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Why Choose a REALTOR® When Buying a Home in the Anaheim Hills Area?
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It is extremely rare to find a real estate professional who sets himself apart with distinction in everything he does...
...unless you select the real estate professional who has distinguished himself by making a total commitment to excellence.
- Tony Dove.
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 The Roman philosopher Seneca said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
When you're thinking about buying a home in Anaheim Hills or the surrounding Orange County communities, you need to ask yourself the following questions: Do you have the time, energy, sources of information and contacts necessary to do the job yourself? If you are one of the do-it-yourself people, would the results be as good, or better than they would be if you had professional assistance? Would the process go more smoothly? Would it give you more personal time? Would you purchase for less if a real estate professional were involved? Read the following information and learn how a real estate professional can help you understand everything you need to know about a real estate transaction.
How Do Real Estate Professionals Get Paid?
Real estate agents or brokers are generally compensated through the sales commission paid by the seller when a transaction closes. Agents have expenses and financial obligations just like you, so it will be to your mutual benefit if you choose one real estate professional and stick with that person through the entire transaction process. The agent will respect your loyalty and will respond with a sincere commitment to you.
Why a REALTOR®?
All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR® logo on business cards and other marketing and sales literature.
REALTORS® are committed to treating all parties involved in a transaction honestly. REALTORS¨ subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge regarding the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again.
You Be the Judge!
Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Transactions today usually exceed $300,000. If you had a $300,000 income tax problem, would you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $300,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney?
Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would be less than wise to consider a deal in real estate without the professional assistance of a REALTOR®!
Buying a home in Anaheim Hills and Surrounding Communities
The process of buying a home or investment property generally starts with determining your buying power. Your buying power equates to your financial reserves plus your borrowing capacity. If you give a real estate professional some basic information about your available savings, income and current debt, they can refer you to lenders best qualified to help you. Most lenders - banks and mortgage companies - offer limited choices and a real estate professional can lead you to the lender that will best accommodate your specific situation.
Finding
Once you know how much you can and want to invest in a property, the next step is to find the properties that most closely fit your needs. This is the time to choose a real estate licensee. When picking a real estate agent look for one who is also a REALTOR®.
A REALTOR® is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and all members agree to abide by a 17-article Code of Ethics. A REALTOR® has many resources available that can assist you in that search. Sometimes the property you are seeking is available but is not currently being advertised in the market. Because of this, it may take some investigation on the part of your agent to find all available properties that meet your criteria.
Selecting
Your job is to make the final selection of the right property for you. This is when excitement and emotion run high. Your real estate professional can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property. Agents who are REALTORS® have access to a variety of informational resources. REALTORS® can provide local community information about utilities, zoning, schools, etc. There are two things you'll want to know. First, will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell?
Negotiating
There are a myriad of negotiating factors when it comes to buying a home including, but not limited to, price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and furnishings or equipment. The purchase agreement should also provide a period of time for you to complete the appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase.
Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.
Due Diligence
With a negotiated agreement in hand, it is time to complete the evaluation of the property.
Depending on the area and property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. Your agent can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports.
You will also want to see a preliminary report on the title of the property. Title indicates ownership of the property and can be mired in a confusing status of past owners or rights of access. The title to most properties will have some limitations; for example, easements (access rights) for utilities. Your agent, title company or attorney can help you resolve issues that might cause problems at a later date.
Financing
 As soon as you are reasonably sure the property is right for you, the process of obtaining financing begins. Your agent can help you understand the different financing options and can also identify qualified lenders.
Closing or Settlement
Finally, there is the closing, or settlement, as it is known in different parts of the country. Every area has its own unique customs. In some areas, the title or escrow company will handle this process. In other parts of the country, an attorney does it all. Again, your real estate agent can guide you through this process and will make sure everything flows together smoothly.
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This information is deemed to be accurate but not guaranteed.
You are advised to independently verify any information
or data that influences your decision to purchase or sell
a property. The current listings & closed transactions
are taken from the Southern California Multiple Listing Service
and may not be the work product from any one agent or broker.
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Tony Dove, REALTOR®
Direct: (714) 283-1116
Office: (714) 282-4300
Toll Free: (800) 615-2707
Email: Tony@TonyDove.com
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© 2006-2009 Tony Dove
The contents of this website are protected by copyright.
No elements may be copied or downloaded without the express permission of Tony Dove.
DRE# 01712563
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