Posted by Annalisa Burgos | May 21, 2009
We typically think “going green” refers to one’s efforts to be more environmentally-conscious, whether it’s recycling products or reducing the use of natural resources. The barrels in the photo to the right, for instance, are used to capture rainwater that is reused to irrigate the landscape and garden of HGTV’s Green Home in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
In real estate, the green movement has created a new way for agents to market themselves. Introducing… the “green” real estate agent. And in this case, “green” doesn’t mean “rookie” (though we know many of those, don’t we?)
A green agent is basically someone who has gone out and taken a course on environmentally sustainable housing and gets certified. Many companies offer green certification, including the U.S. Green Building Council (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, designation), the Association of Energy and Environmental Real Estate Professionals (ecoBroker designation) and the Green Certified Real Estate Education Company (green certified).
While LEED is widely recognized, it’s unclear whether the other “training” options really transform you into a reliable green housing expert, but it’s out there and some agents are taking it. Also not sure if green agents charge their clients more for their expertise, but from what it looks like, it’s simply another way for an agent to stand out from his/her competition. It’s up to the consumer to decide whether the label actually adds value.
One thing is for sure. You won’t need a green agent to show you HGTV’s awesome new Green Home!
Take a virtual tour and check out photos of the home and read more about what makes the home green and its neighborhood Port St. Lucie.
The best part? You can get the beautiful Green Home for FREE! Enter once each day at www.hgtv.com/greenhome. Hurry, you’ve got til June 5 to enter.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | April 17, 2009
It’s time for another fun-filled weekend of open houses. As you brave the gauntlet of brokers eager to get your business, here are some great tips and worksheets on FrontDoor.com to help you with your search or sale.
Buyers – Hopefully, you’ve done your research and know how much house you can afford and what to expect in the homebuying process. Check out the listings on FrontDoor.com. When you see a place you like, add it to your list of “must-see” properties. If you’re working with a buyer’s broker, he/she should have compiled a list of homes for sale that meet your criteria. Before you head out, master these tips for what to know and expect at an open house. Print out FrontDoor’s Homebuying Checklist and multiple copies of the Home Tour & Open House Worksheet. Fill one out for each property you see and like. And don’t forget your camera!
Sellers – Your real estate broker should have broken down the entire selling process to you and explained how to prepare your home for the open house crowd. For your easy reference, print out FrontDoor’s Home Selling Checklist and the Home Tour & Open House Worksheet. Make sure everything is ready to make that great first impression. Now, it’s up to your listing agent to sell your home to the potential buyers walking through the door.
Speaking of open houses, don’t forget to watch Open House Sundays on HGTV, starting at 10:30 a.m. See how homebuyers and sellers just like you are working the real estate market.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | April 16, 2009
Selling a home is a challenging job racked with potential pitfalls. Those of us who’ve experienced those pitfalls know the misery. Well people, misery loves company!
FrontDoor.com wants to hear your stories about surviving a home selling nightmare! Did your home sit on the MLS for three months without one offer? Did your real estate agent list your home too high and you had to reduce the price every week? Did the professional stager charge you an arm and a leg for some new paint and candles? Did the appraisal come back lower than your sale price? Did the home inspection reveal thousands of dollars in necessary repairs and your buyer threatened to bail?
We want to hear about it! Email your home selling nightmares to egray@scrippsnetworks.com. We could feature you on FrontDoor.com’s new Pricing Your Home Guide, due out in May!
Everyone wants to get the most money out of their home when they sell, but you can’t always get what you want. If you really have to sell now, do the research so you can price your home based on fair market value and market trends. Be realistic. You may have to do a lot of compromising to get your home sold.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | March 27, 2009
I’m about halfway through my 75-hour New York state real estate licensing course, and each class gets more and more amusing. It’s like any other classroom setting — you’ve got the students who ask random questions (”why do we need to learn about property insurance?”), students who act like they know everything (”I’m a property manager so I already knew that”), and students who just observe and take it all in (that’s me).
Literally anyone can get a real estate license. All you need is to be at least 18 years old, pay about 500 bucks for 75 hours of training, and pass a school exam and a state exam. No high school or college education required. No hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition fees. No experience necessary. All you need is the dedication to get deals closed.
The housing boom may be over, but you can’t tell with how many people are clamoring to be real estate agents. And from talking to some of these people, many are looking to capitalize on one of the hottest buying markets in history. Obviously, this is the best time to be an industry insider.
When I lived in Knoxville, my husband and I wanted to buy a house and went house hunting several times a week. Being investors, we were often surprised to find that many of the homes on the market were owned by real estate agents. It seemed like the agents were buying properties from sellers, making superficial fixes and then putting them on the market at a higher price to make a profit, in one word — flipping.
In a recent class, the teacher said flat out, “This business is not about showing houses. It’s about investing in properties and building your wealth. That’s where the real money is.” And true enough, many of the students agreed that that’s why they’re getting their licenses – to get first dibs on bargains and position them for personal gain.
As we continued to talk about things like ethics and good business practices, I’m concerned about the ethical implications. Personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with agents who are in the biz to flip houses. Heck, if I find a bargain, I may do it as well. But where it gets murky is when an agent’s true intentions are hidden behind promises to be true consumer advocates. Like when a seller says he wants X amount for the house but the agent knows it’s worth more and buys it so he can flip it himself. Or when a buyer is looking at a house and the agent tells him it’s a great buy, though he knows it’s a flipped property. Agents who don’t make their intentions clear are at risk when the public gets wise.
The best way for consumers to protect themselves is to arm themselves with their own research and information. That way, they can tell the difference between a true agent and someone who’s just in for the flip. Ask friends and family for referrals and interview at least three agents before choosing one. Get to know the buying process with FrontDoor’s First Time Home Buyer’s Guide, which gives easy-to-follow, step-by-step information from evaluating your finances to closing escrow. We also offer tools to research homes for sale, cities and neighborhoods, recent sales prices, how much mortgage you can afford and more. It’s all incredibly empowering!
With all this information, today’s smart consumer wants a trustworthy, dedicated real estate agent. Even if an agent has his/her own investments on the side, quality customer service is still the benchmark of this profession.
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