Apartment Hunting (or heck on earth)

I don't want to always try to be educational in my blogs; sometimes I think I will just have to make observations on life. I have been hunting for a new rental for several weeks - most intensely the last few days and I just have to say that I have a whole new appreciation for housing hunting of any kind.......

I have been told a few untruths, I have been pressured - sometimes nicely, sometimes not! - and I have heard disparaging things about competitive properties. I have been bewildered by the complicated incentives and specials.

After just 3 visits- and visits entail telling your life situation, filling out an information card, and baring your personal financial details - I know I was exhausted. Let's not even talk about the physical process of the model tours and demonstrations!

I just want to say to all of my current and future customers that I have been reminded of how tough it is to visit new home communities and how tiring it can be to view anything more than 3 homes at a time; whether resale or new.

May I be more understanding, patient, gracious, and empathetic tomorrow!!!!

The Perfect Home is Hard to Find

So you want a new home and you know that you have more choices today than probably at any other time in the last 20 years because there is so much on the market.......

As you shop, you use the internet, your Realtor, the magazine you picked up at the store last week. In fact, there is so much to look at you almost get overwhelmed before you ever leave the house and give up on the whole idea!

Just as an example, there are 22,127* homes for sale in the Nashville multiple listing service. Where do you start?

When you buy a new home, you're trying to change the way you will spend the next phase of your life. Consider that even with the thousands of choices out there, you will likely not find the perfect home. You will not get 100% of your wish list granted. You will probably have to sacrifice something in order to get "that unbeatable deal".

If you choose to have your next home built instead, it will be closer than anything else available because you will have input. You will get to choose the floorplan, the colors inside and out, the countertops, the cabinets, the homesite, the community, the school district, etc. etc. etc. Many folks have also found that is a slightly less daunting task to visit several local builders than to sift through the thousands of resales out there.

And because it is a buyer's market, you're still going to get the best deal possible today.


*7/17/2009

Builder Incentives

So, often the first question we are asked in today's market by the homebuyer is "What are your current incentives?" The answer is, "What's important to you?"

We all know that many (not all, but many) real estate transactions today are going to involve some negotiation. The trick is to make that negotiation work best for you. If the builder automatically lops a dollar value off the price, is that really what helps you achieve the ideal solution? And it should be viewed as a solution because no one buys a new home unless there is a problem or stress to be solved.

Here are some of the creative ways that builder incentives can be used (tailor to your situation!)

1) Paying off a current lease so you can move now and take advantage of today's market
2) Assisting you with mortgage payments for a time on your current home if it takes longer to sell than you thought
3) Put the incentive towards the interest rate or mortgage insurance - often a lower payment is achieved that will remain the same for thirty years than if the money just came off the price
4) FREE OPTIONS! If your dream kitchen or fabulous outdoor living space is your problem to be solved, wouldn't you rather have it for free?

While we're in the buyer's market, make it work for you - it'll work for us, too!