Kimberly Tapscott, Realtor Stamford CT Homes for Sale

If you are a buyer, might you wonder “Should I have a home inspection before signing the contract”? Or if you are thinking about selling, might you ask, “Should I have a home inspection before putting the house on the market”? The answer to both questions is “yes” – absolutely!

Home inspections allow an objective party to give their opinion on the functionality of the specifics and mechanics of a property. Wonder how much time you have left on the roof? Wonder if there is standing water in the crawl space? How about if the electrical panel will handle that kitchen upgrade you are considering? Or whether there are termites in the garage? Well wonder no more, call a certified home inspector and spend a few hours (and dollars) and get peace of mind.

I advise all of my buyer clients to get a home inspection because a home is one of the most expensive purchases you’ll ever make. You should know all about it, including the ins and outs of how to turn the water off to whether or not the roof will survive another season. Make the purchase contingent on a satisfactory home inspection. That means that all tests you conduct come back positive and to your satisfaction. You don’t want to forgo an inspection, only to find out you have a radon issue or termites. If there are huge issues brought up during the inspection, you may have a case to go back to the negotiating table. Let’s say your inspector finds termites. That could be something you request the seller remedy. Ideally the seller would have identified any major problems in the property disclosures…but why chance it?

For my seller clients, I recommend conducting an inspection prior to putting the house on the market. Why? It will help them get an idea of any repairs that need to be made. If you had the chance to prevent renegotiating on the sales price after you’ve agreed, wouldn’t you? Of course you’ve kept up the maintenance on your home. But having a pre-listing inspection will avoid any surprises. If something comes up, for instance a touch of water in the corner of your basement during heavy rains. A first-time buyer may think the basement floods with each rain fall. However the issue might be an improper placement of a downspout. And the solution could easily be fixed by a handyman, instead of paying for a French drain around the property’s foundation.

Having a pre-purchase or pre-listing home inspection will give both the buyer and seller peace of mind with knowing more information about the property and identifying any issues before getting to the closing table.

The real estate market in Stamford CT, like other areas, is very dynamic – lots of inventory, low interest rates and selling prices. It’s the perfect time to purchase, whether you’re a first-time homeowner or an existing homeowner looking to sell your home and buy-up all while taking advantage of the current market. The latter buyer must be flexible and patient throughout the process, but ultimately it will payoff big-time! The first step is working with the right agent!

Today I read a great article on Selling and Buying at the same time….the bottom line? Know your credit and buying power, find an agent who will list your property and aggressively price and market the home. When I worked with a client who listed and purchased with me, they received a 30-day SPLASH marketing plan that outlined all broker and public open houses, social media advertising, direct mail and other activities that would be completed during the first 30 days of the listing we priced the house right and began the marketing and calls – during the first week we received 3 offers in a bidding war!!! Now it was time to put the home search in high gear…click here to find out what happened with my Stamford clients who sold and bought……

What I’ve found out helping multiple clients with the simultaneous “buying and selling” transaction is when you’re in the heat of the transaction your agent must remember the following:

1. Pay attention to detail – so many dates, deadlines, contacts, phone/fax and emails, they all add up to multiple balls in the air. Documentation is key.

2. Communication – communication is so very important during this time. Your agent may be working with multiple attorneys, inspectors, lenders and agents. Their job is to make sure everyone is on the same page with key dates and deadlines.

3. Negotiation skills and have a calm disposition – negotiating on multiple properties and with multiple parties can be stressful. And let’s face it; selling a home can be stressful. Make sure your agent does everything they can do to be flexible and bring calmness to the table. It’s not about a rush to the finish; it’s about getting there to the benefit of you.

Selling a home and buying a home at the same time can be done, with patience and the right agent you can move up to the house of your dreams. Good luck!

During the summer time, when Fairfield County residents can’t get away for a vacation, these are some really great-“Stay-cations” to experience. Try any of these great day-trips:

Wilton Ambler Farm – www.amblerfarm.org – 200 year old working farm with actual programs for the community, complete with farm stands and seasonal events.

Greenwich Audubon - http://greenwich.audubon.org – First environment educational center est by the National Audubon Society in the United States. It’s a 295-acre sanctuary with seven miles of trails, Hilfiger Children’s Learning Center (sponsored by you know who…)

Bridgeport Bluefish – www.bridgeportbluefish.com – Take me out to the Ballgame! Member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball – various promotional events during the April through September season!

Connecticut Beardsley Zoo – www.beardsleyzoo.com - In Bridgeport, why not take a walk alongside the peacocks? More than 300 animals, mostly North and South American, endangered and threatened species.

Discovery Museum and Planetarium – www.discoverymuseum.org - Well it doesn’t get anymore hands- on and interactive than this option – more than 65 exhibit areas covering all scientific areas of study.

Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk –www.maritimeaquarium.org – My kid’s absolute FAV!!! Weather it’s the toddler area upstairs or just watching the sharks play with their friends in the floor to ceiling “fish tank”. There’s a great “touch tank” and did I mention the IMAX Theatre? Check out the movie, “Born to Be Wild” – you’ll be glad you did! Come on and enjoy - what Fairfield County - Norwalk, Greenwich, Bridgeport and Wilton have to offer!!!!

In my area of Fairfield County, CT , twice a week we have Broker's Open House Tour. Similar to the well known Sunday Public Open Houses that realtors do for our listings for a couple of hours during the weekend, but the Broker Open House is usually during the weekday and business hours, usually hosted by the listing agent allowing the area's realtors to stop by and take a look at specific properties and maybe grab a quick bite of lunch. It's a mixed bag of opinions on whether one goes out for the open house tour or do you wait for a call from the buyer with their search criteria and go to the MLS to find the homes and show the properties at that point.

I've gotten a lot of differing opinions from agents...of course which we have many opinions. LOL! From agents that do not attend Brokers Tour, but preview the homes they will be showing a day or two prior to their appointment. To a couple of top and more "seasoned" agents that do not go on tour because "they know the house from many years ago when it was on the market". I personally was taught when I came into the business to attend the Brokers Tour, because you never know what changes and/or renovations the current homeowner may have made. In addition, I was also taught "How can you sell the market if you don't know the inventory. Having said that, I do attend the weekly tours when I am not out with clients. I truly believe it gives me the opportunity to view the property and ask the listing agents any questions I may have, network with the other agents about my current listings and get a current understanding of the competition for my Seller's properties.

My question is what are your best ways of keeping up with the growing inventory? Thank you for sharing with your Fairfield County CT Connection!