Welcome to the CIP Real Estate Show
David introduces the show, shares some of the topics that will be discussed over the coming weeks and asks for your participation on the show by calling in and joining us on Facebook http://on.fb.me/fc2AZ2.

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How to Choose the Best Real Estate Agent
David shares advice on how to choose the best real estate agent for your specific needs.

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Your home is not just a property, it reflects what you cherish and hold dear and it is the place where you should feel most comfortable. Usually it is also part of a larger neighbourhood and community. In this post we tackle the factors that go into choosing a good neighbourhood.

When you buy a property you aren’t just getting a house but is buying into a particular locale with features you consider valuable or even vital. Whether it is a good location that is near to work or your children’s school and possessing activities you enjoy, like shopping, sports, fine dining, nightlife; or for its aesthetic qualities; good beaches, nature and scenery, panoramic views, tranquillity or green spaces.

Create Lists

What you will need is a checklist of everything that is important to you and your family. This list should have on all the things you value about where you currently live as well as those things important to you about potential neighbourhoods you are considering.

Look around at what makes your current community special or a place you called home. Decide if these are factors you want or that will be available in target neighbourhoods

After creating the list compare how closely each factor or neighbourhood is to your targets and to characteristics you found desirable.

Neighbourhood characteristics you should consider

Each person is different and has different likes and dislikes, needs and preferences. We each have our own perspectives on beauty, convenience and comfort. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ in home buying nor of what makes a ‘good neighbourhood’. A good neighbourhood for you would be one that suits your needs and unique lifestyle.  Some factors to consider are:

• Location, Location, Location!!!
  • Commute time to work and schools, and of course the traffic situation
  • Proximity and travel times to the school your child will be attending
  • Depending on your preferences proximity to amenities, recreational activities, shopping, retail areas, hospitals, entertainment spots, restaurants

• Type of community
  • Urban versus rural, would you prefer to live in a town house for example as compared to country? They both have their advantages and disadvantages.
  • What do you prefer a gated community, a large estate, condo or none of the above
  • Neighbourhood versus no neighbourhood

• People and culture – A community is above all the people who live there and the following are important.
  • Are your neighbours noisy or tend to throw large parties most weekends?
  • Are your neighbours sociable or hardly noticeable?
  • Does the community have many children among the same age as your own to play with?
  • Does the community have similar values to yours or at similar levels of income or social status?

• Other considerations
  • Is the neighbourhood safe and what is the potential for crime
  • Look at income and property values of the neighbourhood
  • Are they many vacant homes

Learning about the neighbourhood

Many of the characteristics above are important and help give you a good understanding of the neighbourhood. However, you shouldn’t rely on only a few sources to get information. To have a more adequate picture, here are a few additional suggestions:

• You might want to visit a neighbourhood in person as nothing gives you a better sense of what it’s like to move to new location than checking it out for yourself
• While visiting neighbourhoods you may have the opportunity to talk to residents
• If you have friends or co-workers that live in or near the area ask a question, you’ll be surprised to find who lives in that area or knows someone who does, with stories to share, they can provide good tips as well
• Neighbourhood reviews in newspapers and magazines
• Google it sometimes depending on the neighbourhood or area you may find some info on the internet

Final Words

Our final parting words on choosing a good neighbourhood and community. Above all do not just choose what friends, family or anybody else thinks is a good neighbourhood, you have to make that decision for yourself based on your own perspective.  However to ignore good advice and especially that from your agent would be to your detriment, always seek counsel from your agent as they have more experience in understanding what to look for in the neighbourhood.

When buying a home, it’s easy to get carried away and make snap decisions when you come upon your ideal property. But is it really your ideal home? It’s always best to be as thorough as possible before making that final decision. Here is a list of a few things you can consider.

Location
The location of your home is quite possibly the most important factor when it comes to choosing the right home. Consider the how close the property is to the city, ease of access to public transportation, your place of employment and the way traffic in the area would affect your trip to and from work or your children’s commute to school.

Financial Position
Most homeowners will need a mortgage when buying or building a home. A mortgage is a loan from the bank that will cover the cost of your home. When considering which bank to acquire a loan from, you will be informed of how much each bank is willing to lend you based on your credit score and income. Which gives you an idea of what you can afford when house hunting.

Size & Affordability
Having a spacious home with room to do as you please is great. But is that extra bathroom worth it? Is it in your best interests financially to buy a larger home? Before purchasing a home consider that the size of the property relates to its price, your loan and mortgage, utility bills and taxes.

Wear & Tear
Enquire about the age of the house and survey the property for damage like cracks and damp. If there are renovations to be made, consider the cost effectiveness of the repairing vs. choosing a different property. Seek professional advice about problems that could worsen in the future and get an estimate of how much you would spend on repairs.

Room For Improvement
Not every dream home is what you want it to be at first glance. But buyers who see the potential and have an interest in renovating and improving their property value should consider the space limitations and again, cost effectiveness of adding additional rooms to their property. Think about whether it would be better to buy a home with the space you need rather than building additional quarters.

Getting The Right Help
We’ve already talked about choosing an agent and what to look for, but the importance of having the counsel and assistance of a good real estate agent can’t be stressed enough when it comes to choosing your property. Buying your home is one of the biggest investments in any person’s life and mistakes made during the process can be detrimental.

When it comes to home renovations, 2011 is the year to think small. So in the upcoming year – when small will be the new big – how about putting a little do it yourself action on your list of New Year’s resolutions? The concept is simple: do one small home improvement project each month for the whole year. To aid you on your quest, we’ve assembled monthly projects for you to tackle in 2011. Each one is easy and cost effective to complete, and designed to add beauty and value to your home. Come year’s end you’ll have a brand-new home – without an enormous hole in your wallet.

February – Get Organized

There’s no need to scrimp and save for an extravagant renovation project like adding a second story. Simply clearing up the clutter in your home can double it in size,

March – Spring Cleaning

Don’t be overwhelmed by the thought of spring cleaning. Breeze through the mess by tackling it in a room-by-room fashion Wash windows and floors; polish furniture; clean bathrooms; dust light bulbs and light fixtures; tame clutter zones; and polish wood furniture. No time for a big scrubfest? Remember, you have a whole month – so don’t try to get all your spring cleaning done at once. Break it down and you can clean your home in just 10 minutes a day.

April – Clean Rain Gutters

Rain gutters carry away thousands of gallons of water from your house’s exterior and foundation walls. Your gutters are due for an inspection and cleaning before the heavy rains begin. Cleaning gutters is a simple DIY task and an important small project to complete, as blocked gutters and downspouts can cause rot and other water-based damage to your home.

May – Power Wash

Pressure washing is a fast and easy way to blast grime, mold and mildew off of your home’s exterior, decks, driveways, and sidewalks. Pressure washing is a potentially hazardous job, so stand at least three feet away from the surface you’re cleaning. Make sure to avoid windows, light fixtures, and anything else that could break under the pressure. If you’re not comfortable using the equipment, simply hose off the surface instead.

June – Clean & Maintain

Air Conditioning A properly maintained air conditioning system will run more efficiently, use less energy and lower your utility bills. For window air conditioning units, clean the filter and coils. You can also help to maintain your system by replacing your air conditioner filters regularly; this will cut down significantly on dust and allergens in the home. Also, clean the condenser and evaporator coil in the unit.

Look out for the July – December Projects in our upcoming posts!

Property is the largest and most important asset that many of us will possess in our lives, and represents the greatest portion of all our personal wealth or business capital. Deals involving real estate are some of the biggest transactions most of us will ever undertake and the value of such transactions cannot be understated.

Buying and selling property, and executing real estate dealings should be as straightforward as possible and can be if you find a good real estate agent. However, with so many agents out there specializing in so many different aspects of the industry, the process may sometimes seem daunting. So here is an easy way you can go about finding the agent that is right for you.

Where to Find Good Agents

In recent times, finding an agent is as easy as looking in the Yellow Pages or searching Google for agents operating in the area you want. However, when looking for a good agent that meets your specific needs, it requires a little more effort.

Word of Mouth Referrals
Ask around, there is a high probability that a family member, friend, neighbour or co-worker has engaged a real estate firm, was happy with the service provided and would offer a good recommendation.

Local Property Listing Publications
Local property listing publications such as The Barbados Property News tend to have the most extensive collection of ads. Check out firms advertising similar properties in the types of neighbourhoods you are interested in. Newspapers are definitely not an option to be overlooked.

Online
We are on the Internet, so too should any good real estate firm. A firm’s online presence sometimes speaks volumes about the level of professionalism, quality of services, specialty and expertise, and their experience level. With the emergence of social media, it is now possible to read comments and reviews from other customers about their different interactions and past experiences from the comfort of your own home.

Visit an Open House
After short-listing a few agents for consideration,you need a way to evaluate skills on the job. One of the best ways is to request a visit to one of the properties they currently have on display. It gives you a chance to see them in action by paying attention to the way they are presenting the home.

Characteristics of Good Agents you Should Look Out For

Your short-list of potential agents provides you with a starting basis, so feel free to engage them remembering that you don’t have to sign anything up front. Real estate deals should never be rushed and it’s sometimes better to shop around before making your final decision.

Courtesy and Professionalism
These skills are ‘gold standards’ in real estate and any professional service. As the client you should expect nothing less than a polite and patient representative demonstrating ‘professional conduct’.

What to look For: Your agent listens and is attentive to your needs; fulfils commitments to you (ahead of the sale); returns your phone calls and is on time.

Track Record
There’s no undervaluing a good track record. During the initial interview, the agent should provide documents indicating their record of performance. This allows you to get a feel of how they do business, their areas of success and their sales record or past accomplishments.

Guidance and Advice
The value derived from having a knowledgeable real estate agent to expertly guide you during the process cannot be understated. Every time you connect with an agent look at the way he engages with you. Are they taking the time to explain or go over terms and details with you? Pay attention to how willing they are to provide you with additional information at your request, to facilitate the easy flow of the deal.

Initial Assessment
A professional agent should meet with you initially to determine if your individual situation is in keeping with their service offerings and their particular niche and expertise in the real estate market. While the agent is reviewing your details, you should not only be assessing their performance, techniques and capabilities, but also soft skills like the ability to communicate, resourcefulness, listening ability and honesty.

Making the Choice
After separating the wheat from the chaff, you should now have your shortlist of superstars. All that is left to do is to choose the one that can meet your needs, happy hunting!

Coming Up in the Next Post

In this article we made you more aware of where you can find good agents and the characteristics to look for in good real estate professionals. Our next article will be taking an in-depth look at lending, where you will be guided through the borrowing process.
In the meanwhile, you can share any comments you may have with your fellow readers.

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David shares advice on how to choose the best real estate agent for your specific needs. Be sure to join us on Facebook http://on.fb.me/fc2AZ2

Tune into Love 104.1FM at 8:45am every Monday for our Real Estate Radio Show LIVE with our very own David Coombes.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

David introduces the show, shares some of the topics that will be discussed over the coming weeks and asks for your participation on the show by calling in and joining us on Facebook http://on.fb.me/fc2AZ2.

Tune into Love 104.1FM at 8:45am every Monday for our Real Estate Radio Show LIVE with our very own David Coombes.

Buying a house is one of the biggest financial transactions you will undertake in your lifetime and should not be taken lightly. When the going gets tough, it is important to remember the purpose of your search; to find the perfect house and turn it into the perfect home. Your home becomes your sanctuary where you relax after a stressful day, raise kids in comfort, and entertain family and friends. Deciding and agreeing on the right house can be a long and exhaustive process therefore start the looking as far in advance of your move as you possibly can. The search can be simplified by being methodological. Keep in mind there are as many houses as there are different tastes and needs for housing, therefore you will find your perfect home. Making the decision to buy or build is a personal and lifestyle choice but here is some information that will help you in your decision making process.

What kind of house do you want?

There are many options; remodels, pre-owned houses, custom built homes, and owner built homes. With a new built house you can choose a floor plan to suit your present and future needs. You can customize your house down to the carpet colour, window type and household gadgets; building a more efficient and effective house. Pre-existing homes offer more character than newer homes, but remember that a custom built house can have as much character and charm as the homeowner wants. Older homes tend to have more mature landscapes than new constructions, though to an avid gardener this offers a blank canvas to design a garden of your individual taste

How much money are you willing to shell out?

The cost of purchasing a pre-existing home is normally less by the square foot than building a new home. If you decide on building in a development don’t forget the hidden costs including association fees, and landscaping. On the flip side if you chose to buy a pre-existing home you may still have to update the house to suit your needs meaning more costs in the long run. If you have the construction wherewithal, easy access to supplies, and a source of labour for difficult parts of the home building process you can tailor your home for your needs and/or aesthetic tastes and potentially afford property in pricier neighbourhoods. Moreover, if you time the market accurately, not only might your property appreciate over time, but your home itself could serve as an attractive selling point years down the line when you are ready to move. On the other hand, buying an existing home allows you to move in as soon as possible and to take advantage of the architectural and aesthetic features that are already there. You can modify them at personal expense to get the custom fit house that you desire without spending weeks to months on construction. Moreover, you don’t need to have any specialized knowledge about construction to purchase an established house. New built and resale homes have advantages and disadvantages your task is to determine what you prefer and decide. Remember the correct answer to the build or buy is as unique as you are.