This is the last section of this blog thanks to Barb Corcoran...
III. How to Get the Financing the Buyer Needs
1. Order the house appraisal first. The appraisal may come in lower than the price you plan to bid!
2. Ask the seller to pay part of your closing costs. It reduces the cash you need up front.
3. Ask not-for-profit organizations about financing. They're good advocates for consumers who otherwise get overlooked or taken advantage of by major banks and mortgage companies. Check out NACA (the Neighborhood Assistance Cooperation of America), NHS (Neighborhood Housing Services) and Acorn.
4. Review your own credit report early. Correct any errors in the report and fix everything possible before you shop for a home.
5. Ask for owner financing. Many older homeowners are not buying another home and like the idea of a steady 5% return using their old home as collateral.
6. Ask for a family contribution. Many parents are very happy to help the first-time homebuyer and their grandchildren secure their first home.
7. Pre-qualify for financing with your lender or mortgage broker before you begin your search.
8. Don't take "no" for an answer. If you're turned down by a local bank, you may still be approved by a national mortgage lender. If you're turned down by a national lender, you're often approved by your local bank.
II. Insider Tips to Spot the Seller Ready to Take a Low Bid
Check the closets. See if the wife's or husband's clothes are no longer there.
Check the tax records. Find out how much the seller owes. You can get the records at the county clerk's office, and in some municipalities the town records are online.
Look for give-away words. In advertising words like "bring offer" or "drastically reduced" mean exactly that.
Ask your agent to pull the listing history on the house. It includes how many times the home has been listed and what the price reductions have been.
Let the seller talk! If the seller is home at the showing, let them talk. Often they'll say more than they should like, "We close on our new home next month."
I recently gave some feedback to Real Estate mogul, Barbara Corcorun. Barbara is the real estate contributor for NBC's Today Show and CNBC, and she's a columnist for The Daily News, MORE magazine and Redbook. Here are Barbara's findings:
While others argue over whether this really is the bottom, savvy buyers are taking advantage of the best market in years to buy a home now. Let's give aspiring homeowners the know-how they need to snatch up a bargain, from where to look, to what to watch out for to how to get financing that will make their home ownership dreams come true.
I. Here Are the Best Kind of Homes to Look For
A property with a clear ending! Estates, trusts, divorces and foreclosures.
A seller in trouble. Sellers who are behind on their property taxes, have a failed business or just need cash.
A scorned homeowner. Just like a scorned lover, f the homeowner had another buyer who just backed out, they will almost always sell the house for even less.
A shopworn listing. A home that's been on the market for more than 60 days or a home that's had numerous or aggressive price drops always signals a good deal to be had.
A home with an overgrown yard. It always means the homeowner is ready to give up.
A vacant home. No one likes to pay a mortgage on an empty house.
...and the Don't's
Don't go for a short sale unless you have plenty of time. They can drag on and on because of the bidding process and you can end up paying the same money or more with all the increased costs, repairs and the rise in interest rates while waiting to close.
Don't compromise on what you're looking for just to get a ‘good deal.' It's no deal if it doesn't have the criteria you want in your home.
More on Barbara's findings regarding Insider Tips to Spot the Seller Ready to Take a Low Bid tomorrow.
A friend in the Title Business sent this article to me the other day. Good rules to increase your sales karma.
"I was cleaning out my Word fi les on my computer and I ran across this document. I have no idea who wrote it or where it came from, but below are 12 great reminders....
1. Keep things in perspective. Negative attitudes result when you focus only on frustrating details versus the overall picture of what you and your prospect are trying to accomplish.
2. Concentrate on thankfulness versus entitlement.
3. Surround yourself with motivated people.
4. Be the giver and receiver of at least one motivational or inspirational message every day. Positive reinforcement can help you project a positive feeling about yourself in the marketplace.
5. Read books by successful people. What you put in your mind eventually comes out of your mouth. Reading books that inspire you will help you to inspire others to think of you in a positive light.
6. Face challenges with a sense of opportunity and humor. Look for the good in all ideas, situations, andcircumstances.
7. Look past your prospect's faults to see their needs. Nobody's perfect. You may not like the way some of your customers behave, but if you focus on what they are trying to accomplish, you can work on helping them help themselves.
8. Under-promise and over-deliver. This conveys a sense of greater value to the customer. It is refreshing and earns repeat business.
9. Be willing to walk away. Trustworthiness cannot be built on making sales to people when your product or service does not meet their needs. Instead of hurting your reputation, it's better to just walk away,but be sure to leave the door open for the next time.
10. Keep all your personal and professional conversations private. If people find out that you've talked about their personal lives or revealed confidential information about their business to other people, they will decide you can't be trusted, and they'll slam the door on you forever.
11. Avoid stretching the truth even a little. A small lie creates skepticism because, from that point on, people will never feel sure that you are telling them the truth.
12. Keep your word. This simple rule is practiced so infrequently that those who stand behind what they say really stand out from their competitors.
Remember, thousands of people are eagerly waiting to buy from you if you can show them you can be trusted and are a worthy investment. Invest a little of your time to show that you're not just a good salesperson, but a good person willing to provide them with what they need and when they need it.
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REALTOR, CRS, e-PRO, SRES I do your "Home" work for you!!
Licensed in 2001, I began my career as an active REALTOR in 2004. I quickly learned that I'm pretty natural at this business. It seems that my other career choices along the way have prepared me to be one of the best in the business. I have been:
. A Business Owner
. A Business Consultant
. The General Manager of a 5-store chain Kitchen Business
. A Leader in many organizations including the Executive Women's Golf Association, 
the Northwest Ovarian Cancer Coalition, the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, the Toledo Area Small Business Association, Business Networking International, and have served on many area Board of Directors including COMPASS (addiction rehabilitation) and the Holland/Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
Basically, I love people and the diversity of clients that Real Estate brings to me. I love that I always need to learn something new and am constantly honing my skills. That keeps me YOUNG!
Educationally, I have an B.S. with a dual major in Marketing & Management and a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology. I know Marketing for my sellers; I have People Skills for working with a variety of Buyers and I negotiate very well in the best interests of my clients!
I've almost always lived in the Northwest Ohio area (except for a short stint in Tacoma, WA.) I'm a hometown girl -- 
bred and buttered in the Toledo area! As a result, I know the neighborhoods, the growth patterns, the housing developments, the school systems and the local contacts that are so important to getting things accomplished!
I like best to work with first time homebuyers and people who are moving into our community. I listen well to people's needs and wants to focus on areas that are complimentary to them. Since I have always lived here and know the area so well, I can be a great source of information about the amenities the area offers as well as providing some background on the governmental and business structures as well as fun things -- like our Toledo Mud Hens, Lake Erie fishing, our award-winning Zoo and Art Museum.
Ozbakir Family, Sylvania, OH - "Jo made our first home buying experience a joy. She was always very patient with us and tried to answer all of our concerns. If I ever decide to buy or sell a home, Jo would be the realtor I would choose."
Heaton Family, South Toledo - "Looking for a new home? Call Jo ! ! I recently purchased a new home with Jo's help. It was a great experience. You can put your trust in her, as I did and have a wonderful experience with a true professional. Someone who puts your interests first and will go the extra distance. When we found my new home, it was in an estate. There were some pieces of furniture and some boxes of things in the garage. With Jo's help I was able to negotiate the purchase of these furnishings. I am sure that without Jo's help in this matter, things would not have gone as smoothly. In addition, Jo is extremely helpful getting you reputable service people for after the sale. She referred me to a roofing company and they were great. The work was beautiful and they were done and cleaned up in 2 days. I had several of my new neighbors comment on what a good job the roofers did. This company was also the lowest quote and they did great work. Should a problem arise after closing, do not hesitate to call her. She will be right on the situation and help to resolve it."
Mitchell Family, Sylvania, OH - "Thank you so much for all your hard work. We appreciated your professional, patience and kindness. Turn the phone off and take your husband out to dinner! Come visit us when you are in the neighborhood. Thanks again!
Rajner Family, Perrysburg, OH - "We would whole-heartedly recommend Jo Lyman to anyone seeking a caring, hardworking realtor. With her knowledge, patience and prompt attentiveness, she alleviated our doubts by keeping us current on potential buyer feedback and market trends. Throughout the process of selling our home and purchasing a new one, Jo promptly addressed our many questions, readily seeking out the best answer if she didn't have a qualified response. With Jo Lyman on our side, we were able to get the best price for our existing home within a reasonable time frame. When considering a new home, she carefully took into account our specific needs and desires, guiding us through the process with thoughtful expertise to find the very best home for our money."
Nowak Family, Holland, OH - "We had a WONDERFUL experience with Jo Lyman in both purchasing our first home and selling our condo. She was extremely detail oriented, thorough, extremely kind and courteous and a go-getter when she needed to be. Due to her dedication and incredible marketing skills we were able to sell our condo in less than a month. She also made purchasing our first home a breeze and always looked out for our best interest. I'm happy to say that we have been in our new home for over 6 months now and loving it! I will be recommending Jo to all of my family and friends going forward! Thank you Jo!"
Webb Family, Perrysburg, OH - "We don't know where to begin to THANK YOU for all that you've done for us - We sincerely appreciate everything - We feel blessed to have been lead to you. You're the BEST!
WHAT OTHER REALTORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS SAY:
"It is easy to see why she is an industry leader. Jo's clients come first and you can feel secure in the fact that she is there for YOU!"
"Jo is a very professional realtor as she always keeps her clients' needs as her number one priority. Jo is always looking for better ways to meet her clients' needs weather it be to sell their home or to find a home to fit their needs and requirements. I believe that Jo's best attribute is that she truely cares about her clients." Rick Cutcher, Cutcher Enterprises
"Jo Lyman is a conscientious real estate agent with integrity. She is the type of agent I would want to represent me, because she is reliable and steady. She is not a fly by the seat of your pants type of agent. You can count on her. I worked with Jo on a transaction, and thought she both represented her client's interests, and worked to make the transaction smooth sailing for everyone involved." Hans Neugebauer, The Danberry Company Realtors, Inc.
"Jo is an energetic and a hard working Realtor who understands that her success is dependent upon the creation of loyal customers. More importantly, she understands what it takes to deliver the kind of experience that results in not only repeat business but also numerous client referrals." - Lynn Fruth, The Danberry Company Realtors, Inc.
"I have had the pleasure of seeing Jo at work first hand. Jo helped my mom find a new home. Her commitment to her clients shined through, Jo was always prepared to show us homes and already found answers to questions she knew might be asked. She also paid close attention to the details of what kind of home my mother was looking for. Jo didn't waste our time by showing us homes that didn't fit our criteria. Jo knows the Toledo area very well which made things easier on my mom who was moving from out of town. Jo was a pleasure to work with and my mother and I appreciate her dedication and time she put in, I would strongly recommend Jo to anyone looking to buy or sell a home!" -Ashley Cline, Enertia Interactive
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