May
07th
2010
Why A Buyer Should Use A Real Estate Agent?
Posted By: Ellen Toay In: General
Tags: agency representation, working with an agent
A good real estate agent is well worth his/her weight in gold when you are looking for a home to buy. As the commission is almost always paid for by the seller, it is most likely not going to cost you any more. Even if you do end up paying a little more, it is well worth the cost. To give you an example – if you were to get a 30 year mortgage at 6% and borrow $3,000 more, your payment would go up approximately $18 more per month. Not much when you consider that in return you would be getting the use of an expert to help you find your new home.
A good relationship between an agent and a buyer is a must. If you have developed a rapport and have signed a Buyer Agency Agreement that age...
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Apr
21st
2010
REALTOR® or Real Estate Sales Person
Posted By: Beth Ross In: General
Tags: realtor, real estate, code of ethics
When people think of working with someone in the real estate industry, they often just use the word REALTOR®, not being aware that all real estate sales people are not REALTORS®. Everyone who has an active real estate license can work with you on buying or selling property. Why is that distinction important? And what exactly is a REALTOR®?
A REALTOR® is someone who belongs to the National Association of REALTORS®. In SC, those individuals actually go through a day of training and then get sworn in. When they raise their right hand, they are promising to abide by a Code of Ethics, and if they disobey that code, they can be brought before a Professional Standards Committee and go thr...
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Apr
14th
2010
What is Dual Agency?
Posted By: Beth Ross In: General
Tags: law of agency, agency, agency representation, real estate, dual agency
In my last blog I wrote about Agency and how it affects you. This time I would like to explain what happens when one company represents both sides of a transaction.
The general public looks at an individual who works in the real estate industry and immediately thinks of that person as a real estate “agent”. Even we in the industry call everyone agents. However, under the Law of Agency, the actual “agent” is the Broker-in-Charge of a company (BIC) or, in the case of a large company; it could be the Broker-in-Charge of a particular branch office of that company. The sales associates who work for that BIC actually represent the BIC – they are not the “agent” in the transaction. ...
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Apr
06th
2010
Law of Agency - How it Affects You
Posted By: Beth Ross In: General
Tags: law of agency, real estate agency, agency, agency representation
When you start working with a real estate agent, one of the very first things the agent should explain to you is the Law of Agency, and how it affects you. If you have never bought a home before or did so prior to the mid 1990s, chances are you have no idea of what this means.
Even though the way that agency is practiced differs from state to state, the basic concept of agency is the same everywhere. How parties are being represented in a transaction.
In almost every state, state law dictates a real estate agent has to represent at least one party in a transaction. For example, let’s say that you are searching for a house and have not agreed to be represented by the agent that ...
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Jan
26th
2010
Alphabet Soup and REALTORS
Posted By: Beth Ross In: Realtor Information
Tags: realtor
OK, you see a Realtor’s business card and there are letters behind or under their name. What in the world do they mean? They look like alphabet soup don’t they?
Well, first off, these letters let you know right off that no matter what they mean, you have found a Realtor who takes their education and knowledge extremely serious. As Realtors we are not required to keep massive amounts of hours in classroom or webinar studies. But, those of us that truly care about our clients will take the time and expense to make our knowledge base broader, deeper and better so that we can offer more tangible experience and information to any transaction to you.
You are hiring us to help with one o...
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Jan
20th
2010
To buy a Bank Owned Property Or Not
Posted By: Beth Ross In: REO Bank Owned
Tags: reo, foreclosure, foreclosures, bank owned
So you want to buy a great property for next to nothing? Well, this is a good fantasy! HOWEVER, don't get disappointed, with a little time and a lot of patience you can be the owner of a good property at a great price!
You just have to realize that the properties that are listed are at today's current market value for the most part. The listing agent and the banks have worked together to finalize a fair asking price. Yes, sometimes they are a little high, but that is where your REALTOR, which you should always use, comes in. They need to be able to research the current market, check out the non-MLS sales and compare those with the MLS sales giving you the best possible selection of...
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