Three Things Buyers Overlook at an Open House

Are you in the market for a new home and you want to make the most of your choices? Even if you're a real estate veteran, there are a few things that can help you look past the packaging and give you a more realistic picture of your prospects. Here are three things that can help you find homes for sale that are worth your investment.

Three Basic Ways to Invest in Real Estate Properties in Kansas City

Buying a property and renting it out isn't the only way to invest in real estate. There are several different types of property investments. Three of the most common investments are:

Analyzing the Quality of a Neighborhood Before Buying Homes for Sale

As your exclusive buyer's agent will tell you, real estate is all about location. Having the best house in the worst neighborhood will not improve your quality of life. If you are new to the area, figuring out which neighborhoods are safe can be a challenge. Keep these three resources in mind when considering which neighborhood to focus your search efforts on.

Real Estate Tips for Homebuyers: Things to Check Before Negotiating

If there’s one thing every homebuyer should know, it’s that not everything in the real estate market is set in stone—especially a property’s displayed asking price. More often than not, there’s a bit of wiggle room for both homebuyers and sellers to reach a fair value and reasonable terms. To reach an equitable agreement, negotiations may need to be done and it would be smart for you to be prepared. The following are some factors that must be considered:

Benefits of Looking for Homes for Sale with an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent

Exclusive buyer's agents are professionals who work for real estate companies that do not list properties for sale or represent sellers. Working with these agents will help you avoid conflict of interests that can occur when two property investors are interested in the same property listed for sale. The property may be listed by an established buyer's agent or the company the agent works for.

According to the National Association of Realtors, 9 out of 10 home buyers use real estate agents. Although many people use the terms listing agent and buyer’s agent simultaneously to mean the same thing, there are distinct differences between the two. A listing agent represents the seller, while a buyer’s agent takes care of the buyer’s interest in the negotiation and closing process.

An exclusive buyer’s agent will assist the buyer in filling out necessary paperwork, bargain with the property seller, negotiate contingencies, and facilitate the homes for sale inspection process.

Exclusive vs. Dual


Although an agent can be both a buyer’s agent and a listing agent at the same time, many agents today specialize in various aspects of real estate brokerage. This trend towards specialization led to the rise of the exclusive buyer’s agent.

You can select an agent who represents both sellers and buyers. Nevertheless, beware of dual agents who offer you a house they are also listing to sellers. The agent may have conflicts of interest. Consider working with an exclusive buyer’s agent who will put your interests first.

Important Considerations


It is important to know that not all real estate agents and real estate companies are exclusive buyer’s agents. In addition, home buyers have a right to choose a real estate agent of their choice. Exclusive buyer’s agents can help save you time and energy in the home purchase process.



Sources:
Working with a Buyer's Agent, ct.gov

Real Estate Brokers and Salespeople Consumer Fact Sheet, mass.gov

Little Known Home Buying Tips to Consider When Checking Homes for Sale

Buying a home is exciting; however, if you don’t take the time to learn what to do and what to avoid, you may find yourself with a serious case of buyer’s remorse. While there are some common home buying tips that virtually everyone knows and has heard time and time again, there are a few others which are less common. Getting to know these little known tips when searching homes for sale will help you get the house you have always wanted.

Get to Know the Neighborhood

Prior to making a purchase, you should get to know the area. This means you visit morning, noon and night. There are some homebuyers who make a purchase, only to realize the neighborhood wasn’t a good fit after they moved in. Be sure to drive by the house being considered at different hours of the day to see what is going on. Also, drive to work or school from the house to make sure it is a manageable distance day after day.

Give Your Potential House a Check Up

Chances are, you wouldn’t purchase a car without looking under the hood. You shouldn’t buy a home without having it checked out either. While this comes with a cost, it will be well worth it if there is a major issue with the home. The sole responsibility of the home inspector is to provide a home buyer with information so they can make a decision whether or not they should buy it.

Don’t Let Emotions Get in the Way

If you buy a house based on your emotions, it will end up breaking your heart. When you fall in love with the house, you may make some bad financial decisions. Take time to look at a home from a practical point of view to ensure it is really what you want.


When the time comes to begin looking for homes for sale, be sure to keep these lesser known tips in mind. When you are fully informed, you will be able to make an educated decision.

Sources:

10 Things Your Real Estate Agent Won’t Tell You, dailyworth.com

Top 10 Secrets To Successfully Buying A House, enlightenme.com

Top Three Reasons Why You Should Hire an Exclusive Real Estate Agent

 

When you begin your search for the perfect home, you will need some assistance. Real estate is a complex market, and without the necessary knowledge and tools, you could make a bad purchase. To ensure you get the best investment, you will need to work with an exclusive buyer’s agent.

What to Do to Ensure Home Buying Success in the Blue Springs, MO Area

The atmosphere in Blue Springs, Missouri, is wrapped around nature. Residents and newcomers alike are enthralled with descriptive tidbits of their town. The homes for sale usually have trees and bushes that are also intriguing to potential buyers. Selecting an exclusive buyer’s agent who is knowledgeable with points of interest can be very rewarding.

Why do Buyers Need an Exclusive Buyer's Agent to Find a Great Deal

 

In today’s housing market, many homebuyers are choosing to handle their own real estate transactions without the assistance of an exclusive buyer’s agent. However, real estate is an intricate business with legal nuances that overwhelm the average buyer.

Oftentimes, choosing not to use an exclusive buyer’s agent can cost the homebuyer thousands of dollars at the closing table. It's important to seek their help when buying a home, as they have extensive experience and a deep knowledge in all matters related to purchasing real estate properties.

Blue Springs, MO Revitalization Presents Opportunities For Buyers And Investors

The allure of suburban living has taken the Kansas City area by storm. More families and investors are finding an interest in the outlying areas of Kansas City. The need for real estate professionals who know how to match buyers with perfect homes for sale is in high demand. Places like Blue Springs have an abundance of investment properties that are perfect for buyers, and the best way to discover these properties is through a local real estate firm with a pulse on the area. 

The Importance of Finding A Real Estate Agent for the Discerning Buyer

When you're looking for a home to buy, you might not know of ways to talk to a seller to get a lower price. There are certain areas of the home you need to look at to make sure no work needs to be done in the future. Paperwork needs to be completed, and you need to know how to complete the closing with the seller and any financial institutions that might be involved.

Exclusive Buyer Agent Help

An exclusive buyer's agent can help with all of these factors, but you need to know how to choose an agent who will work for you and your family. One of the easiest ways to find the best agent is to talk with other clients. Find out what the real estate agent has sold in either the past six months or the past year.

This can give you an idea as to the prices the agent has been able to get for buyers and if the agent is willing to work with the buyer and the seller in order to get someone in a home. If the list of homes that are sold with the agent is short, then it could mean that little work has been done to try to find a buyer the right home for the family.

Reviews

Clients will often give a truthful account to the buying experience, especially if it's a negative one as they usually don't want others to deal with the same mistakes they went through. Find out about the asking price from the seller and the actual price the buyer paid to see how well the agent could be at negotiating.

Sources:

5 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Real Estate Agent. US News Money.

7 Tips for Picking a Real Estate Agent. BankRate.

Finding Homes for Sale in Overland Park Using a Buyer's Agent

Finding the right homes for sale in Overland Park is not a difficult process once you find the right real estate agent. Using the knowledge of a real estate professional and the resources offered through the Internet, your search for the right home is at your fingertips.

Multiple Real Estate Services


There was a time when the only way to find listings was to hire a real estate agent to drive around looking at For Sale signs. Today, an explosion of real estate services allows you to search for multiple listings based on your own specific criteria. However, this wave of information does not eliminate the need for qualified real estate agents. Exclusive buyer's agents handle all your negotiations with sellers and act as a guide to help you through the complicated process.

The Complexity of the Real Estate Process


There is far more to real estate transactions than searching a wide range of listings on the Internet. An exclusive buyer’s agent acts as your advocate, and it is their fiduciary responsibility to do what is in your best interest. The mountains of paperwork involved in a real estate transaction are too much for the average person to understand. Therefore, you must seek out the knowledge and experience of a professional exclusive buyer’s agent who can guide you through each document.

Finding homes for sale in Overland Park using an exclusive buyer’s agent helps streamline the process. Exclusive Buyer's Agents help you find homes based on your budget, specific neighborhoods and most importantly your motivation for buying a new home.




Sources:


Understanding the Role of the Real Estate Agent. Zillow.
The Best Online Tools for Your Housing Search. US News Money.