All Forum Posts by: Joseph Chen

Aside from finding a motivated seller which was stated by @robert, hire an expert and let them find the  best seller for you. These people are trained and expert in scrutinizing sellers; being able to differentiate bad to good sellers. Many buyers find realtors by asking friends and family for recommendations. You can also find a realtor through an online directory.

HOWEVER, keep this in mind. Real estate agents perform a variety of useful services, including advising the client on the state of the market, helping the client view homes for sale, writing offers, negotiating with sellers, and guiding the buyer through the purchase paperwork. But conventional real estate agents have a big downside: they charge a lot of money. In many places, it's as high as 3 percent of the sale price. So, for example, if you buy a $400,000 house — the average price of a home in the New York metropolitan area — most agents will charge $12,000. Unfortunately, it's not easy to avoid paying this fee. You might think you could skip hiring an agent, represent yourself, and pocket that 3 percent fee. But that's not how the market works. Most sellers sign contracts promising their agents 6 percent of the sale price, with half the money going to the buyer's agent. Only another realtor — not the buyer herself — can collect that 3 percent fee. 

I believe that making an offer on a property is similar to playing a game of chess. :) And each party waiting to see what move the other party is going to make.  

• First, understand the rules and preferably make the offer in writing – this eliminates any confusion concerning what the offer and conditions were. 
• The negotiation process begins when you first meeting. During this "meet and greet" moment, make sure you have a clear understanding of the process and get the agent to explain how they intend to make an offer.
•  Know what price you want to pay for the property and work out your strategy to accomplish this.
• Study other comparable properties that have sold in the area recently.
  
• Understand the vendor’s motivation to sell, their preferred settlement date and any other information that may make your offer stronger
  
• Don’t rush offers if you don’t need to.
  

I am always looking for new apps that help make my life as a real estate agent easier. So lets discuss what everyone is using in their daily real estate lives. Please explain how you use it. For example, I keep reading that evernote is a great tool but nobody really explains exactly how it is used for real estate.

"She never called me once (even when she always promised to call me a certain time). "

This is the problem. She made a promise and she even told you to call at certain time. Promises always comes with expectations especially if you are dealing with serious matters. She should have told you that she cannot guarantee to answer your calls all the time for some reasons. Don't make promises you can't keep. Again, this is a serious issue. If told  a person that you will do this and that at a certain time, make sure you do it, at least.

I would prefer to rent it than sell it and take the gains. Your goal is to find a house/home where you and your family can live for good. Selling it out and looking for another home is not a good option. Later on, you will realize that you've never stayed in one place. Given the house's accessibility to various establishments is already a good reason for you to keep it. 

@Account Closed Thanks. I will visit your blog later,  man. And thanks for the tip about sharing blogs :)

Thanks @Jeff Rabinowitz I will explore some blogs here later. 

@Jon Holdman Thanks for informing us. Rules and policies should be strictly followed. :)

My website is currently on the process of developing onsite and of course, a blog section would be so useful for my business.  So, I was wondering what kind of topics specifically real estate topics should I write in it. Or should it only be about real estate topics? Any suggestions?  Can somebody share their blogs here so I can see how it is being done?

Thank you!

@davevisaya Thank you!

@Sonia Roberts Thanks. Glad to meet you here. Yes, saw your profile and confirmed that we're from the same place :)