Sunday, November 24, 2013

How To Find A Real Estate Agent...

When you are interested in buying a house and you really need a real estate agent, what should you be looking for to be able to tell if your agent is the one you really want or need? Well, there are a couple things you should do according to bankrate.com and those things are as follows. The first thing you should do is talk to the recent clients of the agent which they should have the contact information available for you. Secondly, you should make sure that the agent actually has a license and doesn't have any complaints or any kind of record against them. Basically make sure that they know what they are doing and that they have a license. The third thing is to pick an agent that has awards given to them for the job they do. If they have awards, they are probably a pretty reliable person. A final thing is to ask the agent about other properties for sale nearby. If the agent is any good at all they will know of other places for sale around the area. These are a few tips I hope you can use because I know they are quality tips for finding a good agent.

What To Look For When Buying A Home...

When you decide that you want a new house there are a few things you should be looking for in order to find a good home. According to, homeinsight.com, there are 9 specific things to be aware of. The first thing is the kitchen. You want to make sure the kitchen is in good shape because it is the most expensive to remodel. So it is a good thing to make sure that the cabinets and counters are all at least in decent shape. Second on the list is the bathroom, it can also be very expensive to repair, making it vital to check for leaks and cracks in any appliance. The third thing is the heating system as it can easily mean a few thousand dollars to replace if it is in poor shape. Fourth is air conditioning which is similar to the same reasons as the heating system. Fifth is the roofing. It is a good thing to make sure that it is done correctly and make sure it is safe and not collapsing. The sixth thing is the windows and making sure that they actually work and also being sure that they lock to ensure safety. Seven and eight are the basement and insulation. Lastly is the driveway and sidewalk. These can get expensive if you want one that will last you a lifetime. I have learned so many things about this that I need to know in the future for selling houses and it is going to make a big impact on how much houses are worth and how easily it will be to sell a house.

Do Professional Athletes Need Real Estate Agents?

As I am a big fan of Professional sports, mostly baseball, and basketball, and having the dream of selling real estate, it has always been a question of mine what the athletes do if they are traded or just feel like moving somewhere different? So I began to research it a little bit when I ran into a blog by Diane Tuman, who happened to have the answer as she has a Q&A from a real estate group who actually work with the athletes. Here is a link to the blog, http://www.zillow.com/blog/2010-09-08/how-do-pro-athletes-handle-their-real-estate-needs/ . I find it very interesting that they find different homes and neighborhood's for these athletes that meet their wants and needs. I think this is great that athletes use real estate agents because that just goes to show that agents are always going to be needed. So if you have the time, I would recommend reading Diane's blog. It will answer many questions that you may have about the athletes and what they do to move into a different home.



Monday, November 18, 2013

Good Investment...

There are several good investments out there now that can be made and one of them is a rental home. The market is so good because the cost to rent is low right now. One of my good friends found a great deal on a rental home and is continuing to save more money because of the extra money that he doesn't have to spend on the little things at the house. He says it was easily his best investment at the moment because it could cause him to have very little money problems in life just because he is saving so much by renting when the cost is low. So having a rental home would be a great option to go for right now.

Image was uploaded for public use

Bad Investment...

If you are wondering what some bad investments in the real estate world, you are in the right place as I am going to inform you of a few things that are not worth investing in. Some people think that buying a house and letting it sit thinking it will go up in value is a good investment and that they will eventually sell the house for more than they purchased it for. However, this is not a good investment as they are not making any money anywhere for what they bought it for. That is unless they are renting it out but in this case lets say they aren't. Therefore, it is not a good idea to just buy a house and do nothing with it unless you have a lot of money that you are willing to let go and set for several years before it makes any profit, if any. This would be qualified as a bad investment.
Image by: Marcy Twete

Are Real Estate Agents In High Demand?

It is a question that is often asked yet it seems to be answered in the same context every time that I have heard the question. Are real estate agents in high demand? I believe the answer to be yes. As there are always people looking for new houses and there are always houses being built and someone has to sell them as most states make it mandatory for a real estate agent to be involved in the transaction of the selling. So yes there are always going to need to be agents out there selling. Also, there are going to be older agents that move into a different section of the agency maybe to be an appraiser or something else other than the agent itself therefore they are going to need to be replaced. These are reasons why I would say that real estate agents are in high demand. 


Is It Worth It??

Everyone in the world wants to have a job that makes at least $50,000 a year, with any money management skills at all a person could live a comfortable life. The question is, "Does a Real Estate Agent make that much money, or are they capable of making that much money?" The answer is, "YES!" According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, real estate agents make an average income of $52,870 a year and have an average hourly wage of $25.42 which is a wage most people would be happy with. People also ask how much a real estate agent makes when they first get into the business. An agent that I know personally has told me, "If a person puts the work in and isn't lazy that they could be making six figures within a year." However, you have to be willing to put forth the effort, which a lot of times is a tough task for some. This is a task I am willing to put everything I have into.