Bill Williams-Broker,REALTOR

In order to find a real estate broker or agent who meets your needs and makes your buying or selling experience a positive one, Century 21 Real Estate Corporation recommends you:

•1. DO NOT blindly walk into or call a neighborhood firm and ask for an agent at random.

•2. Ask friends and family for recommendations.

•3. Interview several real estate agents:•- Find out their history with the brokerage, their experience and background.•- Gauge their knowledge of your favorite towns.•- Ask for a list of previous clients and their phone numbers.

•4. Pay attention to whether a potential agent is listening closely to what you say.•- Is he or she asking follow-up questions which prompt further explanation and help him or her understand exactly your needs and wants?

•5. Give a potential agent the opportunity to educate you.•- A good agent should walk a customer through the buying or selling process before ever showing properties or discussing a specific transaction.

•6. Have a good idea of what you expect from an agent and communicate those expectations.•- How often do you want to hear from your agent?•- Do you want to hold meetings at your house rather than the real estate office?

•7. Weigh the benefits of working with an experienced agent versus a novice.•- An experienced agent may have more insight, but a new agent may have innovative ideas or more energy and time.

•8. Find an agent who complements your personality.•- If you like to start your day at 7:00 a.m., don't choose an agent who arrives to the office at 10:00 a.m.•- If your preferred method of communication is e-mail, don't choose an agent whose most advanced technology is a fax machine.

•9. Evaluate the agent's firm and/or office.•- Look for a real estate organization whose agents can empower you with real estate expertise and resources and provide first-rate customer service.

•10. Look for an agent who will be your partner.•- Find someone you trust, who will give you the facts, help you make intelligent, well-informed decisions and work with you throughout the entire process.

The Mechanics' Lien law provides special protection to contractors, subcontractors, laborers and suppliers who furnish labor or materials to repair, remodel or build your home.

If any of these people are not paid for the services or materials they have provided, your home may be subject to a mechanics' lien and eventual sale in a legal proceeding to enforce the lien. This result can occur even where full payment for the work of improvement has been made by the homeowner.

The mechanics' lien is a right that a state gives to workers and suppliers to record a lien to ensure payment. This lien may be recorded where the property owner has paid the contractor in full and the contractor then fails to pay the subcontractors, suppliers, or laborers. Thus, in the worst case, a homeowner may actually end up paying twice for the same work.

The theory is that the value of the property upon which the labor or materials have been bestowed has been increased by virtue of these efforts and the homeowner who has reaped this benefit is required in return to act as the ultimate guarantor of full payment to the persons responsible for this increase in value. In practice, a homeowner faced with a valid mechanics' lien may be compelled to pay the lien claimant and then pursue conventional legal remedies against the contractor or subcontractor who initially failed to pay the lien claimant but who himself was paid by the homeowner. Another justification for this result relates to the relative financial strengths of the parties to a work of improvement. The law views the property owner as being in a better situation to absorb the financial setback occasioned by having to pay the amount of a valid mechanics' lien, as opposed to a laborer or material man who is viewed as being less able to absorb the financial burdens occasioned by not being paid for services or materials provided in connection with a work of improvement.

The best protection against these claims is for the homeowner to employ reputable firms with sufficient experience and capital and/or require completion and payment bonding of the construction work. The issuance of checks payable jointly to the contractor, material men and suppliers is another protective measure, as is the careful disbursement of funds in phases based upon the percentage of completion of the project at a given point in the construction process. The protection offered by mechanics' lien releases can also be helpful.

Even if a mechanics' lien is recorded against your property you may be able to resolve the problem without further payment to the lien claimant. This possibility exists where the proper procedure for establishing the lien was not followed. While it is true that mechanics' liens may be recorded by persons who have provided labor, services, or materials to a job site, each is required to strictly adhere to a well-established procedure in order to create a valid mechanics' lien.

Needless to say, this is one area of the law that is very complex, thus it may be worthwhile to consult an attorney if you become aware that a mechanics's lien has been recorded against your property. In the event you discover that a lien has been recorded but no effort has been made to enforce the lien, a title company may decide to ignore the lien. However, be prepared to be presented with a positive plan to eliminate the title problems created by this type of lien. This may be accomplished by means of a recorded mechanics' lien release from the person who created the lien, or other measures acceptable to the title company.

As in all areas of the real estate field, the best advice is to investigate the quality, integrity, and business reputation of the firm with whom you are dealing. Once you are satisfied you are dealing with a reputable company and before you begin your construction project, discuss your concerns about possible mechanics' lien problems and work out, in advance, a method of ensuring that they will not occur.

courtesy of iHouse

· When you have a REALTOR working for you, your home will be shown more because it's available to all agents in the area and all Agents worldwide.

· With the online resources that are used you will not only receive feedback from people who physically visit your home, but you will know how many people visit it online and how long they view it.

· Most agents use a centralized showing service which schedules the showing appointments around your schedule and provides valuable feedback on how your house appeals to potential buyers.

· Scheduling all inspections and services including the closing will be taken care of by me personally. I'm happy to use the service providers you prefer or can recommend some for you to choose from.

Hot Market -

This is an extremely competitive market, one that is advantageous to the seller. Sometimes, homes will sell as soon as they are listed or even before homes are listed. Typically, during a hot market, multiple offers will be made on each home and more often than not, homes will sell for more than their asking price. It is even more crucial to be prepared and to be ready as a buyer when the market is hot. It can be easy to get caught up in the bid for a home, but if you are prepared (pre-approved, solid in price range, realistic about your needs), it is easier to remain focused on your housing needs and price range.

Normal Market -

In a normal market, there is fairly a large number of homes available and an average number of buyers. This market does not necessarily favor the buyer or the seller. A seller may not have as many offers on their home, but he or she may not be desperate to sell either. Again, it is the buyer's responsibility to be prepared. During a normal market, the chances to negotiate are higher than in a hot market. As a buyer, you can expect to make offers at lower than the asking price and negotiate a price at least somewhat less than what the sellers are asking.

Cold Market -

In a cold market, houses may be listed for more than a year and the prices of houses listed may drop considerably. This market is advantageous to the buyer. As a buyer, you have the time to make an offer that works to your best interest. It is not uncommon to low-ball and to find that sellers are accommodating to meet your needs. Keep in mind that even though this market is a great time for buyers, you do not want to lose your dream home by being unrealistic. Your goal is to get your dream home at the best possible price.

courtesy of iHouse

Financing a home in these uncertain times can be scary. But by asking the right questions, and knowing exactly what your needs are, you can find the right loan for you. There are certain approaches that you can take while mortgage shopping that can cost or save you money.

It is still true that the better qualifications you have, the lower your interest rate will be.

Before speaking with a lender, know what monthly dollar amount you feel comfortable committing to. Then when you discuss mortgage pre-approval with your lender, it is easier for you to determine the monthly amount and what value of home the monthly amount translates into. Do not put yourself in the position where you will be paying more each month than you intended simply because the "dream" house requires it. The "dream" house quickly becomes a "nightmare" if you can't afford to enjoy it.

The advice of some of the best financial advisers is:

- Always use a 15-year mortgage at no more than 80 percent of the value of the house. This would require a 20 percent down-payment or buying a house with a lot of equity up-front, or a combination of both.

-Your monthly payment should be no more than 25 percent of your take home pay.

-And you should have three to six months' expenses in an emergency fund.