I'm often asked when I am out with friends, family, and perspective clients, is now really the time to buy like the commercial says? Here is my response. Interest rates are at all time lows. Inventory is great. Many sellers are often offering concessions that are not typically offered. And finally I turn the question on them, do you prefer to buy things at their peak price, when supply is low and demand is high or the alternative? All that being said, if you are thinking about buying, now is the time to buy. No one has a crystal ball, so they can't tell you when the market will turn. But when it does, you will pay more later and kick yourself for missing your chance.
It is a fairly common practice for Realtors to preview properties for out of town clients. What should you expect your Realtor to be looking for? Well first of all, your agent should not be deciding for you if the property is "right" for you, that's your job. They should be giving you constructive criticism of the property, a list of visible defects, an opinion of value vs. asking price, and a list of amenities that may not be listed in the MLS. With all of this information in hand you can make a better decision as to whether or not you want the home on the list to see when you are in town.
When you find yourself wrapped up in the heat of negotiations for your dream home, keep your cool. You should always have your top price set in your mind prior to the start of negotiations and stick to it. It can be very easy, while going back and forth with the seller to get caught up in the moment and it becomes more about getting the home than about getting it at the right price. Then buyer's remorse sets in when you realize you paid $5000 or $10,000 more than you wanted to for the home of your dreams. So stick to your price, keep a cool head, and don't get swept up in the moment.
If you've been following my advice you've done your homework and interviewed Realtors and you're about to chose the one that's right for you. Good for you, the number one question you should ask your Realtor before that commitment is made is.....Do you do this full time? Why, you may ask? In my opinion, it is not a career that can be done well or even adequately for that matter on a part time basis. Ask yourself this as well, if it costs about the same for a pro as it does for an amateur, why on earth would ever choose the amateur? Would you choose a part time lawyer, doctor, dentist, or accountant? Probably not, do yourself the same favor when hiring a Realtor.
Sellers, if you have a dog, take Fido with you when showings are scheduled. There is nothing more distracting to a potential buyer than a caged dog barking. I find it often prevents them for viewing the area that the dog is in, thus ruling your home out for the possibility for purchase because they didn't see all of it and were distracted while viewing the home and failed to notice the selling points of your home.
 |
|
|
I'm a full service e-Pro REALTOR serving the Pekin / Peoria Area. Whether you're buying or selling a home in Pekin, Dunlap, East Peoria, Metamora & Germantown Hills, Morton, Peoria, or Washington.
There are many qualities and skills that go into being an excellent real estate professional - integrity, in-depth community and market knowledge, marketing savvy, effective negotiation skills and a high-quality professional network, all of which are hallmarks of how I work.
That said, in my experience as a Pekin real estate professional, I've also found that providing the very best service is essentially about putting my clients first. This means keeping myself accessible, being a good listener as well as a good communicator, and responding quickly to your needs.
This "client first" philosophy has always been my approach and it requires me to continually improve my skills and ways of doing business. In addition, I've found that the latest technologies are enabling me to do everything I've always done, only much more quickly and efficiently. They've also helped me to extend the range of services I provide to my clients.
So when you decide that you'd like to buy or sell a home in the Peoria & Surrounding areas, please contact me.
I specialize in first time buyers and relocation.
Jana and I recently accomplished a corporate relocation from Denver, CO to the Peoria, IL area. We conducted online research as to homes and realtors that represented the Peoria and surrounding communities. Jim's web site, coupled with the Maloof Realtor site provides the best home information data backed by visual media that made the home search easy by focusing on a few key potential properties that met our expectations.
Jim coordinated our visit to Peoria to ensure that the limited visitation time was utilized by setting home viewing appointments, meetings with financial and mortgage representatives, and completing required paperwork while we were in Peoria. Jim's punctuality and preparedness eliminated any lost time providing further evidence that our selection of Jim and the Maloof Realtor firm was a correct one. Further evidence of Jim's professional service commitment was during the first day of home visits; Peoria was hit by a snow storm of nearly 6 inches, yet Jim conducted us to all the home visits without occurrence while ensuring our ability to return to selected homes for follow up and walk through.
Meanwhile, upon our return to Denver, CO, Jim conducted much of the leg work and follow up on the home status and closing process ensuring a smooth transaction. Upon, closing day, the procedure was seamless and simple with my wife and I taking possession of our new home. Jim's professionalism and committed to clients did not end there; he has followed up with additional information concerning the local area such as shopping, restaurants, Doctors, Vet's, etc. We can say that through our years of numerous corporate relocations, this experience with Jim has been the best we have had. Jim sure makes life easier.
Darrell and Jana C. - Dunlap
I was satisfied with the service provided. Jim was patient enough to help me find the right house, even
though it sometimes meant traveling long distances, going to areas he hadn't been to before, and resulted in several months of looking at houses. While looking at houses, Jim would point out flaws in the house we might have otherwise overlooked. Despite several opportunities to make a quick buck, Jim instead offered his opinion on houses he felt uncomfortable with while I was considering these houses, typically due to the potential of the house being a money pit. If I choose to sell and/or buy a house later, I will again use Jim, and suggest him to friends and family that later decide to sell and/or buy a house.
David C. - Peoria
We recently relocated to the Washington, IL area and were very unfamiliar with the towns, schools and businesses. I contacted two realtors on line-one of them being Jim Sikes, and immediately knew I wanted to work with him.
Jim always responded to my many questions when searching for a home and was the one that first suggested we look at some homes in Washington. He was so patient and professional with our home search and provided very useful information about the cities and schools, which was a concern for us.
I know we will someday need another realtor and Jim will be the one we use for our home.
Kerry and Barry O. - Washington
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2009 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
