Sometimes buyers and sellers will hire a real estate agent who works outside of an area because of friendship or thinking they could save money since this Realtor will give them a "kick-back" on their commission.  From my experience, working with an agent who does not have intimate knowledge of the neighborhood you are looking to buy or sell in can hurt you in many ways...financially speaking.  Therefore, if you choose to want to work with someone you know who does not know your area well, have them team up with a Realtor who does know the area. 

Here is a sample list of some crucial information that a Santa Barbara neighborhood specialist will undoubtedly know, whereas an out-of-area real estate agent most likely will not:

• The history of the neighborhood and the homes, who lived where, when etc.
• Which homes were previously sold outside of the MLS, FSBO etc.
• What makes certain homes on a street worth more than the other homes
• Which streets in each neighborhood are considered more desirable than others
• Neighborhood nuisances such as loud pets, traffic etc. and their influence on value
• How to accurately price certain homes to determine specific values
• Which agents tend to take listings at market and who takes overpriced listings and for what reasons
• Listing agent's individual reputations and how to negotiate and work with these agents
• Pending legislation, assessments or neighborhood changes and regulations
• How to potentially get inside information out of a listing agent because they know how a certain agent works 
• New inventory that is not yet on the market but will be coming...or sellers that would sell if an offer was brought to them

Further Reading: The 2 Major Steps in Buying a Home in Santa Barbara CA

Kevin Schmidtchen - Thank you for reading.  I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative.  Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.

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