Practicle advice for Buyers.

Buyers: When shopping for that agency, understand that we are going to ask you if you're pre-qualified to financially own a home.

• When we send you twenty listings that meet your criteria, five minutes after our initial phone call, this doesn't mean we're a "typical salesman", it means we're efficient.
• If you're a renter and need a place quickly: Speak up and tell us what you want so we don't take you to ten places that you don't like. We're not going to go out and just "look"; do this on your own time.
• If you low-ball on a Short Sale, it gets thrown in the garbage. Banks are machines with no feelings: Calling your buying agent asking if they're "on it" each day will get you nowhere and make you look like an idiot.
• When buying a foreclosure contingent on your approval for a 30 Year mortgage, it goes to the bottom of the pile on the asset manager's secretary's desk. Cash offers, even for substantially less than asking will always win.
• Don't ask us to lower our commissions: You don't ask your dentists for a discount.

Save yourself and us a lot of time and aggravation and leave a detailed message on our voicemail. "Hi, uh, it's 3am, I have a question", isn't a detailed message. When instructed very clearly at the beginning of our relationship, to call our cell phone always and to never leave messages at the office: Don't call our office and leave a message. Many of us drive great distances. Therefore we'll go straight to your house after sitting in our car for two hours at our last showing without stopping at the closed office ten miles the other direction.

Learn how to use a GPS and a cell phone when you're running late: you are not our only client. And it helps to have a sincere apology ready if you're over an hour late. If you are unable or unwilling to meet us at the property: call us and say so. Many of us can't work for free much longer.

The answer is "no". We don't enjoy going out at dusk "to look at the one from last week again". If we don't know you or have ever met you, we won't meet you anywhere but at the office.

• If you want to pay a professional to inspect the property before you put an offer in: that's your business.
• If your dream home is $500k and the bank will only give you $130k, guess where we're going to begin looking?
• If you're a commercial client, have an idea of your monthly budget before you call us.
• If you're a residential client: have an idea of your monthly income and outcome before you go to the lender.

Most rural and FHA backed home loans won't back a loan on a house that's uninhabitable/needs "fixing up". And most foreclosure owners/banks won't allow repairs before closing. Therefore you are wasting your time with the USDA to get that loan.

If you have a computer: Make sure it works. If your intent is to buy the house with another party, we need to meet them.

Just a few thoughts....