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a copy of the ‘Contract of Purchase and Sale’ and Addendums that you will encounter when you have found the right home. It is a good idea to become familiar with these documents.

      I also provide you with copies of all the documents you have signed.

      If you have not been pre-approved for a mortgage, it is best to schedule an appointment so that we can verify the price range and avoid any disappointments at a later time.

      You also have a broad selection of properties that you can review.

      You may wish to do some drive-bys and/or select some you wish to see. Once you have made your choices, let me know and I will set up the appointments so that we can start the selection process.

       Making Appointments for Showings

      Once you have selected the properties you wish to see and call me, I then arrange for the appointments. Depending on local customs and/or arrangements the listing REALTOR® may have made with his seller, I either call the listing REALTOR® or the seller to arrange an appointment to show the property. There is usually a window of approximately two hours to attend the property during which time the seller is gone. Potential buyers are much more comfortable viewing homes when the owners are absent.

      I have worked in cities where the use of lock boxes was not the norm so this meant picking up keys from real estate offices -- a much longer process. But in many areas, lock boxes are used and this makes the showing process far more convenient.

      In order to be able to work within the required time frames, I have to plan my route in a logical fashion and also anticipate how long my clients will take to look through a home.

      If the properties are within adjacent municipalities, I may be able to show between 6-8 homes if they are on lock boxes. I usually verify to see if my client is comfortable with that range. When I have an out of town buyer who has time constraints, I have often shown double this number of homes. This requires an early start and late finish with lunch on the run!

      If my clients consist of 1 or 2 people, I prefer to take them in my car so that I can get some feedback on what they have seen -- what they like and dislike. This helps me to better understand the kind of home that might be suitable. Otherwise, they simply follow me in their own vehicle since meaningful discussions become difficult in a group setting.

       ‘Shopping’

      On the appointed day, you meet me at my office and I hand you a clip board and pen as well as a ‘tour’ sheet of properties where you can record key elements of the properties you see to help you remember them later. I have already programmed my GPS with all the addresses for the quickest routes from one property to the next and we are ready to ‘go shopping’!

      When you first start to view homes, you have a vision of the new home in mind. In fact, you have described it to me at our first meeting. Most of the time, one single home does not have all these desirable elements. As you view one home after another, your vision begins to change and the focus becomes more realistic. By the end of one day’s viewing, you have gathered some good insight into what is important for you to have in a home.

      I generally suggest that you do ‘plus and minus’ list for each home you have seen. This helps you sort out which home you may wish to see again and helps you to select other homes to view. I also check to see if any other properties have come onto the market place in the past couple of days that we need to put on our ‘shopping list’.

      If during the first day’s viewings, a home doesn’t rise to the top of your list, I suggest that you select others you would like to see and give me a call so I can set up further appointments.

      It takes perhaps 2 or 3 outings before a client is ready to select one on which to make an offer. Frequently the home that is selected was viewed on the first day. But viewing others simply confirms that the first choice is the best choice. As a REALTOR®, I have to respect my client’s decision making process and timing. In most instances, this is all within the framework of reasonableness. Extreme unreasonableness is rare but has to be addressed and resolved.

      It is worth noting that in a fast market where many buyers are competing for the available properties, sometimes you don’t have the luxury of time. In those instances, I have warned my clients that if they have found a home they really like, they should seriously consider placing an offer immediately. That really sounds like a ‘pushy’ REALTOR®!

      Nevertheless, it had to be said. Some wanted the extra time to discuss the property over the course of the evening and then decided to make an offer the next morning. Unfortunately, the property had sold the previous evening. The search then continued and the mind set adjusted to the circumstances.

       The Offer

      After all the viewings and evaluations, you have made your selection and are now prepared to make an offer. You have already looked over the blank Contract of Purchase and Sale and the Addendums that I included in your Buyer’s Package. I will now go over the major parts -- primarily the parts that have to be completed.

       Price

      To help you decide the price you will offer, I provide you with all the information available to that point. I obtain the Property Assessment for this property, the listing history as well as current and more recently sold similar properties in the area. This will enable you to evaluate the asking price of this home and determine if the price is within a normal range of similar properties in the area you are purchasing.

      I am happy to participate in the discussion and lend my experience to the situation but ultimately, the price offered is your decision.

       Property Assessment

      I answer any questions you may have as you deliberate. One of the questions is generally about the dollar value of the property on the assessment. An assessment is not the same as an appraisal. Assessments are used as a base for property taxes.

      In BC, property assessments reflect prices as of July 1 of the previous year. In addition, year-to-year adjustments are based on a formula and not by inspections. For these reasons, assessments do not reflect market value today.

      Not all regions utilize the previous year’s information. Ontario, for instance, uses the same base year for four consecutive years. This certainly increases the distance between assessed value and market value.

       Property Appraisal

      A property appraisal can be done any time by inspecting the property. For residential properties, the direct comparison approach of similar properties is utilized. The appraised value reflects market value on that day. An appraisal loses accuracy and validity over time because of market changes.

       Deposit

      I recommend that a respectable deposit be included to demonstrate the seriousness of your offer. The deposit forms part of the selling price and is generally returned to the buyer if a satisfactory agreement cannot be reached. The usual process for releasing the deposit and the contract is through the signing of a release by both seller and buyer.

      The deposit is usually held by the real estate company as a stakeholder and not for the benefit of either the buyer or seller. In many jurisdictions deposits are required by certified cheque or bank draft.

      In some areas, the custom is not to take a deposit until all conditions have been removed. This is not my preference. It has been my experience that sellers look much more favourably at an offer with a deposit, and even more favourably when it is a generous deposit. When I am representing my client, I want to ensure that his offer is seen in the best possible light. A good deposit accomplishes this.

       Contract Dates

      I then cover all the dates that appear in the contract.

      Of course, there is the date you write the offer. Then we discuss the date you would like to have the keys to actually move into your new home - the possession date. Once we

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