A Web Site Made Just For Your Street

“If only I knew what my street was like before I bought the house!”

Ignore the statewide statistics, forget the city figures.  Phooey to the neighborhood.  Reinforcing the notion that all real estate is local, meet Street Advisor, the definitive guide to America’s many streets.

Unfortunately, there just hasn’t been enough helpful information catalogued just yet to make Street Advisor a powerful force.  That doesn’t mean you can’t be the first, of course. 

Participate in the Local Expert program, or just share what you for the fun of it. Leave comments about your block’s restaurants, upload photos of the streetscapes, and write about recent real estate sales activity.  As Yelp is to local businesses, Street Advisor is to, well, streets. 

Stop by and add to your street’s official Street Advisor review.

Choosing The Right Real Estate Agent – Part 2 of Buying Your Home

Once I provide you a Pre-Qualification Letter I’ll will be happy to recommend a few real estate agents who can help smooth your transition into the new neighborhood. Your real estate agent can:

• Help you establish what you want in a home.
• Search the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and other resources for homes that match your needs.
• Show you appropriate homes.
• Provide valuable information on communities, comparable values of neighboring homes, tax rates, and building code regulations.
• Help you formulate an offer on the home you want to buy.
• Act as an intermediary between you and the seller, smoothing the negotiating process.

Interview at least two or three real estate agents over the phone. Tell them what you’re interested in and ask if they can provide some additional information about area schools, taxes or some other special interest. Then see how quickly they respond and how accurately they follow your request.

In addition to having experience in the area where you hope to buy your home, the real estate agent you choose should be easy to talk to and show that he or she understands your wants and needs.

Once you’ve selected a real estate agent, stick with that agent even when you’re looking at homes listed by others. Your real estate agent will cull through the local listings and is familiar with the homes available in your chosen area, even if they are listed by another real estate agency. Contacting a different real estate agent simply because you’re attracted to a home with a “For Sale” sign or advertisement listing their name is counterproductive when you’ve built a level of familiarity and trust with your selected agent.

Choose Your New Neighborhood

Location is an extremely important factor in determining your long-term happiness with your new home. The right real estate agent should be able to give you a lot of information in this area. Here are a few things to think about on your own, so you’ll be able to discuss them with your agent.

• Do the schools meet my needs?

• Is the commuting time acceptable?

• Are there good public recreation areas nearby?

• Will I like the nearby grocery stores or services? Am I willing to drive out of my way regularly if I don’t?

Previous posts in this series:

• Hunting For Your New Home – Part 1