Thinking of buying a home? Are you looking online for that perfect dream home? Do you know what steps to avoid? Have you been running away from a REALTOR when you should be running towards one? Are you working with a real estate agent now? Have you ever heard of the statement "Buyer Beware" or "Buyer's Remorse" ????
Certain strategies should be put in place once you become serious in wanting to purchase real estate. Buying a home should be exciting. Just look around - inventory of homes are plentiful! Interest Rates remain historically low while most mortgage loan programs are desirable - where you can often buy with house payments cheaper than renting.
Your FIRST step should be: Get a Pre-Approval from a Lender. Know what loan program works best for you. Understand what your buying power is - just how much home can you truly afford? Be educated - take the time to prepare a budget. Make sure the house payment will be the perfect fit in your financial affairs. Ask for a full disclosure of fees from the lender, which will include how much down payment is needed and what closing fees will be charged.
Understand that you "may" be bidding against another buyer on a home. How do you make your offer stand out? Having a strong, pre-approval letter is number one! Offering to put up a higher earnest money deposit is another angle. In our area, $500 is considered the norm - but $1,000 or more gets a seller's attention - it shows you are motivated. Another way to have your offer stand out is to have very few, if any, contingencies. Example: not having another home to sell first, in order to buy this one.
Home Inspections are Important - know what you are buying! Have the utilities on to check out all systems - electrical, plumbing, etc. Home Appraisers DO NOT go through a home, making sure showers drain and toilets flush. The job of an appraiser is to give a "home's value" to the lender, paid for by the buyer. They do not check the "mechanics" and "systems" within the home.
Much more is involved when buying a home - I have just touched the surface of steps to take. For a confidential consultation - please take the time to talk with your local REALTOR. If wanting to purchase or sell a home in Lorain County or the Western Suburbs of Cleveland - I would love the opportunity of working with you. Let's talk!
Carla Harbert, Re/Max Pros Agent Direct: 440-309-5209 Agent E-mail: homes@glwb.net
Search for Homes in Lorain County & the Western Suburbs of Cleveland Ohio - click HERE.
Yes, beware of the Seller's Property Disclosure - there may be more than what is actually stated. I am living proof of that fact. Being a real estate agent, I should have known better.
Here is my living proof:
J) Do you know of any current flooding, drainage, settling or grading or erosion problems affecting the property? answer by seller: Yes.
Please describe:
When heavy rains, the pond overflows.
Ok, sounds understandable enough... but failed to tell us that most of our acreage goes underwater! This is the 4th time this year of severe flooding. And at times, you can't even tell where the driveway is, which is not safe to drive in or out during these times.
Side Yard (we live on 11 acres) More of side yard showing MUDDY waters
Getting closer to front yard area Front yard where we have 680 foot driveway to home
More of Driveway going to other side of front yard This is our front yard
Going towards pond area This is the pond area, that is 3x larger than normal
We should have been "smarter" by asking the seller to explain or tell more details on the "pond overflow" issue. Had we known, this would NOT have been the property we purchased. Our pole barn is under water again with inches of MUDDY water inside, our back detached garage that holds our yard equipment is also under water again. Thank goodness our basement has not flooded (yet). Sump pump barely rests.
So BEWARE of the Seller's Property Disclosure - there may be more than meets the eye!
Want to be a part of a positive networking group in Lorain County? If you are a Woman Business Owner - please read on...
Meetings take place on the first and third Thursday of each month at various locations throughout Lorain County, Ohio. Meetings start at 6 p.m. and usually consist of dinner, 30 second commercials, featured business(es), and a guest speaker.
Our calendar is open to the public, but you must have a yahoo ID to access it online. A downloadable PDF version of our schedule and additional information about our group is located at www.wbonlorain.org Our next meeting will be this Thursday, April 21st at 6 p.m. at the Jackalope Restaurant on the Lake in Lorain. The guest speaker will be: Shelley Solomon Cull, who will be speaking on the topic "Seeing the Big Picture". We are looking forward to a big turnout. If you would like to attend, please rsvp to: wbonlorain@yahoogroups.com or contact Karen at jrstorage@aol.com Karen can also be reached by phone at: 440-986-3200
If you have any questions or would like to be added to or removed from the group please email wbonlorain-owner@yahoogroups.com.
Please support our "furry friends" on Saturday, February 12th, 2011 where The Friendship APL of Lorain County will be sponsoring "Wags to Riches: Casino Night". Location: Tom's Country Place, 3430 Stoney Ridge Rd, Avon OH (West of Rt 83).
Great Fun - join Fox 8's Dick Goddard for dinner, cocktails, live music/entertainment, along with $10 in Fun Money towards a chance for prizes in the Vegas-Style Casino. There will also be a silent auction with items to bid on.
Proceeds going to ensure APL of Lorain County animals to receive the care desperately needed and rightly deserve. We need your help!
Tickets can be purchased at: 8303 Murray Ridge Rd in Elyria Animal Shelter or at JC Autobody, 34343 Mills Rd in North Ridgeville.
For more information, please call 440-322-4321.
Gain Horse and Pony knowledge, Sunday - February 6th, 2011 from 1 to 4 pm, sponsored by Angels Haven Horse Rescue. This "hands on" Horse Clinic will take place at the Evergreen Farms, located at: 13297 Durkee Rd, Grafton OH (South of Rt 82).
Please stop by and give your support for rescued horses. A $10 donation is appreciated, with all proceeds going to the rescue program. Angels Haven Horse Rescue is a not for profit organization. If you have questions, please call 4440-781-5060 or visit their website (www.angelshavenhorserescue.org).
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Lorain County Area Blog- Including Homes for Sale & News Happening in & around Lorain County, Ohio. Ask me about Lake Erie Area Homes @ 877-737-0373. Relocation Pkgs available upon request with maps.
Carla's Biography
·Intro When looking for an experienced Real Estate Agent, what is it most buyers/sellers actually look for? Someone that has "been in the business for XX years" (insert a number from 20 to 45), or someone who has actually learned hands-on, the most important aspects of a Real Estate transaction?
Let me introduce Carla A. Harbert, a full-time Real Estate Professional with over 16 years experience in selling homes as a Real Estate Agent, PLUS experience in Real Estate Escrow Closings, doing full settlements for a title company in Northwest Ohio and as a Loan Officer licensed in Ohio concentrating on the Northern part of the State.
·The Story Where do I begin? I began selling Real Estate in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area becoming a multi-million dollar producer in my first year and had attained my Brokers License by the end of my second year. I had certifications in Real Estate Appraisal & Real Estate Investments in my third year and was on a roll when I picked up military relocations for the Midwest region, handling various military installations through out the Midwest, primarily based out of Tinker AFB. At the end of my Oklahoma Career, I was part of a very successful mother/daughter team at RE/MAX Metro Group Properties in Midwest City, OK.
The second phase of my Real Estate experience came with a spousal transfer to Northwest Ohio and my Real Estate license put on hold. I attained employment in the real estate field of title closings, settlement statements and escrow accountability with a high volume Title Agency in Defiance, Ohio handling over 100 lenders/mortgage companies. In this career, I interacted on a daily basis with the lenders and real estate agents and all other that have anything to do with a sale of property. Dealing with home inspectors, pest inspectors, appraisers, health departments, surveyors and lastly attorneys. All of who at any one time could, and did try to nullify a real estate deal from continuing for a variety of reasons. None of which a buyer or seller wants to hear of. My negotiating skills were honed in these 5 years of title closings to the point I had a 99% closing rate, hardly ever losing a deal to unsolvable complications.
The third phase of my Real Estate career began when I became a Loan Officer covering the 7 western counties of Ohio becoming well versed in FHA, VA, Rural Development, other Gov´t Loans as well as Conventional Loans. A life change moved me back to where I grew up, Lorain County, and I found myself Originating loans for a national lender that has over 300 loan programs and I was running my self ragged covering Cleveland to Sandusky. It was at that point I decided if I was going to be working that hard, I´d rather be doing what I do best, selling Real Estate. I am once again, a licensed real estate agent, but this time in the State of Ohio. Since passing the real estate exam in 2003, I have been fortunate to be up and running quickly. I am a part of the RE/MAX family once again - servicing all of Lorain County and the Western Suburbs of Cleveland Ohio. Real estate is more than a career to me, it's a way of life...serving others and networking with great allies. Can you tell I "LOVE" my job???
·Recap So, there you have it. I am back to the beginning, selling Real Estate. But this time, I have a distinct advantage. As a real estate agent I can now understand all the problems that are associated with the other two critical areas of buying and selling a home. That being title closings and all that can go wrong with them and Mortgage Banking and all of the ins and outs of what it takes to match up people with funds to purchase that special house. Every home purchase/sale is unique in unto itself. As a real estate agent I can guarantee you will not hear any " I dunno´s" come out of my mouth. If I do not know the answer, I surely do know where to go and how to attain whatever information needs to be had for a complete deal.
So back to the original question, "What kind of experience makes an experienced agent?" I say the kind of experience you get with Carla A Harbert as your friendly, honest, down-home real estate agent. Well-rounded, knowledgeable in the "complete real estate transaction", people oriented and dedicated to providing the best real estate service to my clients that is humanly possible.
REAL Experience, REAL Knowledge, REAL Service, Let me put the REAL into REAL Estate for You!
- Carla A. Harbert
Experience - Oklahoma
·Certified teacher's assistant, Moore Oklahoma
·Oklahoma REALTOR® holding both sales associate and Broker's license
·Multi-Million Dollar producer 1986 - 1995 in Oklahoma real estate
·Broker/Associate RE/MAX Metro Group Properties at time of relocating to Ohio
·Military Relocation Specialist for Midwest Region with RE/MAX Metro Group Properties
Experience - Ohio
·Real estate loan closer '96-2001, Maumee Valley Title, Defiance, Ohio
·Loan Originator for Independence Mortgage Services, Lakewood, Ohio covering the 7 western counties of Ohio 2001 - 2002
·Loan Officer for GMAC Mortgage Services 2003 Licensed for all of Ohio
·Real estate sales associate with Realty One/Real Living, Elyria Ohio
•Currently a real estate sales associate with RE/MAX Pros, Westlake Ohio (covering Lorain County/Medina County/Western Cuyahoga County) as a multi-million dollar producer & one of their top agents.
AWARDS:
OAR President's Sales Club 2007 Award of Achievement
Cleveland Area Board of REALTORS 2007 Professional of the Year with Award of Achievement
OAR President's Sales Club 2006 Award of Achievement
Cleveland Area Board of REALTORS 2006 Professional of the Year with Award of Achievement
RE/MAX President's Club 2006
OAR President's Sales Club 2005 Award of Achievement
Cleveland Area Board of REALTORS 2005 Professional of the Year with Award of Achievement
RE/MAX President's Club 2005
DESIGNATIONS: CDPE - Certified Distressed Property Expert
e-PRO Certified Internet Expert
I've had the pleasure of working with Carla on a number of occassions. In every instance, her clients were made aware of the homebuying and financing process. Carla was quick to respond with all documents required by an increasingly difficult mortgage process, and that attention to detail made all the difference to the positive experience enjoyed by her clients. I highly recommend Carla to all those considering buying or selling a home.” July 29, 2010
Top qualities: Great Results , Personable , Expert
Tom Hlavin , Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Loans
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“Carla cares deeply for her clients and always has their best interests in mind. She is professional and detail orientiented; I recommend her highly to any buyer or seller who values great service & results.” March 3, 2010
Martin Smith , Loan Consultant , Union National Mortgage
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“Carla's a true professional who always looks out for what is best for her clients. She always goes the extra mile and you can truly tell she cares. Carla is a good choice to assist you with your real estate needs.” February 10, 2010
Tim Atkinson, Sr. Vice President , First Place Bank
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Dear Carla,
Happy Holidays! Thank You for all of your Time and Effort to get us our Perfect first home. We really Appreciate it! - Micah & Tim R.
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Carla,
Thank You so much for all the "DETAILED" work you have done for us on the home in Elyria. It was very nice and thoughtful of you. We certainly do appreciate all the time and effort you put into this.
- Larry & Wanda A.
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Carla,
Thank you so much for getting my asking price and in only TWO WEEKS! REMAX Rocks! I tell everyone how detailed and professional you are. Thanks for being my agent and looking out for my best interest. I would definitely use your services again. - Duane J.
2035 Crocker Rd, Suite 104, Westlake, OH 44145
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