Agents Empowering Change, plus local food trucks

You have finally made the decision to buy and/or sell a home.  This decision alone has huge financial impact.  The monies received and spent in this process are upward of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Why would you start out in this process without a professional guiding you?  A real estate agent brings more to the table than you can imagine.  A lot of the realtor’s work goes on in the background, but it is there and so important.

So, here are some of the reasons why a real estate agent adds value to the whole property transactions process:

• A realtor can help you determine your buying power.  Give the realtor a little bit of information about your finances, and the realtor can work with the appropriate mortgage broker or bank to get you a mortgage that fits your financial profile.

• Realtors have resources to assist you in selling or buying a home

• If you are buying a home, the realtor can do the leg work in finding properties for you to visit that fit your needs.  Plus, the realtor can give you access to tools so that you can find homes you would like to visit.  Then the agent can arrange for home showings.  The unwritten key to the realtor’s value here is — in many cases the realtor has already been to the home you want to see and can tell you outright what condition the home is in, and if it is even worth the visit.

• If you are selling a home, the realtor can compare your homes to similar homes that have recently sold and help you price the home appropriately.

• How can I say this with political correctness?  Real estate agents have contacts, they know people.  While performing due diligence of your property, the real estate agent will call in the professionals to deal with staging your home for showing, inspect your home, repair your home, landscape, paint, and photograph your home so that other agents or prospective buyers will fall in love with it at first sight.  They have lists of people who can work on your home.
  • Not to mention, realtors know people waiting for the right home to come along.  It could be your home!
• Real estate agents are negotiators.  The real estate agent will tell you what is rational in terms of price, financing, dates of possession and timing to repair or complete other sales or purchase-related steps.
•  So you think a title search is easy?  Well, the search is easy, but what comes next may not be so simple.  Title reports often show some shady issues with past owners, easements, permits, or rights of access.  The real estate agent with your lawyer, can get you the help you need to clear up those issues.
• We are in a world of 24/7 information.  Marketing your home is the key reason for aligning yourself with an agent.  Once your agent has recommended repairs and staging completes, the agent will spend a great deal of their time and energy marketing your home to other agents and the public via newspapers and internet sites like the Multiple Listing Service.  Information about your property spreads far and wide at every available time.
• So now you have an offer.  Your agent will help you evaluate the offer and help negotiate changes, if necessary.  Once an offer is accepted, the agent can guide you through the contract and closing processes so things go as smoothly as possible.

I trust you found this useful.  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.  Contact me for all of you real estate needs.

The Local Buzz:  Food Trucks Galore!

When I travel to New York, I am amazed at the food trucks.  Well guess what?  Fairfield County now has its own assortment of food trucks.  Many of them are around town, but many are also available for private parties.  Some of those around Stamford are: Melt Mobile (grilled cheese galore and soup), Vanchetta (sandwiches/subs), Lobstercraft, Maddy’s Food Truck (Caribbean), Julian’s NY Hot Dogs, La Pizza Fritta.  The Beer Garden down on Harbor Point also sports some foods trucks.  You can find some of these trucks around Veteran’s Park on Atlantic Street or Bell Street.  They do make appearances all around Fairfield County.  Some have web sites, so click away.  Looking for a good party idea.  Google search the Big Green Pizza Truck or the Weiner Mobile.