Chaz Chatterton

If you're looking for a REALTOR®, a lot of the advice you will see written suggests that you should always favour an experienced agent, but is that the case?

Should you consider an inexperienced agent? Well, my answer to that is, without doubt YES. But surely, I hear you think, an inexperienced agent will not be able to give me the quality of service or the Real Estate marketing expertise that I need to help me through this most complex of transactions. Why not?

As a newer agent, I get this response fairly frequently so it's a challenge trying to convince a potential client that I am the agent that will be able to perform the way they want. Surely I don't have the marketing knowledge that will get maximum exposure for a sellers property, or do I? Studying marketing as a module within my MBA course has given me the opportunity to examine the subject in depth, so I have an idea of where and how to market. In my prior career I worked as an IT professional, that means that I am adept at working with the latest technology and am not afraid to embrace it. As an IT professional in a military setting I was used to relocating every other year, sometimes more. As the picture builds, you can see that, despite not having the experience as an agent that some see as vital, I have other, equally important and relevant skills that help in this line of work.

Of course there is also training, I mean, what company would allow a newly licensed agent to just head on out there and begin prospecting and perhaps ruin a well founded company reputation for excellence? None, I doubt that any agency would allow that, mine certainly doesn't. I was coached for months before I felt that I was adept enough to go out and hit the market, but that's just me, my company also assigns a mentor (yes, an experienced agent) to guide me through the process for each of my first six transactions. I am still learning, but I am selling homes, even in this market.

An experienced agent is a great resource to have, but not all are as computer literate as others, not all have excellent marketing skills and not all will provide the level of service you require JUST because they have experience. If I was to offer any advice it would be this, don't rule somebody out based on their experience in the Real Estate business, find out about their background, education and, very importantly, their company and how they train their new agents. One saying that a former colleague (now friend) of mine had was "Just because that's how we've always done it, doesn't make it the right way to do it now." 20 years of experience doesn't always mean that something has been done well for 20 years!

Let me know what YOU think!!!!

Everybody loves a bargain and if you're searching for a property you will be no different. I have had a lot of people ask recently about the foreclosure market in Vermont, particularly about the number of foreclosures that are on the market. With that in mind, I have dug around a little and found some statistics on the subject, specific to Washington County.

According to the Court Administrators office, in 2005 there were 78 foreclosures in Washington County. According to the State of Vermont Banking Division, that number rose to 113 in 2007. The really big news for Washington County is, of course, the figure for 2008. Given the amount of air time that the economy has been receiving and the doom and gloom surrounding the housing market, you may be surprised to read that the figure up to the end of October 2008 is only 116. Sure that's up, but it's not the huge jump you may have expected.

Not everybody is having their home foreclosed, which means that you bargain hunters will be disappointed, or will you? Short answer is NO! You will hear a lot about financing being hard to obtain, but that depends on who you talk to. I heard this morning of programs with no requirement for a downpayment, no minimum credit score and loans up to $417,000.

There is still money out there to loan, maybe the lenders are a little more skittish about who they lend to, but it is still out there. If you're looking for a loan, ask around, the Government backed loans are still a good value if you ask.

One reasons that the foreclosure market in Vermont is not as bad as other parts of the country is that the lenders in Vermont were more careful than some, with strict Anti Predatory lending rules lessening the impact of the Sub-Prime issue. That said, the current market is supporting lower prices than a couple of years ago, so you can get more house for your money.

So although the foreclosure market may not be as hot in Vermont as other areas, there are still bargains to be had. Don't be discouraged if you don't find something immediately, ask a REALTOR to help you find what you want and you will, I'm sure, find your ideal home at an ideal price.