Buyers: As a buyer, it usually costs nothing to hire a real estate professional to help you find and purchase a home--your Realtor will likely get a portion of the commission paid by the seller. When choosing an agent, get referrals from friends, relatives, and co-workers, and then interview as many agents as possible to find the one for you.

Sellers: Some homeowners think that selling their own home will save money and give them an advantage. Here are a few reasons why using a real estate professional is important: 1) You will drastically limit your exposure to potential buyers, which means it can take between 10 and 15 times longer to sell your home, usually resulting in a lower selling price. 2) Most buyers find negotiating with sellers extremely awkward, and therefore avoid FSBO's. 3) Most buyers use a Realtor in their home search, and most buyers' agents will typically not work with FSBOs because they will not be paid. This means you will have to offer a selling commission to attract buyer's agents, which cuts into your expected "savings." 4) Lack of negotiating experience can result in a lower selling price, or worse, possible lawsuits. 5) If you plan to use a lawyer to help you negotiate, your lawyer's fees could be considerably higher than a Realtor's commission. Unlike Realtors, lawyers do not get paid for proactively representing your best interests or mediating delicate situations. 6) You only pay a commission to your Realtor if they successfully sell your home.

Buying real estate is a complex matter and can be especially confusing for the first-time homebuyer. Do yourself a favor and learn as much about the process as you can before you begin. There are plenty of resources on the Internet, and a majority of my clients are first-time homebuyers. I can describe the process to you so you understand what to expect each step of the way.

Your first step is to figure out your finances.

That means determining how much money you can raise for your down payment and how much you can afford to pay on a monthly basis. Go to a lender to find out the size of mortgage you qualify for and get pre-approved. Better yet, use a mortgage broker to find you the best mortgage rate possible. When calculating the costs of home ownership, remember to plan for homeowner's insurance, property taxes, private mortgage insurance (if required), utilities, repairs, and maintenance. Call me for lender references.

Exposure: When selling your home, you should select a real estate agent who can expose your property to the biggest market to ensure the fastest sale at the best possible price. I will expose your property to multiple websites, including the MLS, national and local websites, here on my personal website, Zillow, Craigslist, etc. I will also advertise your home with yard and neighborhood signs, flyers, direct mail, as well as ads in various newspapers and real estate publications.

Pricing: Sales statistics show that properties that are initially priced too high eventually sell for less than properties that were correctly priced in the first place. Also, over-priced houses, especially in today's market, can take months or even years to sell. Properly priced houses can sell in a matter of weeks or even days. Today's market is ever-changing. Call me today to set a confidential interview and to discuss the market evaluation of your home.