Finding the perfect real estate agent: What you need to know

There are many great Morley area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (231) 856-4456 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Most consumers don't realize that they need the correct representation from a real estate agent, and this will depend on whether they are buying or selling a home. When you call a number listed on a sales sign, you will likely be speaking with a listing agent. Sure, they'll know all the details of the home being listed. but they work specifically with the buyer and reflect their own interests. With that said, let's take a look at the different types of agents to see what they do for you in the buying or selling process.

• Seller's agent: This person's loyalties reside with the person selling the property, and it is their job to sell it for the best price and the fairest terms.

• Buyer's agent: This person stands in opposition to the seller's agent, and he/she tries to get the best available price and terms for the buyer.

When buying or selling a home, it is extremely important to get the appropriate agent to represent your interests. Your real estate agent will coach you through inspections, give insight on how to offer a fair price to a selling agent, and help explain your title insurance to you.

If you're looking to buy or sell a home in Morley, MI, I want to represent you. Give me a call or reach out to me over email and let's set something up! Let's Move! 

(231) 856-4456
Mary@PeacockTeam.com

2013 was big - will the upward trend continue?

Welcome back and happy New Year! I wanted to take this time to thank you for a great 2013. Our numbers came in and we exceeded our yearly goal and it’s all because of you!

With 2014 here, you might be wondering what is going on with the real estate market. While I don’t have a crystal ball, I can let you know about some predictions we have for the upcoming year.

•    Home sale prices will stabilize
•    Inventory will remain low
•    Interest rates are expected to increase to 5%

If you are thinking about buying or selling, now is a great time and we would love to help you out with that!

Should you sell during the holidays?

The holiday season is here and lately a lot of people have asked whether they should wait until spring to sell their home. While waiting may have been the case a few years ago, with technology and our always on the go lifestyle, motivated buyers are still out looking for the perfect home. Plus homes show great during the holiday season with all the lights, decorations and cooking.

Get your home on the market now. If you have any questions, please give me a call. Thanks for watching and have a wonderful day!

Happy Thanksgiving

As we approach Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to tell you how appreciative I am of you for being my clients. At this time of year, it is nice to step back and share your gratitude and thankfulness with people in your life that have helped you move forward and with new friends you have made. I wanted to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.

The Peacock Team and I would like to personally thank you and wish you a safe and blessed Thanksgiving.

Understanding the Home Loan Process

Welcome back to my video blog! Today, I have with me Melissa Rau from Top Flight Financial. She’s here to help us understand the loan process a little better.

Tell us about the process.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is to be patient. The process can be lengthy.

When you first apply we will need some basic information: full name, address, phone number, place of employment, income and assets. With that information we are able to pull your credit and run numbers to see what programs you qualify for.

After the purchase agreement, what documentation is needed?

Once the purchase agreement is fully executed, we need the past two years of W2s, a year-to-date pay stub, your federal tax returns and two complete months of bank statements. These are then submitted to underwriting.

How long does it take from purchase agreement to the time they can say it’s theirs?

It really depends on the type of financing, but you can expect nothing less than 30 days. If you are with a government program it can take longer.

Explain more about government programs.

Rural Development is a great program that offers low interest rates than FHA or conventional financing. However, the process can take longer because it can be contingent repairs and appraisals, etc. The mortgage insurance is also significantly lower on government programs.

What is mortgage insurance?

Mortgage insurance is for when you don’t have 20 percent down on your financing. It is considered somewhat of a risk for the lender. Mortgage insurance helps insure that if you default on your payments, there is another company that will help pay. For Rural Development and FHA loans the insurance lasts the life of the loans.  Conventional loans require mortgage insurance up to 78 percent of the home value.

Thanks for watching everyone! I want to thank Melissa for joining us today and if you have any questions please give me a call!

Overpricing your listing

Welcome back to my video blog! Today I wanted to talk about a mistake a lot of sellers and agents make: overpricing.

Your home gets the most exposure within the first 2-5 weeks on the market. It’s vital that during this time your home is a competitor. How do you do that?

Choosing a fair price that is appealing to buyers. Even if you price over just 5-10% you can eliminate a whole pool of buyers. When a home sits for too long, the house develops a stigma; buyers think there must be something wrong with the home.

Let me help you determine the best price for your home. I can do a market analysis and from there we can gather what your competitors are listed for, how many other homes are on the market, etc.

Thank you for watching!