When someone decides it is time to sell their home, they interview several Realtors from different companies to determine which one is best for them. They want someone who will represent them and someone they feel will do an effective job at marketing their home.

 

However, when someone decides to buy a home, they usually end up with their Realtor through sheer accident. Why don’t homebuyers search for a Realtor the same way that homesellers do?

 

Instead, homebuyers usually end up with a Realtor as a result of answering an advertisement. The advertisement will give a brief summary of a home available for sale along with the price, but it says nothing at all about the Realtor. 

 

So…does it really make a difference?

 

Listing Agents and Selling Agents

 

You see, there are two "sides" to every sale.  The listing side and the selling side.  Most deals have an agent representing each side, so there are generally two agents involved   The seller's side is represented by the listing agent.  The buyer's side is represented by the selling agent (sometimes known as the buyer's agent).

 

Agents can deal with both buyers and sellers, but the majority tend to focus their efforts on one or the other.  Some even exclusively handle either buyers or sellers.

 

So what should you do?

 

We simply recommend that you take as much care to hire a real estate agent as you would for any other professional.   Ask questions.  Ask about education, experience, and focus.

 

After all, buying your next house is probably the biggest purchase you've ever made in your life.  Does it make more sense to find your agent by accident…or by design?  Look for an agent who will represent ONLY your best interest in the transaction!

 

In his first public comments as a private citizen since leaving the Federal Reserve in January, former chairman Alan Greenspan said Thursday that the housing "boom is over" but did not share his views on hot issues such as inflation, interest rates or Fed policy.

 

"This has been quite an extraordinary (housing) boom," Greenspan said during a Bond Market Association dinner in New York. "The boom is over. I think we can safely say that with a strong degree of confidence."

 

However, he said, there is "no evidence that home prices will collapse." While he did not rule out price declines in "frothy" markets, he said it is too early to determine what impact a slowing housing market would have on consumer spending.

 

More on this story….

 

Swimming pools are either above-ground or in-ground. Above-ground pools are usually made of a thick vinyl-type bladder or corrosion-resistant steel with a vinyl liner covering. Typically, these pools are no deeper than six feet, so diving should be strictly prohibited. In-ground pools may be more custom-designed, and generally are constructed of fiberglass, vinyl liner or concrete. In-ground pool construction can take from three to six weeks, and your clients might get a bargain if they have it done at the end of summer. After installation, performing normal pool maintenance may require four to eight hours per week.

 

 

Parents owning a pool must be careful. Drowning is the top cause of death for children under 5 in California, Arizona and Florida. Therefore, a fence at least 4 feet high should be placed all around the pool and the gate door should open outward and be self-closing. The self-locking latch should be at the top of the gate. A safety cover should be placed on the pool whenever it's not in use. Rescue materials such as life preservers and shepherd hooks should be kept next to the pool, along with a telephone for emergencies. A child should never be left unattended for any reason, and no toys should be left in a pool that might attract a child.

 

A mortgage requires you to pledge your home as the lender's security for repayment of your loan. The lender agrees to hold the title or deed to your property (or in some states, to hold a lien on your title or deed) until you have paid back your loan plus interest.
 

Mortgage Amount and Term
The mortgage amount is the amount of money you borrow from a lender to pay for your house. The term is the number of years over which you can pay back the amount you borrow.
 

The length of your mortgage repayment period will directly affect your monthly mortgage payments.  For the same mortgage principal amount, you will find that the shorter your repayment period is, the higher your monthly payments will be, but the total interest you pay over the life of the loan will be less.   On the other hand, the longer your repayment period is, the lower your monthly payments will be, but the total interest you pay over the life of the loan will be more.
 

The most popular mortgage term is 30 years. By extending payment over 30 years, you keep your monthly housing costs low.  If you can afford higher monthly payments, you can select a mortgage term that is shorter: there are 20-year, 15-year, and even 10-year fixed-rate mortgages available from most mortgage lenders.

You don't need to be in the market to buy or sell a home to be affected by the cooling housing market.

 

Economists, investors and the Federal Reserve are watching home building and home sales carefully because the sector has reached so far throughout the economy in recent years, lifting all manner of consumer spending and economic activity.

 

This week has brought several new readings indicating that the super-heated real estate market of 2004 and 2005 is rapidly fading in the rearview mirror.

 

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