Trust Your Local Agent

If you don't trust the person that you hired to represent you, hire someone else.

The reason that an agent works the way they do to represent you, in addition to regularly working in the local market, is because they have an intimate familiarity with the activity in that area.

Remember, especially in the real estate business, some things can't be explained as simply "black" or "white," but rather, fall into the category of "gray." These are the circumstances that can't be explained by an internet search, a flyer, or a book about real estate.

It is also worth noting that hardly no two deals are the same, so new scenarios are always taking place. An active agent in will be familiar with new possible problems and anticipate them before they happen.

If you are planning on selling a place in Aberdeen, MD, hire an agent that is involved in and around Aberdeen, MD. If you are buying or selling a home in Bel Air, MD, hire an experienced agent that works in Aberdeen, MD, Havre de Grace, MD, Bel Air, MD, or just generally throughout the Harford County area. A good rule of thumb is that if the agent's office is more than 30-45 minutes away, he is probably too far to adequately represent you and your interests.

Get references. If the agent has satisfied customers in the past, ask them to give you the names of some of the those people. This will support their representation that they are experts, and thereby, give you the confidence you need to let them do their job.

www.scottmillerrealestate.com

Buying Condos

There have been a variety of new restrictions placed on the purchase of condos lately- particularly relating to getting financing. For those of you planning to use FHA financing, there is a certification requirement that many communities have failed to apply for and/or meet. This is mainly because most community managers don't even know the requirement exists, nevertheless, it could still come as a surprise to you right before you get to the settlement table.

Be sure that your Realtor is aware of the need for this certification- better yet- take a look at the link below and search for yourself.

https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/condlook.cfm

Also, for condos that may have a higher-than-average rate of deficiency with respect to their condo dues (usually 15%), this could also pose a problem during the mortgage underwriting. You definitely want your file looked over carefully prior to putting in an offer on a condo.

Other Links:

www.scottmillerrealestate.com

www.buyamarylandhome.com

www.aberdeenmarylandrealestate.org

5 Steps to Managing Home Projects

Trying to manage all of the projects that we have for our homes can be one of the most overwhelming things we could do. Depending on the amount of work that the house needs, prioritizing projects conveniently can fly in the face of personal budgets, conflicting goals, and time constraints. It's best to create a home improvement plan using the 5 steps that I have outlined below. 1.) Identify how much work the home actually needs. Don't feel the need to install granite counters when you know that the roof is in bad shape. 2.) Create a budget for your improvements, and be sure to stagger the work in a way that makes sense. Don't get into the middle of too many mini-projects at once. 3.) Know what to get a contractor to do. Don't mess around with any plumbing or electrical problems, because even if you are able to temporarily resolve the issue, you may not have met the building code, and that could cause problems later on. 4.) Don't overimprove. Understand the value range of where you live, and know what improvements will add value, and which ones will be strictly a sunk cost. 5.) Stick to the plan. Don't get into the projects and deviate from them, because you will never realize your goals. Even if it takes you a few months to accomplish, they will all be worth it in the end. www.scottmillerrealestate.com www.aberdeenmarylandrealestate.org www.buyamarylandhome.com

Congress Stalling Progress?

No one can deny the difficulty that the housing market and the overall economy has experienced over the last 3 years. Growth has been nonexistent at best, and while unemployment starts to drop (slowly but surely), many US citizens are still looking for that solver lining.

Just when we thought things would get better, the Government has decided to put a stop to progress. There is no doubt that any kind of Government shutdown would avert the progress that so many citizens have fought to achieve. Sure, now, as opposed to the last shutdown, they have made distinctions between "essential" and "nonessential" employees, thus determining who would actually fall into what category. Either way, certain people will not go to work and specific services will most definitely be halted. Let's not forget that the processing of most Government-involved programs are already slow, redundant, and painful, which will most certainly become even worse in the coming weeks.

How do we cope? There is not much we can do besides working even harder than we already have, doing as much as we can without having to rely on Uncle Sam, and voicing our opinion at every opportunity we have. Eventually, one of the two sides will back down, and hopefully, they will think about the American people and the fact that they are threatening our country's survival by stalling operations during these difficult times.

www.scottmillerrealestate.com

www.aberdeenmarylandrealestate.org

www.buyamarylandhome.com

Articulating Home Needs

How familiar are you with your local real estate market? Do you have an idea of what is available in your region and your criteria? What about your price range? Believe it or not, some people will start their home buying process without a clue as to what is available in their local inventory, and in many cases, how can you blame them? These folks may have just come to the area, where there could be as much as a 50% to 100% variation in pricing. Or, they might have been living with Mom and Dad, never having even heard the words "equity" or "mortgage payment."

So what? Well, if you are looking to buy a home in the near future, you need to be aware of these concepts, and more importantly, should have an idea of what you can get for your money. There are a variety of mortgage payment calculators out there, but the best way to learn the details surrounding what you can afford is to contact a real estate agent. He or she will be able to conduct an interview with you, find out your needs, and match that criteria with what is available. Be sure to listen closely to what they have to say, because they know the market as well as anyone.

HGTV and other home networks are a valuable resource to potential home buyers because they provide a good, basic overview of the overall process, but the problem with them is that they give people an unrealistic idea of what will actually take place. Unlike in Reality TV- where the home buyers often view three homes, then sit down amongst themselves to choose one- the real life version is quite different, and in many cases, can get a little messy. A good agent will prepare you for what you should likely expect when you get into the market, and thus, help you articulate what you will be able to get for your money.

Take a look at what the Washington Post had to say about the situation:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/04/AR2011030402606.html

My website:

www.scottmillerrealestate.com