Friday, September 30, 2011

Fall is a Good Time for Furnace Maintenance

The cooler daytime temperatures of the fall season have brought even cooler nights. Therefore, many of us have already felt the chill enough to reluctantly go to the thermostat and click on the furnace.

Whether you're living in a newer home or if your furnace is as old as mine, over 24 years old, you'll be well advised to have it serviced soon. For all the sellers of Lawrence KS Homes, fall is the perfect time to have their HVAC units checked and cleaned.  HVAC units in Lawrence KS homes for sale that are vacant also should be serviced. It's recommended to have the A/C and heating units serviced in the spring and the fall each year. Therefore, if you failed to do it last spring you can still get some peace of mind by getting it done now.

There are so many things that could potentially go wrong with the HVAC unit inside our Lawrence KS Homes. Dirty air conditioning coils and filters could cause compressors or fans to fail prematurely. Bent fans can cause other components to fail or operate improperly. Corrosion of wiring and terminals can also produce major hazards. There have certainly been fires in homes for sale in Lawrence ks due to furnace issues. Clogged or blocked duct work can also lead to fire hazards.

Do yourself a favor and avoid these risks by having the HVAC unit in your Lawrence KS home serviced now. It'll save you money in the long run by allowing your furnace to operating efficiently. So go ahead and contact a professional HVAC company today. If you'd like a referral please call me and I'll provide the contact information for a qualified HVAC company. Also, if you have any real estate for sale in Lawrence KS give me a call. I'd love to show you my aggressive marketing plan and my record of sold homes for sale Lawrence KS this year. 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Why You Need a Buyer's Agent

I've been asked over and over again why buyers of Lawrence, KS Homes for Sale need an agent to help them with their real estate purchases? I find the reason for this question sometimes stems from the enormous amounts of information available to home buyers on the internet. The fact that buyers can find homes listings, property values, comparable data and sales information does not provide all one needs to know when making, what is quite often, the largest purchase of one's lifetime.

There are several other considerations which buyers may or may not be aware of. Much of the sales data on the internet is outdated. Sites like Trulia and Zillow are notorious for displaying outdated information such as sales data or current listing prices. Only a realtor can provide you with up-to-date and accurate sales data for Homes for Sale Lawrence, KS.

Many buyers just do not have the eduction or experience to interpret the sales and market data. For example I use absorption rates to compile and evaluate actual sales data that includes any seller concessions that might have been paid at closing. Lawrence, KS Homes for Sale data can be very confusing and buyers will do themselves a favor by making sure they understand it before making an offer on a Lawrence, Kansas Home for Sale.

Most buyers simply do not have the time to thoroughly research the housing market and may also not fully understand the best type of property to purchase based on their individual needs. It has been my experience that many buyers start out with a desire to have one type of Lawrence, KS Home or floor plan and end up changing their minds after looking at several homes with that plan. For various reasons buyers change their minds about their dream home once they start working with a professional.

Many buyers do not understand "buyer representation". So many buyers are surprised to learn that in many areas the realtor fees are all paid for by the sellers. So to have buyer representation costs the buyers nothing. The buyers also do not understand that the listing agents are legally obligated to the sellers of Lawrence, KS Homes to get them the most money and the best terms. The seller's agents simply cannot represent the buyer's interest. The sellers of Lawrence, KS Homes for Sale are counting on their agent to do their best to negotiate a great deal for them. Shouldn't you, as a buyer, get that same kind of representation? 

Most buyers are unfamiliar with the residential sales contracts and all the other legal documents that are utilized in the real estate transactions. A buyer can literally save themselves thousands of dollars by having a professional advocate working on their behalf. A realtor can keep a buyer from making mistakes that could get them sued or from buying a home that will cost them huge amounts of money, disappointment and /or regret.

Realtors can provide buyers information about lending and lenders. This is really the first step in the home buying process. If you as a buyer have not been approved for loan, then you are doing yourself a big disfavor by looking at homes before you know for certain that you can buy a home. Furthermore, until you've been approved you have no idea what price range you should be looking in.

Realtors can provide buyers with answers regarding the zoning restrictions and regulations, building codes that pertain to their new Homes Lawrence, KS, school information, neighborhood history and many other valuable data regarding the community. Location does matter and it matters most to home buyers.

Buyer's should do their homework before selecting a buyer's agent. Be certain that your choice of a real estate agent is based on the following criteria:
The person should be a "Realtor". A certified realtor will also serve you better if he or she is educated as well as experienced. Make sure you check to see if the person has gone beyond the state required education and has earned the designations such as ABR (Accredited Buyer's Agent),  CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) and GRI (Graduate of Realtor Institute). There are many other designations, but these are mandatory if you want the best service possible.