Hi, Larry:
I will be out in CO this winter doing my usual three weeks of skiing in Jan and Feb.
Great question. I made a dozen calls to agents a year or so ago asking the same question.
Except for one agent in Manchester, NH who continues to have a great conversation with himself with lots of spelling errors and more puff pieces than content, here is what I learned. NOT WORTH IT.
I continue to weigh in on questions raised in my area and although I can tell you that no business has resulted from the effort, I feel that I am giving back and adding a valuable viewpoint to a lot of the "pick me" contributions. I am starting to wonder whether the questions are legit. As Tom Cruise said, "Show me the money!" I just like giving consumers real content compared to some of the other blah, blah or non-local responses that I see go by.
I happen to do a lot with land and have been fairly happy with Landwatch.com Pro (all my listings, not just land). I have not looked at the pro/con of this site, but it generates a fair amount of traffic.
Here is what my office colleagues (fifty or so) and I think of Trulia. There are continually errors in the listing feeds, big errors. This cannot be our MLS system. Who has time to correct one's listings and check that over and over? When you complain, the first response is, "Sign up for Trulia Pro" Excuse me, but you are messing up my listings and adding to my wasted time while expecting me to jump on board. Thanx for the 'help." Trulia has to deliver a first class platform at the non subscriber level if they expect to attract premium subscribers.
Hey Trulia and Larry, give me a call if you want to chat. Chuck 603/677-2154... more
Billie,
The best time is when you are ready to pull the trigger. Maybe the question should be "Is now a good time to buy in Hampton?". As a Realtor who is involved in giving my clients the knowledge to make the most informed decisions, I am constantly researching the market data in as many towns as I can. My recent studies in Hampton have shown me that in the last four years Hampton and much of Rockingham County has not suffered the financially distressed home sales that Strafford, Merrimack, and Hillsborough Counties have seen. Therefore, Hampton has not seen dramatic price fluctuations and just the general nature of the seacoast properties holding their value well has supported Hampton. That being said the median home price in Hampton is at $275,000 today meaning that half of the sales are at prices below this and half of the sales prices are above. The average sales price is $302,331 in the last six months. Interest rates are as low as they will go, there are currently 280 homes and condos for sale, and values tend to hold steady. Is now a good time to buy in Hampton? You bet!... more
Christina,
Fair credit should work??????? Some of the best real estate values are currently coming from foreclosure purchases and banks like "cash" when it comes to these types of purchases. As a matter of fact, in many locations they will accept cash offers that are lower than financed offers with letters of pre-approval.
You find yourself in a very advantageous position by being able to pay cash or electing to take advantage of the excellent financing opportunities that are currently available. The nice this about your position is that you can hold your capital in reserve for future opportunutues/needs and/or choose to pay off the loan earlier if you so choose.
Our recommendation is to meet with several loan specialists to explore you options prior to making your decision. Your dilemma is a nice one to have....
Best wishes,
Bill... more
A large down payment is considered a compensatory factor for a mortgage. How low is your FICO and have you had a mortgage officer go over your credit to tell you what you need to do to get it up. That is one service I provide free of charge. Let me know if you need help.... more
Good Morning Brian.
The house at 33 Norton Road didn't sell, but is no longer available for purchase. Somebody just wrote a 12-month lease on the property.
If you're looking for recent sales data, the assessor's database can be quite out of date (sometimes 30 days +). If you're working with a Buyer's Agent, they can easily provide you with sales data for any property sold through MLS.... more
Do you have a professional negotiator working on your behalf?
Yes, the BPO is high but a skilled negotiator should be able to overcome that obstacle. I hope you are not navigating this this mine field without experience on your side.
TOM
Tom McGuirk
Weichert REALTORS Points East Yankee Trader
603-474-1040
603-944-6465 (C)... more
With the sparce sales in Beach Properties in Hampton, determining value may require correlating your property and its assessment with other SOLD properties and their assessments.
Pay NO attention to List Price to properties that remain on the market unsold for an inordinate amount of time. I am not recommending that the town's assessments are infallible but they do provide a good jumping off point when recent sales are unavailable.
Trust REALTORS who specialize in your particular neighborhood -- especially with regard to Beach properties. It is not unreasonable to claim that neighboring properties may have variance in value due to their proximity to the sand and ocean.
TOM
Tom McGuirk, Broker, Weichert REALTORS, Points East Yankee Trader... more
Foreclosures and short sales sell well below assessed value. Actually there are MANY homes selling below assessed value, that aren't in the distressed category in this market. Keep in mind you can transfer property to a relative for $5 if you want to. You can't always go by assessed value. You have to see the home, know the neighborhood, assess for flaws, etc.
Good luck.... more
I will keep this short and sweet.
When I am working with a lender and buyer, I have the lender make the approval apply to a specific property location with no mention of a price on it. It simply states that “buyer” is approved to purchase the property located at “x”.... more
Don is right. The market value is the one you should be paying attention to not the assessments or sellers wishes. Personally I think it is ridiculous that sellers get offended with offers. Their castle is probably someone else’s fixer upper.
So get the most recent comps and if you are not completely in love with the place start with the lowest option, if you love the place, than start someplace in the middle (between highest and lowest sold price in the neighborhood). Just like Don said they can take it, counter or be insulted and loose a buyer. If the place has been sitting on the market forever the agent is probably desperate to get rid of it since listings do come with expenses.
Also find out if they had any price reductions and how often. Chances are if they did not than they do not really want to sell, and, or are testing the market.
Best of luck... more