Falmouth real estate, Cape Cod real estate listings

What Buyers Must Know

1. STOP calling on ads! They are created to make the phone ring and most often the leads go to a new or inexperienced agent in a conventional real estate office.
2. Don’t select your agent from a house advertised in a newspaper or Cape Cod real estate magazine ad or an open house you might attend.
3. Interview and ‘Hire” your Buyer’s agent. Take the time to select the right team in the beginning. Read 10 reasons to hire Deborah Schilling’s Home Team, and Why do you need a Buyer’s Agent. Do an “online interview” at the Agent’s website, and see what services the Agent will provide for you.
4. Be honest about your timetable, budget and commitment to purchase Cape Cod real estate. An experienced Agent will very quickly sense a Buyer’s uncertainty. Deborah Schilling’s Home Team can and will help you work through questions and changes in your purchase strategy and timetable, but only if you are candid with us.
5. Don’t be pushed into buying any house. The Deborah Schilling’s Home Team will look for properties that match your needs and budget, and if we have done our job, you will be confident in your selection.
6. Sell your property first; then buy your next home. In this current market, it makes sense to connect with a strong Listing Agent (such as Deborah Schilling’s Home Team) to sell your house, and enlist our services to help you purchase. No one is more acquainted with the details of your situation, and more capable of knowing how to make the sale dovetail with your purchase.
7. Get pre-approved, not prequalified. In a Buyer’s market, it is even more important in the negotiations to be able to use your strength as a Borrower as a negotiating point. A Seller may be willing to accept a lower offer with less contingencies, and even in Buyer’s market, the best properties may have more than one interested Buyer!
8. Don’t ask for too many opinions. Of course, you want reassurance in such a big decision, but too much input may make a good decision impossible.
9. Remember, there is no “right” time to buy (or sell). Trying to “time” the Cape Cod real estate market is as difficult as “timing” any other purchase or investment. If the ordinary person was able to do that, we all would be retired and wealthy!
10. Do some market research, by “logging on” to Deborah Schilling’s Home Team website at www.capecodishome.com, and accessing the Cape Cod and Islands Multiple Listing service. If you work with Deborah Schilling’s Home Team as a Buyer Client, we will provide you with an in depth Market Analysis for your properties of interest.
     

10 questions to ask your prospective Buyer’s agent

1. Are you a member of the Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors, and the Cape Cod and Islands Multiple Listing Service?
2. Do you have the Accredited Buyer Agency (ABR) designation?
3. How long have you been representing Buyers looking at Cape Cod real estate?
4. What is your primary market area?
5. What is your personal sales volume in this market area in the last 5 years?
6. What is happening in the Cape Cod real estate market right now? Are prices declining, rising, or stable? What is likely to happen in the next 3-6 months, based on your experience?
7. What is the average ratio of Listing price versus Selling price for Cape Cod real estate now?
8. How are you compensated for your services?
9. Do you personally show me properties, provide me with a “roadmap” of “to dos” to direct me through the paperwork and deadlines, and manage the transaction to the closing?
10. Can you introduce me to reputable professional services, personal care and health care providers, home maintenance and service contractors during and after my home purchase to make my move or relocation smooth.?

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