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Finding the Right Real Estate Agent:: A Guide for Seniors
When considering buying or selling a home, seniors have a special set of needs that may not apply to others in the real estate market. The first time home buyer has a certain set of needs. Young families with small children have another. Seniors fall into a whole different category. It is important then, to make sure that the real estate professional you choose has the ability to meet the needs of the senior buyer or seller. Most agents are simply interested in putting your home on the market and getting it sold. But there is much more to the process than that. Seniors need an agent who is willing to "go the extra mile" to make the transaction as stress-free and hassle free as possible. Senior sellers may be in the process of "scaling down", moving to a smaller home or an assisted care facility. Your agent needs to understand how to help you to figure out what you will need to take with, and suggest ways to dispose of excess items that won't fit in your new environment. Your agent should have suggestions for companies who can organize estate sales, garage sales or help you organize a charity to pick up items which may not be needed in the new setting. Seniors may have lived in their home for a number of years and not understand what people are looking for in today's market. Your agent needs to know what the market may demand. If you are selling a home in a 55+ community other seniors may not demand granite counter-tops and the most updated appliances. A simple fresh coat of paint may be all you need to make the property appealing before putting it on the market. Other markets will demand more upgrades, or a sales price adjustment, which the right agent will advise you on. Seniors may have owned their properties for a number of years, resulting in numerous tax implications. While Real Estate Professionals cannot give you tax advise, the right agent, working with your tax advisor should be able to advise you in ways of selling your properties which could result in less taxes or tax deferments. These types of sales need to be handled correctly to protect as many of the seniors assets as possible. The amount of equity you have in a property, the way title is held and whether or not property has been held as an investment all make a difference is the next step you make. Be sure your agent understands the implications of disposing of these properties. An agent dealing with seniors need to be understanding of special health needs which may be in the home. If health issues are a concern in your home make sure that you have an agent who will show compassion and concern in trying to show the home at convenient times for the family members with those special needs. Again, if you have an agent whose only concern is that they get the home sold as quickly as possible, compassion may give way to convenience- the real estate agent's convenience. When searching for the right agent, try to find an agent who has had experience in working with other seniors and those who have been in similar circumstances to yours. Let your "gut instinct" be your guide. If you feel pushed by an agent, or rushed, as though they don't have time for you, perhaps you don't have the right person. Once you do have the right agent- sit back, relax and leave the driving to them! Patti Phillips is a Realtor in the San Diego area. One of her specialties is helping seniors to meet their real estate needs. Please visit her web-site at http://www.PattiPhillipsRealEstate.com or call toll-free 800-680-9133
MORE RESOURCES: The talk show host pays $12 million for the 4,088-square-foot house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The ocean-view home sits on 1.26 bluff-top acres with beach access. In one of the more talked-about transactions in town, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have sold their Malibu beach house to daytime host and comedian Ellen De Generes for $12 million. The four-bedroom, five-bathroom house built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore lists for $2,875,000. A decorative cast stone entrance opens to this restored Spanish Colonial Revival-style house in Pasadena's South Orange Grove area. Built in 1920 for industrialist James Wigmore, the house retains such original details as coffered wood ceilings and arched doorways. They don't believe they can sell their property for what it's worth, so they're spending money on making their homes more comfortable. Do you fit any of these descriptions? A biennial research report by the National Assn. of Realtors indicates that a handful of real estate agents and brokers and their clients either don't know the law or don't care to follow it. When it comes to lawsuits, real estate agents and brokers tangle mostly among themselves. The president aims to help about 3.5 million people with good credit who are unable to refinance at historically low rates because their homes are worth less than their mortgages. Â The White House hopes to help millions of homeowners lower their monthly mortgage bill with a $5 billion to $10 billion plan to set up a streamlined refinancing program for people who are current on their payments.
The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 large U.S. cities fell 1.3% in November from October as foreclosures continue to drag down the housing market. Three straight months of home-price declines in the biggest U.S. cities showed that foreclosures remain a significant drag on a housing market that is entering its fifth year of deterioration. L.A. Clipper Chris Paul may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.
Karen Mena managed to get a foreclosure on her San Bernardino home rescinded. But she continues to negotiate with Bank of America over loan terms and could still lose the house. Foreclosure commonly represents the end of a struggle. A borrower can't pay a mortgage, loses a home and moves on. A.F. Leicht designed quirky Spanish Revival houses in Los Angeles as well as evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson's landmark Angelus Temple. His interiors often had irregular-shaped or curved walls, rooms or hallways. This Los Feliz villa, with rounded rooms, fancifully shaped living room French doors and elliptical master bathroom, captures his signature style.
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