Even if you are working with a real estate agent to help you find your perfect home, you will more than likely continue to conduct your own searches as well. After all, it is only human nature to wonder if there might be a great house out there that your agent has overlooked. When browsing through listings and when conducting drive-bys through neighborhoods, however, there are a few things you need to keep in mind in order to prevent yourself from getting disappointed.
Exploring Newspaper Listings
Unless a newspaper listing says that it is a “new listing,” you will likely be able to find the same home online or in the MLS system. In most cases, you will find a whole lot more information about the home if you use these sources instead. So, go ahead and look through the newspaper if you like, but turn to the Internet to learn more about the home that has caught your eye.
To find the listing online, visit the online edition of the newspaper and see if it contains a link to where the listing is located. Or, visit the listing agent’s Website if you know who it is and conduct a search for the property on that site. Of course, if you are working with a buyer’s agent, the easiest option is to simply call your agent and ask him or her to look it up in the MLS so you can get the information you need about the home and can set up an appointment to see it if it is still available.
Examining Magazine Listings
Nowadays, you won’t find too many homes listed in magazines. This is because it can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days for the magazine to actually get out to the public. Therefore, if you find a listing for a home in a magazine, the chances are pretty good that the home is already sold. In many cases, agents who list homes in magazines really aren’t concerned about selling that specific home. Rather, they just want to get buyers to call them so they can try to land them as a client. Therefore, if you already have a buyer’s agent and you don’t want to have to worry about dealing with another agent trying to sell you a home, it is best to call your agent to find out if the home is still available.
Conducting a Drive-By
Driving through your preferred neighborhoods and looking for “For Sale” signs is another good way to look for potential homes to buy. Even in this situation, however, it is possible that the home has already been sold and the sign just hasn’t been removed or the agent hasn’t put a “Sold” banner on the sign. If the sign says “For Sale By Owner,” it is still a good idea to have your agent contact the seller. This way, you can be certain all of the paperwork is in proper order and you can get the assistance you need with negotiating the price.
Ryan Lynch is part of the http://www.jimolenbush.com/ Austin realestate team. Their brokerage specializes in http://www.jimolenbush.com/central-austin.htm Central Austin and neighborhoods such as http://www.jimolenbush.com/bryker-woods.htm Bryker Woods.
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