How to “sniff” out the best homes in Maryland
November 26th, 2007 Categories: Maryland First Time Home Buyer, Maryland Home Buyers, Relocating to Maryland
If you are moving to Maryland then this story is for you.
You may have a home to sell where you live now, and you are un-familiar with Maryland. There’s the pressure of the new job, and possibly how the move will effect your family. You want the best value for your home and you don’t want to regret your purchase. You live far away so you need help…
You need a Real Estate Agent (Guide)
Your agent should provide more than listings sent to you via email and market statistics derived from the local multiple list system. And although it’s nice that he is willing to drive you around and look at homes you picked out, there is more to consider when choosing an agent from Maryland.
Is your agent willing to do the “investigative” work to help you “sniff” out your perfect home?
Read on to here examples of creative ways I have helped folks buy homes in Maryland while moving from other states:
First Time Buyers Moving to Maryland
A young couple was referred to me by a good friend. They were moving from California due to her job. We discussed price range, co-ordinated with the lender, and began showing a cross section of homes of different styles and locations. They compared single family homes in Catonsville to Townhomes in Ellicott City. They even looked at Condo’s in Columbia and Ellicott City. Catonsville really charmed them so we began focusing on Catonsville. We did a complete analysis of recently sold properties and produced a list of all available homes. The buyers didn’t have time to look at the rest of the available homes due to their flight. That’s where some extra groundwork was needed.
Solution: I had the buyer pick out their top 8 homes that they wanted to see based on the photo’s and virtual tours. Then, I took my video camera with me and previewed all homes. I created a narrated tape of my tour and sent it to them via email . Based on the video we were able to narrow down the home they wanted to make an offer on. They came back just once more to view the property, write the contract, and perform the inspection. I saved us a lot of time and provided extra value to the buyer. They spent this first Thanksgiving in his home in Catonsville.
Moving Back to Maryland
I am currently working with some really nice people who are moving back to Carroll County from Florida. They sold their home in Eldersburg not too long ago to pursue a career in Florida. Now they need to move back here but have home to sell first. They aren’t sure what they can qualify for and it’s important that their children can pick up where they left off in the Carroll County School Systems.
Solutions: of course I arranged for a Keller Williams Real Estate Agent in Florida to meet with the clients to sell their home or possibly rent it. And I arranged for them to speak with a lender to go over different scenarios. But, the most valuable thing I did was “ground level” investigative work on behalf of my buyer. I gathered 10-15 top prospects for the home buyers who specifically told me they wanted to live in Eldersburg. I then began calling each listing agent pro-actively to find out what the sellers situation was and to begin a dialog with the real estate agents. In particular, I wanted to know if any of the sellers would consider a rent to own agreement. I was surprised to learn that over half of the sellers responded that they would indeed consider a renting to own their home. I took notes of my conversations and shared them with the buyer via Google Docs. Now we have a better understanding and motivation of the sellers in the local market of Eldersburg. I will meet with him in the next week, and now we have a filtered list of homes to see along with background information on each.
So if you are planning on moving to Maryland make sure your real estate agent is willing to do the “ground level” work to earn your business. It may make the difference between finding your perfect home and having regrets later.
*Names and Locations were changed to protect the innocent! The storyline is true, and if you have any questions about buying homes in Maryland just give me a call. Scott Saghirian 443-799-7010.
5 Comments »
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Scott - Good job adding value for your clients moving to Maryland. Relocating can be hard enough when dealing with a new job, schools and all the other countless details that must be handled. Your clients are lucky to have you do so much leg work for them.
Did you use YouTube or some other video hosting service for the video?
–Bob
Comment by Raleigh Real Estate — November 26, 2007 #
Bob, thanks for your comments. In this particular situation I used Yahoo Messenger’s file transfer tool since the video was over 100mb. (You Tube’s Limit).
Comment by Scott Saghirian — November 26, 2007 #
There is no greater resource for buyers moving to a new area than a knowledgeable, caring real estate professional. For Maryland real estate, Scott has it covered!
Comment by Dothan Real Estate, Charles Woodall — November 27, 2007 #
Scott- You’ve provided valuable information for buyers considering a move to the Maryland area– it’s important that buyers find a true Maryland real estate professional in order to not only have the best experience, but to find the best deal.
Comment by ChicoHomeSearch.net- Sandi Bauman — November 28, 2007 #
Scott - You really go out of your way to make sure buyers relocating to Maryland find the very best home for them.
Comment by Indianapolis Real Estate-Paula Henry — November 29, 2007 #