Knowing the right questions to ask a real estate agent will help you make an educated decision when it comes to if you should buy the property or not. It’s never a good idea to walk around a home and make a decision based upon what you see. You must talk to the 30A real estate agent and discuss what they know about the home. Asking just a handful of questions can be the difference from buying your dream home to settling for something that is anything but.
How long has this property been on the market?
What does it mean if the property has been on the market for what feels like too long? It could mean that the price is too high. If you fall in love with the house, throw out there a number that you’re comfortable paying. Who knows, if the house has been on the market long enough, the buyer might snag you up on the offer. What you’re trying to do more than anything else is to gauge how serious the homeowner is about selling their house. You might find that the reason the house is still on the market is that the seller isn’t motivated to sell.
Do you work with both sellers and buyers?
It may be surprising to some, but real estate agents work with both buyers and sellers. Some people think that a real estate agent is only someone who works with those who are selling their home. Why does it matter if the agent works with both buyers and sellers? It’s important because it shows that the agent understands what buyers are looking for in the market. If the realtor only deals with sellers, they might have a skewed perception of the current housing market.
Can you walk me through the buying process?
If you’ve never bought a home before, the process can seem overwhelming. A great thing about using a real estate agent is, they can walk you through the process. It doesn’t matter if this is your first or your fifth home, the real estate agent should be able to first walk you through the process and then help you go through it. A great reason to use an agent is that they are familiar with everything that needs to be done to sell a home. The process can be quite tricky, but a seasoned professional will make it look like child’s work.
How much will the home cost me after everything is said and done?
As you probably already know, there are several different fees and taxes that must be taken care of when buying a house. The agent should be able to give you a ballpark figure of how much you will pay when it’s time to complete the transaction. You should be aware that there will be a slight deviance between the sticker price and what you end up paying. Ask the agent, and they should be able to tell you how much you’ll pay when the transaction has been finalized.