Larry Hansen

Hi Kevin,

I have a Canadian client that had the same question (and probably similar issues) just a shot while ago. We ended up using Milner & Markee, LLP. They specialize in immigration and nationality law and you can check them out at: http://www.milner-markee.com. They also have a phone consultation service that is quite helpful in dealing with long distance clinets. Hope this helps. I also have some info for Canadian buyers on my website at http://www.DesertAreaGolfHomes.com. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks.

Larry Hansen
Realty Executives
La Quinta CA
(760) 668-2486
Larry@HansenDesertRealty.com - Yesterday, 10:49

Hello Kevin,

I certainly understand your concern for not wanting to waste time in your search. I just did a quick search on MLS for homes currently listed for sale in Indio and came up with 802 current active listings.

One problem with trying to advise you on the "best neighborhoods" to concentrate your search in, is that each of the communities have different aspects that may be either a plus or a minus depending on you and your specific needs and desires. I have had many buyers start out wanting to look in one particular community only to end up buying in a different comunity. In fact, one of the first things I like to do when working with a buyer that may be unfamiliar with the various communities is to simply drive them around teh various communities and mention some of the pros and cons before we even begin looking at specific homes for sale. I would also mention that La Quinta is just next door and therefore in the same general vacinity as Indio, so this may affect your decision as well.

Bottom line, my advice would be to come here with expectations of spending at least a good part of the first day having an agent drive you around to gain some familiarity with the different communities and what they have to offer with respect to your particular needs. You can still stop at a few homes in each community however the serious home searching should begin afer you narrow down what areas and communities you like best.

Before you come however, it helps greatly to let your agent know your general search criteria in terms of price range, sq. ft., number of beds / baths, furnished or unfurnished, etc., so he or she can do a preliminary search and have some listings selected ahead of time in each of the areas. This can be narrowed down and revised as you go (and often is) but at least provides a good starting point in looking for some attractive deals. Best wishes in your home search and of please contact me if I can be of assistance in any way.

Larry Hansen, Broker-Associate, e-PRO
Realty Executives
Ph: (760) 668-2486
Email: Larry@HansenDesertRealty.com
Website: http://www.DesertAreaGolfHomes.com - Fri Sep 5 2008, 11:01

Hello Roger,

Some will say this is not the best time to sell with so many homes on the market. I don't necessarily agree, particularly when you are selling a home and then buying another home elswhere. Being a "seller" in a down market means you may not get as high a price for your current home as you might have a few years ago. However, being a "buyer" in this down market, after your current home sells, means that you will likely pay a much lower price for your next home. Assuming the market does not change drastically during the time between selling and buying, you should come out fairly even.

There are a lot of homes for sale right now, as you are problably well aware, and the average home is taking longer to sell than in a more normal market. However, the length of time a home may sit unsold depends a great deal on the condition of the home and how it is priced relative to other similar homes for sale. Since you will be turning around a buying another home, you have the luxury of pricing your current home agressively to sell, and then being equally aggressive in buying your next home at an equally good price.

The procedure is fairly easy. Your first step is to find a real estate agent to list your home for sale. (I suspect you will get quite a few "offers of assistance" from real estate agents right here in response to your question). Choosing the "right" real estate agent is important and the best advice I can give you is to ask for references of clients they have worked with recently (preferably in the last 6 months), call those people and ask them how they liked working with their agent, and would they hire the same agent again? You might be surprised at some of the answers you may get. This is a difficult market right now and some real estate agents are having more success than others due to a lot of factors, including how hard and how "smart" they work for you. While the old saying, "the harder you work the luckier you get" is still true, it is also true that "the 'smarter' you work, the luckier you get". Make sure you hire an agent that is taking advantage of all the technology available today, and in particular the internet with an effective internet marketing program. You may want to look for a real estate agent that is "e-PRO" certified meaning they are recognized by teh National Association of Realtors as being "Internet Professionals".

The listing process is also fairly easy. You will need to sign a Residential Listing Agreement which sets forth the listing price and other terms and conditions in marketing your home for sale, including listing it on the local Multiple Listing Service ("MLS") where it will have exposure to all other real estate agents that are working with buyers and looking for property. Once you get an offer, this is when the real work begins for your listing agent, to make sure all the required forms and disclosures are done properly and timely, that everything goes smoothly during the escrow process and that you are being properly represented in an ethical and professional manner and not being exposed to unnecessary and avoidable legal risks in the sale of your home.

Best wishes in the sale of your home and your move to Arizona. If I can be of any assistance is helping you list and sell your home here in La Quinta, please feel free to call or send me an email.

Larry Hansen
e-PRO and Broker-Associate
Realty Executives
La Quinta, Ca 92253
(760) 668-2486
Larry@HansenDesertRealty.com http://www.DesertAreaGolfHomes.com - Sat Jul 12 2008, 14:31

Wow! You sure asked a great question! (And one that is sure to generate a ton of answeres, especially from real estate agents!)

I recently posted the second blog in a series of three, on would only add that I have a 3-part blog series titled "Things To Do When Selling A Home". You can access these blogs on my website at http://www.DesertAreaGolfHomes.com (click on the "Read My blog! link). Will be posting the last of the series soon.

You have already received a lot of good advice. About the only thing I would ad is try to find a listing agent with good internet marketing exposure as this is where buyers usually start their home search. You may want to look for a real estate agent that is "e-PRO" certified indicating certified expertise in real estate related technology and internet marketing.

Best wishes in listing and selling you home - if I can be of any assistance please let me know. - Thu Jul 3 2008, 11:00

Hello Jesse,

Very interesting question indeed. One would hope that "any" agent you might choose to work with would posess the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. However, as you probably know (and why you are asking the question) is that this unfortunateley is not the case. It is very easy to get a real estate license. In fact, it is probably too easy. It is not so easy, however to turn a "license" into a successful career. "Referrals" from past clients, as well as friends and associates, are extremely important to one's long term success as a real estate agent. They are also a good reference as to integrety and professionalism. If you are from out of town and don't know anyone that can provide you with a referral, or if you are checking online and come across an agent's website and decide to contact them, at some point you may want to ask them for references prior to working with them.

You are also asking specifically about "buyers' agents" rather than real estate agents in general. Therefor, it is likely that you already fully understand the differences between buyer agents and listing agents. While agents often work with both buyers and sellers, a good buyer's agent will spend a lot of advance preparation time doing a thorough MLS search for properties that meet your specific search criteria, preview as many of these properties in advance as they can, and then concentrate on showing you the best of the best depending on your needs and wants. Quinte frankly, some agents are simply better at this than others, even though they both may a high degree of integrety and professionalism. There is also a growing trend these days for sellers to offer additional bonus incentives to agents to show thier properties. This is very disturbing to me, because I want to show the property if it meets my clients needs, not because of the extra bonus incentive, and when I come across one of these listings, I want to make sure my client is aware of the extra showing incentive up front before seeing the property. Even then, it is disconcerting and I wish sellers would not do this. Finally, I would add that in your search for integrety and professionalism (and an agent that can do the best job in meeting your needs), than you don't place too much emphasis on their professional background prior to becoming an agent. Good, successful agents come from all walks of life and from many different previous careers. In my case, I retired early at age 55 from a successful career as a CPA and was heavily involved in mergers and acquisition activity. However, while this is certainly helpful in making sure all the documentation is done timely and correctly, it does not necessarily make me a better buyers agent than someone else with an entirely different background. Some of the best and most successful agents I know, have backgrounds totally unrelated to business, finance or being MBA's. They just understand how to "listen" well to what a buyer is trying to tell them and are very good at finding that right property, and just as importantly, they know how to get the deal through escrow successful by monitoring the process carefully and solving problems quickly and effectivley as they arise - which they often do. If you happen to be looking in the La Quinta area, I would be happy to discuss your needs in further detail and see if I might be the right agent to assist you. If you are looking in other areas, I would be happy to provide some referrals for you. There are a lot of very good agents to choose from - you should not have any difficulty finding a good one. Best wishes in your home search.

Larry

(760) 668-2486 - Thu Jun 19 2008, 22:13