Real Estate Newsletter March 1999

Your REALTOR:
Bonnie Fagoh
March 1999
Buyin' or Sellin'....Call Bonnie Helen! (Fagoh)(813) 390-7606
Copyright © 1999 Realty TimesAll Rights Reserved.
Your Home for Sale: What is Your Buyer's First Impression? One thing is always true - you never get a second chance to make a first impression. That's why the first impression your buyer has of your home is critical to how the whole transaction goes, or even if a transaction will take place.
What's the first impression your buyer has of your home? Is it inviting? In good repair? Clean? Attractive?
Buyers tend to judge homes by cost and "move-in" quality - the less they have to do to move-in, the better and the more they are willing to pay. A home that looks like a lot of work will cause the buyer to make a lower offer or none at all.
What can you do to assure that your home makes the best first impression?
Mortgage RatesNational averages as of February 26, 1999:
30 yr. fixed: 6.79%15 yr. fixed: 6.42%1 yr. adj: 5.67%
Get today's rates
Polish the front door knob, wash the glass/door and sweep front step area.
Clear away any debris or clutter from front door, inside and outside area to make entry to home seem more spacious and to allow freedom of movement for more than one person.
Open windows daily for a few minutes to exchange stale air and/or cooking odors, mildew/moisture from hot showers and laundry.
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Wondering What Your Home Is Worth?Let me show you.
Where Does Your Agent'sLoyalty End? In every state, these days, the real estate broker is required to explain, early on, just who he or she is working for.
What difference does it make?
Plenty.
And whether you use a buyer's or seller's agent, you can make your real estate transaction much more effective if you understand the legal fiduciary duties of an agent.
While there are at least half a dozen such duties, the three that are most important to you are confidentiality, obedience and notice, all owed to the agent's principal, otherwise known as the client.
To take the first, confidentiality: the seller's agent is obliged to keep the seller's situation confidential. The buyer who asks a seller's agent "Do you think
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Both Buyers and Sellers Benefit From Inspections A home inspection can offer assistance to a seller who is trying to provide accurate disclosure and a home inspection can assist a buyer in understanding the condition of the home.
The laws of many states allow the buyer and seller a few days to complete the professional property inspection process during a home sale transaction. The results of the inspection can impact your current negotiations and delaying the process could have legal ramifications.
If a buyer delays the professional inspection process, his refundable deposit money is put at risk. Closing escrow without the benefit of a professional inspection, the Buyer and Seller will stand alone to defend and resolve unforeseen problems in the home. These situations are avoidable, in a practical and legal sense, by completing the professional Home Inspection process within the 10-15 day contingency period.
The inspector
A professional inspector is third-party, independent of the transaction, although "strongly recommended" many times
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In Defense of REALTORS® If you are buying a home with an FHA loan and were able to borrow well over last year's ceiling of $87,000 you can thank the National Association of REALTORS®. If you were able to sell your home last year and keep up to $250,000 of the money tax-free, again, you can thank the NAR. Do you like deducting your mortgage interest rate off of your federal income taxes? Once, again, you can thank the NAR, who lobbies constantly on this issue, that you still can.
You may think the world's largest trade organization is just out to promote its own membership, but you'd be wrong. The NAR and its members, REALTORS, have often been misunderstood and underappreciated. The focus of the organization is instead on its consumers.
The NAR spends millions of dollars promoting home ownership annually in promotional campaigns and by taking political action. For the entire 1997-1998 election cycle, NAR's RPAC donated nearly $2.73 million to federal candidates and political committees alone, making it one of the top twenty-five most influential lobbying groups on Capital Hill.
Lobbying to protect homeowner rights is the number one legislative focus of the NAR and puts the NAR at the forefront of many economic issues. Most recently these issues have included raising the
CONTINUED >>>Local Market Conditions
Daily News and Advice -->Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.
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Bonnie Fagoh E-mail: bonniefagoh@century21beggins.comWeb: www.TampaCoastalHomes.com 813-390-7606
Century 21 Beggins Enterprises813-390-76066542 U. S. Hwy. 41 N.Apollo Beach, FL 33572
Equal Housing Opportunity


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