Advise to the home Buyer and/or Seller

Hello there everyone I am a Real Estate Agent in the Atlanta Georgia area. First I want to say that there are different laws in each state on how to buy and sell a home, and you should check on the laws for your state. Here in Georgia the Agent represents the Seller of the home unless there is a Buyers Contract between the Buyer and Buyers Agent. When calling an Agent by law unless you sign a Buyers Contract with them they are working for the Seller, and not you the Buyer. This doesn't mean that the agent will not be helpful but that there are things by law that they can and can not do. And this doesn't mean that the law is not bent a little. As a Buyer it is important to find an agent you can trust and make them your agent with a Buyers Contract. Here in Georgia this allows the agent to give you more information and advice than with out the Buyers Contract.

I know this frightens a lot of people by signing a contract with this agent but read the contract. Here in Georgia as with any contract, Buyers or Sellers, all you have to do is write a letter to the Real Estate Broker and say you want to fire the agent and it is done. The contract is no longer in force no matter what the agent might tell you. Remember to read the contract not just take what the agent tells you!! There is a term "Buyer Beware".

In the past there were a lot of what I could call Shade Tree Mortgage Brokers and Realty Agents. This is what has gotten our country in a lot of trouble with the housing market. The Mortgage Broker was only looking for a paycheck and not to take care of the borrower. This is not to say the Real Estate agent was not out for the same thing pushing people to buy as much as they could be approved for. Now have said that I had also said find an agent that you can trust. This sometimes is a hard thing to do, but if you look around you will find a lot of agents and mortgage brokers are now out of business. The ones that are still around for the most part took care of their clients and made sure they did not get hurt or buy something they could not afford down the road. If you want to find a Mortgage Broker talk to your Real Estate Agent they know who can get the job done and what kind of person the Broker is. In Most cases the agent has worked with different Brokers and know what can be expected from them.

I got this note from Old Republic Home Protection a company that sells Home Warranty Insurance. I find good advice in this for the person trying to sell a home but it is also good things for the buyer to look for when looking for a home.

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Outside the House - Up High
Inspect the roof for damaged, loose or blistered shingles. Have damaged shingles replaced if they're on less than 20% of the roof. Re-roof if damaged shingles cover more than 20% of the roof. Examine flashing around chimneys, vents, and roof edges. Remove debris from gutters and down-spouts and patch any holes. Make sure the down-spouts direct water at least five feet away from your foundation. Examine fascia or soffit boards. Replace if they are soft or rotting because they may allow rain into your attic. Trim branches and shrubs that are touching your home which can provide a pathway for bugs or excess moisture to enter. Remove dead branches that may fall on your home. Snap!

Outside The House - Down Low

Clean up fallen limbs, branches and other debris around the home to discourage wood-eating insects. Termites = bad. Clean out basement window wells. Inspect/replace caulk on windows, doors, and other penetrations, such as dryer vents and cable wire holes. Inspect and repair caulking where two different materials meet, for example where wood siding joins the foundation's wall or at inside corners. Touch up any exterior surfaces that need paint before they deteriorate further. Inspect bricks and concrete blocks for cracked mortar or loose joints. Inspect grading around the house to be sure water drains away from the foundation on all sides. Make sure that your lawn sprinkler heads do not spray the walls of the house. Water = bad. Check your inside and outside foundation walls and piers for termite tubes and damaged wood.

Please share this with your clients and friends. You could make someone's day.

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I hope this will help anyone out there trying to buy or sell a house in today's market. I will try and do a few more articles on this subject if you wish.