How to Know If Your Real Estate Agent is Bad
November 30, 2010
Selling one’s home can be a pretty stressful experience, and throughout the whole ordeal, your companion would have to be the Real Estate Agent. He will handle the more delicate parts of selling your home and will be a major factor in the success or the failure of the sale. Having a bad real estate agent can ruin everything for you and may cost you several thousands of dollars. This is why you need to spot a bad real estate agent right away.
One of the tell tale signs of a bad real estate agent is unavailability. There are some agents who are pretty hard to contact and who always seem to be in a rush. If they’re not willing to stop for a while and entertain your questions, then they’re not worth your time. You’ll notice that bad real estate agents prefer to hand you bold promises instead of discussing the logistics at length. Communication is an important part of making the sale, especially since there are three parties who need to come to an agreement. If there’s a communication barrier between you and your agent, then you’re not likely to end up with a good deal at the very end, even if your house does get sold.
Another clue that your choice of an agent is poor is if he has a tendency to avoid too much information. Good real estate agents believe that the more information there is about a house, the better. Bad real estate agents, on the other hand, prefer to disclose as little information as possible. They prefer house inspectors who are not meticulous and are given to using broad and vague descriptions about the house’s qualities. Remember that there is such a thing called sin of omission, and to avoid disclosing details about the house is tantamount to such.
Next, try to notice if your agent offers useful advice or not. Good agents don’t keep mum about their opinions, even if they might be potentially offensive. Even if a piece of advice may upset you, the good agent will say it. On the other hand, the bad agent will keep feeding you platitudes in order to keep you happy and, of course, to keep himself in your payroll. On that note, agents who don’t offer advice are often apathetic and are less likely to be proactive in the process of selling your home.
Finally, just listen to your gut. If you think the guy is sleazy, then he probably is. If you think he’s lazy, then there’s likely to be a reason behind your impression. If you find that you need to raise your voice so that the agent will listen to you, stop and analyze your situation. Wouldn’t it be better to find an agent that suits you rather than stick with a bad one?
How to Find a Good Tenant in Scotts Valley
November 9, 2010
Most of the people in Scotts Valley have their own homes. However, the apartment market in the area is actually a booming business as well. Sometimes, it’s better to own an apartment complex rather than your own house, especially in the face of today’s economic climate. But though the idea seems wonderful, apartment owners actually have quite a number of headaches associated with their decisions. However, these problems can be easily avoidable if you just find the right tenants.
The first thing to do if you want to find the right tenant is to determine what sort of people you want to live in your apartment. You can choose to have a family live there, or maybe a group of employees, or maybe even a group of college students. Each kind would have its own advantages and disadvantages. Families are generally more stable and more peaceful, although families with kids can cause a lot of damage on the apartment’s fixtures. Young children, especially, can be particularly worrisome, especially if the parents aren’t strict. College students, on the other hand, can be particularly rowdy. Again, each type has its own pros and cons, and what you just need to do is to weigh these and choose accordingly.
Next, prepare a list of the documents that you want your potential tenant to present. This is where you’re going to determine whether or not the tenant has a fixed income and can pay the rent on time. As you can probably imagine, the biggest headache for apartment owners comes when its time for the tenants to pay up. At this point, some tenants would give excuses and what not just to avoid paying rent. You can avoid this problem by finding a tenant who won’t have a hard time scraping up the money to pay for the rent.
Finally and probably most importantly, draw out a contract with your tenant. Be specific. Don’t be afraid to delve into the nitty-gritty parts. After all, if you’re the apartment owner and they’re the tenants, you’re practically going to have to deal with each other for an indefinite amount of time. It’s better to get all the logistics done right at the very start in order to avoid future quarrels. For example, if you need the rent at a specific time of the month, say so. Lay out the rules for apartment maintenance as well so that there won’t be any annoying, not to mention avoidable, fixes to take care of.
All in all, the strength of a relationship depends on how you lay out its foundations. So, if you want to find a good tenant, be meticulous, be choosy.