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Health & Fitness

WILL THE INTERNET HELP ME WHEN BUYING OR SELLING A HOME?

By Ken Urman, Realtor®

A critical question seldom asked by home buyers and sellers is how to use the Internet when buying or selling a home. It is an important question. The Internet has become a critical factor in shopping for most products and services. However, buying or selling a house is not the same as buying a new pair of jeans. The Internet can be an important tool for real estate sales, but the wise buyer or seller recognizes the need for a local experienced professional Realtor/Broker.

It makes sense to conduct some research on the Internet. This includes:

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1.       Exploring and comparing home costs in the communities surrounding your new place of employment.

2.       Researching the communities in the area in which you plan to relocate. You can learn a good bit of helpful information about the school systems, community amenities, property tax rates, local activities, etc.

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3.       Explore the types of architecture most common in a particular community.

4.       Research job opportunities in a city or area.

5.       Find a list of Real Estate Brokerages in an area.

Finding the right home for your family will be easier with the help of an experienced professional local Realtor. A Realtor provides a trained first-hand look at properties you discover online. Many factors affect home pricing and average time to sale. These factors are not explained on websites.  Nor will a website provide information about recent events or the history of a property’s ownership.

The valuable knowledge and insight provided by Realtors/Brokers includes:

·         Ability to function as the client’s “wingman,” and provide a needed buffer or filter between other agents and Internet data.

·         Knowledge or ability to research quickly if properties one might identify online could be under contract by the time one is able to connect with a Realtor.

·         Provide a deep knowledge of neighborhoods or answer questions about the community, schools, etc. adequately. Realtors are very knowledgeable about the facts and about the history and residents of a community. Websites cannot do this.

·         Knowledge of the area and has seen what properties have sold. They can function as a barometer of property value.

·         Evaluate asking to sale prices based upon improvements and square footage of a house.

·         Internet sources cannot evaluate views (very important in the Seattle-Bellevue-Lake Washington area), curb appeal, amenities, etc. Many desirable attributes are very subjective and do not fit well into internet site algorithms. Here, the experience of the Realtor cannot be duplicated.

·         Understands the market conditions that govern asking prices and time for sale. A website cannot bring this information to a buyer’s or seller’s attention.

·         Ability to identify the challenges homeowners may face with particular properties, understand the challenges, and propose solutions.

·         Have strong working relationships with other service providers, such as inspectors, appraisers, lenders, other agents (to find listings),and trades people for repairs. These recommendations are typically faster, safer, and more reliable.

·         The Internet has no way to reconcile inconsistencies in data. A Realtor will persevere until the inconsistencies are explained and resolved.

·         It is easy to skip over a property worthy of consideration when conducting an Internet search. A good broker considers many aspects of a property – often aspects that are not apparent from a website.

·         Visiting properties and neighborhoods is critical. Things like walk scores and neighborhood reviews will never reveal the true flavor and color of a neighborhood or street. Buyers need to visit, sample and taste!

Particularly in a market as competitive as Mercer Island and the communities surrounding Lake Washington, it is important to use the Internet correctly – for preliminary research. With that information in hand, and with your agent and brokerage research to guide you, contact an experienced professional Real Estate Broker to guide you and to protect your interests. Good Internet research in conjunction with a good (boots on the ground) Realtor is still the best way to make your home sale or purchase a very successful experience.

If you are considering buying or selling a home, please give me a call after you do your Internet research (206-230-0833 or 206-499-4948). I am deeply committed to serving the best interests of my clients. I would be delighted to sit down and talk with you about your short term and long term real estate needs.  By the way, I’ll bring the coffee.

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