Friday, January 11, 2013

Virginia Buyer Agent Agreement


In the past, if you were to approach a real estate agent for buying cheap homes in the state of Virginia and did not specifically ask for a buyer agreement then the real estate was assumed to be representing the seller’s side. This, on many occasions, resulted in buyers being under the impression that the realtor that they were dealing with was their representative and would get them cheap homes. However, from the beginning of next month, such wrong impressions will cease to exist as a new law will come into effect in the state of Virginia.

According to the law, buyers in the region will have to sign buyer agent agreements with their real estate agents if they have chosen to take their help for buying cheap homes in Virginia. Furthermore, the terms of the buyer agent agreement can also be negotiated by the two parties involved on a situation by situation basis.

Practically speaking, what this means is that when you approach a real estate agency for buying cheap homes, you will be explained in detail the concept of a buyer agent agreement and given the option of signing one. While the buyer agent agreement will take away a lot of ambiguity that has been ever present in the relationships between buyers and real estate agents, there are certain other situations which are not so simple.

Fortunately, there are ways to counter complicated situations as well such as a non agency agreement (limits the agent to only ministerial acts), a dual agency agreement (for situations where the agent represents buyer and seller) and a designated agency agreement (two agents from the same agency being designated to buyer and seller).

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Top Signs of a Good Real Estate Agent


Are you ready to purchase a new home? Without an agent, the home buying process can become frustrating and confusing. Of course, to reap the benefits of having a good real estate agent, you first have to find one. With so many agents vying for your business, figuring out which one will be the best fit for your needs can be difficult.

If you’re ready to start looking for a great agent, it’s important to learn the top signs of a good real estate agent. However, you also need to know the signs of a bad agent so you can avoid making the wrong choice. Take a closer look at the signs of a good and bad agent so you can find the best agent to make your dream of home ownership a reality.

RealtyStore.com has an excellent network of real estate agents
As you begin your search, knowing what to look for definitely helps. One sign of a good agent happens to be a good educational background. While it’s not essential for an agent to have a college degree, it can definitely be helpful. Experience is another sign of a great agent. A good real estate agent is going to have experience helping others with the home buying process.

Good references and reliability are both signs you’ve found a quality realtor. Call those references and find out their opinions. Ensure that the agent is prompt and reliable when you need help. Other top signs of a great agent include local knowledge and being accommodating to your wants and needs.

Although you need to look for signs of a good real estate agent, you also need to know the signs of a bad agent before you choose one to help you with the home buying process. If the agent won’t listen to you, it’s an immediate deal breaker. Inexperience is also a problem that should make you wary. An agent who makes you feel pressured is also someone you’ll want to avoid.

If you notice the agent seems to behind the times in their techniques, this is also a bad sign. If the agent hasn’t been successful often in the past, this is another sign you should keep looking. Also, look out for anyone that seems to be manipulative or unethical.

By learning the signs of both good and bad real estate agents, you can more easily make an informed decision. Don’t start the home buying process with the wrong agent by your side. The right agent can help you through the process so you end up with a home you love at a great price. However, the wrong agent will only lead to disaster, so make sure you have the information to make a decision that will pay off in the end.

Homebuyers Wonder Why Foreclosure Listings Seem to Be Disappearing


Homebuyers today are trending towards nontraditional home purchases like for sale by owner homes, short sales, rent to own options and bank foreclosure properties. However, many buyers have started wondering why no foreclosure listings seem to be in sight recently. For some, it seems that these listings are disappearing into thin air, making many buyers wonder if foreclosures are dwindling down right now.

A decreasing number of foreclosure listings in 2013
A careful look at foreclosure rates shows that there is currently no end in sight to the current foreclosure crisis going on around the country. So, if bank foreclosure properties continue to abound, where have all the foreclosure listings gone? Buyers searching for listings on the web and in newspapers are coming up dry and wondering what to do.

Several factors contribute to the disappearing foreclosure listings. However, they are still accessible to homebuyers if they know where to look. For buyers despairing over the seeming disappearance of bank foreclosure properties, RealtyStore.com can help. This website offers a one-stop site for foreclosure listings and so much more. Instead of searching other places for listings in vain, homebuyers can easily search through the large database of listings by state, county and city, with the option to use the website’s advanced search option.

Not only does RealtyStore.com provide buyers with an excellent resource for finding bank foreclosure properties, but their database offers many other nontraditional property listings as well. If buyers don’t find the perfect foreclosure property, short sales, for sale by owner and even rent to own listings are also available.