About Jasper's Arbor Hills

Why use a Realtor and not a Real estate agent? Here is why.

Both can be qualifed and good. But the National Association of Realtors is a strong property lobby. You as a home owner have a lobbist in Washington fighting for your property rights. Being a Realtor means that I pay dues from my earnings. Those dues in part go to fighting for your property rights.

Yes we have additional traing and a code which places us on a higher standard of ethics. but a Real estate agent can be equally ethical and take the time to get training. In one case you know a Realtor must do these things. In the other you hope that the agent does these things.

I think one big reason you as a property owner should weigh when choosing a real estate professional is the fact that Realtor money goes directly into efforts and supports legislation that directly supports you. A recent example is NAR's stand and voice in opposing the end of the home mortgage tax exemption. If you are a home owner this has a direct effect on your wallet.

So if you are thinking about buying or selling ask your real estate professional, "Are you a Realtor?" If they are then you know that the person you are dealing with has paid out of their pocket to support your rights as a proerty owner and has earned your business.

In our mountains today we are seeing more and more first time buyers come out. We do have somewhat of a shift from vacation buyers and second home buyers to folks looking to take advantage of this market. Many renters are singing the same song. The home I am renting is going in to foreclosure. We still have 100 percent financing available for veterans and as part of rural development. Now is a great time to consult with your local expert here at All Mountain Realty and own your first home.

There are many posts here about now is the time to buy. But I think if you are contemplating selling, Now is the time to Sell your home.

There are 2 factors you have under your control that are super important. One is price, and the other is the condition of your home. This post is mainly about the number of factors not under your control that lead me to believe now may be a good time to sell.

1 Interest rates. We are still at historic lows for interest rates. So buyers are motivated to buy while the price of money is so good. If buyers are motivated to buy, they have to find homes with sellers motivated to sell right !!!

2 Re-locations. On of the facts of life in this economy is that businesses are relocating to areas that make them more competitive price wise. As business relocate in our county workers who are moving with them need a place to live.

3 Loan programs. Much has been said about how tough it is to get a loan. But there are some great programs available. FHA still is 3.5 % down payment program. VA is 100 percent financing. If you are in an area that has USDA then you can go up to 102 % of value. There are a lot of State and local programs also available that make it attractive to buy.

Bottom line is if you were afraid to put your home on the market because of everything negative you have been hearing fear not. Consult your local Realtor for a market analysis. You may be pleasantly surprised.

This week nothing has happened as far as contracts go but I am happy. I am happy because I am working with 3 first time buyers. I remember in the distant past( when dinosaurs ruled the earth) how I felt when Sally and I bought our first home. For me growing up in apartments all my life, made this a real thrill.

After the closing we had 226 dollars between us. I still remember. I got paid once a month. So we had to live on that for 2 weeks. We bought paint for the homes inside. We bought food for our insides. We bought subway tokens to get to work. We had the princely sum of about 60 dollars left over for "emergencies". That was about 28 years ago.

The memory of those times is brought back to me every time I meet and work with a young couple starting out. So even though we have no contracts this week, the 3 new buyers who are first timers have made this a great week for me. We all have things that float our boats in this business beside the obvious need to make a living . What does it for you ???