Benefits of owning A Residential Home
For many of us, owning a home is the fulfillment of the American dream. Purchasing a home is one of the biggest most important financial decisions most of us will make in our life. Owning a home is the freedom we get once we have achieved this major goal in life.
Homeownership gives a sense of independence, privacy and security. The satisfaction of a place we can call our own home, truly is priceless. Our own home is a place to raise our family and be a part of our community. It can be passed down to provide security for our children and grandchildren. Many Homeowners see substantial tax savings through federal income tax deductions on property taxes and mortgage interest. These tax savings partially reduce, or offset, the actual cost of owning our home. These tax savings are not available if we rent. Real estate continues to be a solid long-term investment for many of us.
Working with a professional real estate agent is a must
The advantages of hiring a real estate agent are plentiful. A highly trained and educated real estate agent will be able to sort through the dozens of pages of mostly fine print and make sure that our sale/purchase is done absolutely by the book. We are far less likely to have to worry about errors and omissions. If and when they do occur, a licensed real estate agent will have insurance to cover them, limiting our risks. In general, real estate agents have a network of sellers, buyers, professional contacts, including inspectors, attorneys, landscapers, contractors and other real estate agents to call on if necessary. Negotiation in selling/purchasing a home is an art. Most of us have little to no experience at all with that art. A good real estate agent will negotiate on our behalf, which could end up maximizing our profit and save us lots of money.
Marketing a home
Marketing a home and preparing a home for viewers is very important. It will not only ensure our home is sold faster, but can potentially add thousands of dollars to its value. Having a highly skilled real estate agent keeps us one step removed and makes us less likely to make stupid mistakes such as overpricing our home. A highly skilled real estate agent can take the sting out of the rejection and put a positive spin on any negative feedback. Experienced real estate agents can find out whether someone who wants to view our home is really a qualified buyer or just a dreamer who will waste our time. Real estate agents are trained to ask qualifying questions to determine the seriousness, qualification and motivation of a prospect.
Bottom Line
Selling or buying a home will likely be one of the biggest decisions of our life. We can try to do it alone to save money, but hiring a real estate agent has many advantages. Real estate agents can get broader exposure for our homes, help us negotiate a better deal, dedicate more time to our sale or purchase and help keep our emotions from sabotaging the sale or purchase. A real estate agent brings expertise, which very few of us have to a complex transaction with many financial and legal pitfalls.
