Keep them straight

Looking at a bunch of houses? With digital photography making it easy and inexpensive to record images, be sure to take a digital camera along, first taking a picture of the listing sheet so you can remember which pictures go with which home, and then key elements of each home.

Work with your REALTOR to make a list of your "must-haves" before you visit the first house. For example, fireplace, master bath, walk-in closet, two (or three) car garage, dining room, open floor plan, eat-in kitchen, screened-in porch, large (or small) yard are typical "must-haves". You will also want to create a list of features that are important but not necessarily a "must-have" so that you can take notes in such a way that allows you to compare apples to apples later. Buying a home is an emotional experience. Doing this will help take some of the emotion out of the process.

Here is a list of items might want to include (rank each as either excellent, good, fair, needs repair soon, needs repair now).

• Kitchen

• Bathroom(s)

• Roof

• Windows

• Furnace

• Air conditioning

• Floors (rate by each level of home)

• Closet/storage space

• Plumbing

• Electrical (does it have 60, 100 or 200 amp service?)

• Basement

• Master bedroom

• Siding

• Garage

To reduce the number of homes you view, it is also a good idea to sit down with your REALTOR for a buyer's consultation before you start looking at properties. I do this with all of my clients. The consultation takes about 45 minutes but it takes weeks off the home search process.

David Edwards

Real Estate Agent & REALTOR®

Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound

425-890-8045

E-Mail: david@davidjedwards.com

Website: http://www.davidjedwards.com

Blogsite: http://www.davidjedwards.com/renton-info-blog.asp

David J Edwards is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Renton and Newcastle Washington.

• Community Reports – You can now take advantage of access to detailed statistics and amenity information about a ZIP code. Your have the option generating a report about one area or compare two different communities. Community reports provide the details you need to make clearer decisions about your next real estate purchase. Community Reports can be found at: http://www.davidjedwards.com/community_report.asp#
• School Reports – Your now have access to information about school areas according to ZIP code or street address. Your have the option of generating a report about one school area or compare two areas for information. The information provided is critical to determining your next real estate decision.  School Reports can be found at: http://www.davidjedwards.com/community_report.asp#
• Interactive Maps - Community and School Reports offer detailed and interactive maps. Icons are used to reflect different community amenities and schools. You can easily find school and service locations with these visual cues.
• Search Tool - An easy-to-use tool that enables ZIP code lookup based on state, county, and/or city for Community Reports. School Reports offers a choice between the ZIP code lookup or a street address search.
• Online Help - Key screens and sections provide a simple help icon. Your now have access to detailed procedures, definitions, and guidance.

Landscaping: Does it look like a park or a landfill? Landscaping not only includes the grass, bushes and any gardens, but also the hardscape – the sidewalk, deck and/or patio. People are spending more time outdoors now that Spring is upon us and you’re likely no different. Landscaping improvements can be costly, but is one area in which homeowners often tackle projects themselves. If you have the time, energy, and expertise you can save money by doing some landscaping improvements. But costs can add up here – be sure to factor that into your decision and/or bid.

David Edwards

REALTOR®

Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound

425-890-8045

E-Mail: david@davidjedwards.com

Website: http://www.davidjedwards.com

Blogsite: http://www.davidjedwards.com/renton-info-blog.asp

David J Edwards is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Renton and Newcastle Washington.

What’s the condition of the home’s exterior? Does it need painting, or is it sided? Does it have painted brick that’s peeling? Is the aluminum siding chalking? Improving the exterior can be costly. Check the exterior walls carefully before putting in a bid.

David Edwards

REALTOR®

Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound

425-890-8045

E-Mail: david@davidjedwards.com

Website: http://www.davidjedwards.com

Blogsite: http://www.davidjedwards.com/renton-info-blog.asp

David J Edwards is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Renton and Newcastle Washington.

Take an inventory of what needs fixing.

Good news: With more houses on the market than in the past several years (676 active Renton Real Estate listings and 70 active Newcastle Real Estate listings), you’ll likely be able to look at more houses before making a decision to put in a bid.

Bad news: That means it can get quite confusing to remember the details of each. Develop a list of things you like in the house as you walk through each, and also make a list of things that might need fixing

David Edwards

REALTOR®

Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound

425-890-8045

E-Mail: david@davidjedwards.com

Website: http://www.davidjedwards.com

Blogsite: http://www.davidjedwards.com/renton-info-blog.asp

David J Edwards is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Renton and Newcastle Washington.

Not all agents or brokers in Renton and Newcastle are REALTORS® - there is a difference.

As a prerequisite for selling real estate in Washington, real estate professionals must be licensed, either as an agent/salesperson or as a broker. Before a license is issued, minimum standards for education, examinations and experience must be met. After receiving a real estate license, most agents join our local board known as the Seattle King County Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the world's largest professional trade association. Only, then can they call themselves REALTORS®.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of NAR and who adheres to its strict Code of Ethics (which in many cases goes beyond Washington state law). In our area, it is the REALTOR® who shares information on the homes they are marketing, through our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) known as Northwest MLS. Working with a REALTOR® who belongs to an MLS will give you access to the greatest number of homes.

What Are an Agent’s Obligations to You?

A real estate agent is bound by certain legal obligations. Traditionally, these common-law obligations are to

•put the your interests above anyone else's

•keep your information confidential

•obey your lawful instructions

•report to you, anything that would be useful

•account to the your for any money involved

A REALTOR® is held to an even higher standard of conduct under the NAR’s Code of Ethics.

In recent years, laws in Washington have been passed setting up various duties for different types of agents. When you first start working with a REALTOR®, ask for a clear explanation of Washington’s current regulations, so that you will know where you stand on these important matters.

Seller’s Agents and Buyer's Agents

Suppose you sign an offer to buy a home for $450,000. You really want the property and there's a chance other offers are coming in, so you tell the agent that "We'll go up to $460,000 if we have to. But of course don't tell that to the seller."

If you're dealing with a seller's agent, he or she may be duty-bound to tell the seller that important fact. In Washington, the seller's agent doesn't have any duty of confidentiality towards you. Honest treatment might require that the agent warn you that "I must convey to the seller anything that would be useful so don't tell me anything you wouldn't tell the seller."

If you're dealing with seller's agents, it’s a good idea to keep confidential information to yourself.

These days many home buyers prefer to hire a buyer's agent, one who owes the full range of duties, including confidentiality and obedience, to the buyer. A buyer's agent is often paid by the seller, regardless of the agency relationship. This effectively renders the services of a buyer’s agent free of charge to the buyer.

Evaluating a Real Estate Agent

In making your decision to work with an agent, there are certain questions you should ask when evaluating a potential agent. The first question you should ask is whether the agent is a REALTOR®. Here are other questions you should then ask the agent:
•Do you have an active real estate license in good standing? To find this information, you can check with the Washington State Department of Licensing.

•Do you belong to the Northwest MLS and/or a reliable online home buyer’s search service? Multiple Listing Services are cooperative information networks of REALTORS® that provide descriptions of most of the houses for sale in Western Washington.

•Is real estate your full-time career?

•What real estate designations do you hold?

•Which party do you represent - the buyer or the seller? This discussion is supposed to occur early on, at "first serious contact" with you. The agent should discuss Washington’s particular definitions of agency, so you'll know where you stand.

•When I commit to working with you, how will you help me accomplish my goals? Will the agent show you homes that meet your requirements and will he or she provide you with a list of the properties you’ve been shown?

To learn more about buying property with the assistance of a buyer’s agent, feel free to contact me directly. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

David Edwards

REALTOR®

Keller Williams Real Estate

425-890-8045

david@davidjedwards.com

http://www.davidjedwards.com

davidjedwards111.topproducerblogs.com

I am a full time REALTOR® that specializes in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Renton and Newcastle.