ABR Designation
June 22nd, 2009
Categories:Off Topic
Why should you work with an Accredited Buyer’s Representative when you’re looking to buy your home?
The answer is really quite simple.
When you work with an ABR®-designated real estate professional, your interests as a buyer become the interests of your ABR®. That’s your ABR®’s business: working with buyer-clients like you to help make the home-buying experience as go as smoothly as possible.
Your ABR can help you:
- Define what you want and need in a home
- Learn about important neighborhood resources and market information
- Find the home that best meets your wants and needs
- Formulate your offer
- Develop your negotiation strategy
- Keep track of all the details throughout the entire transaction—to closing and beyond
The ABR® designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), and is the only designation of its type recognized by the National Association of REALTORS®. Established in 1988 and now numbering more than 50,000 members, REBAC is the world’s largest organization of real estate professionals specializing in buyer representation. REBAC awards the industry-recognized ABR® designation to REALTORS® after meeting the education and practical requirements.
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GRI Designation
June 22nd, 2009
Categories:Off Topic
Choose a GRI!
Make it the best move of your life… use a Realtor with the GRI designation. The designation shows the Realtor has taken an additional 90 hours of comprehensive education and passed subject exams over and above what an average licensee takes and is…
- A person committed to professionally market your home
- A person trained to understand and meet your needs and goals
- A person educated to work harder and smarter
- A leader in the real estate industry
- A person DEDICATED to QUALITY SERVICE-
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Educated. Professional. Committed. Motivated. Dedicated.
The GRI REALTOR
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CRS Designation
June 22nd, 2009
Categories:Off Topic
Why Use a Certified Residential Specialist?
The Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation is recognized industry-wide as the symbol of excellence in residential sales and is the highest designation awarded in the residential real estate sales industry. The most successful real estate agents are those professionals having the coveted CRS designation. The CRS designation singles an individual out as a leader in the industry. It confers upon that individual the highest level of professional achievement and recognition as the most experienced and educated in the specialized field of residential sales.
Less than 4% of all REALTORS in the U.S. have been awarded the CRS designation.
How can a CRS help me?
Every CRS has undergone a rigorous, specialized course of detailed training aimed at making residential transactions as smooth and worry free as possible
A CRS brings special qualifications to your needs:
- Membership in a local Board, State Association, and the National Association of REALTORS. Every CRS is part of a much larger network of real estate professionals.
- Successful completion of the courses leading to the Certified Residential Specialist designation, one of the most successful residential real estate education programs in the country.
- Every CRS is a real estate professional equipped with special expertise, thanks to advanced study in listing, selling, investment, tax and more.
- A history of demonstrated sales performance through the documented execution of residential sales transactions.
- Every Realtor must conform to the National Association of REALTORS code of ethics.
What this means is that when you work with a CRS, you’re working with someone who is more connected, more knowledgeable and more experienced.
What if my needs are special?
If anything about your transaction is special, seek out a specialist. It’s as simple as that. Only 4% of all REALTORS have earned the right to be called a CRS. Only 4% have developed special residential sales skills and enhanced their residential sales knowledge through study, dedication and experience.
A CRS can help you optimize your transaction by identifying better prospects, clarifying investment potential and helping you to understand the tax ramifications of your real estate transaction. It all adds up to one thing: better service.
What special qualifications does a CRS bring to my transaction?
Your trust in a CRS is well earned thanks to these distinctive credentials:
- A professional designation of residential specialty, the highest in the country
- A higher level of education in residential sales
- Professional affiliation with thousands of other real estate professionals on the local and national levels
- Up to the minute industry information, with respect to taxes, investment, legislation, and other areas of critical importance
- Local market knowledge and special residential expertise unique to your area
Put your trust in the best.
Get the job done right with the help of a
Certified Residential Specialist
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One Step Back, Three Steps Forward for Homebuyers
June 10th, 2009
Categories:Home Buyer Education, Real Estate News
According to the Census Bureau, one in eight adults between 25 and 34 years old are currently living with their parents. Money Magazine states “unemployment for people in their early twenties now touches 14%, vs the national average of 8.5%.” The rest of the article gives parents tips on how to handle the situation when children move back in, here’s the quick and simple of it:
- Don’t baby your babies
- Do help with the job hunt
- Do assist in exit planning
What about today’s homebuyers out there looking for a way to save money for a down payment? Wouldn’t this be an excellent opportunity to save money, pay off credit cards and possibly get a good idea of what home ownership would look and feel like?
If your a future homebuyer thinking about taking a step back by moving in with the folks, plan on taking three steps forward while you are living with the family again.
The Three Steps Forward
- Step 1: Pay off the credit card debt
- Step 2: Start saving for the costs involved with buying a home
- Step 3: Live in the shoes of a homeowner, you might be surprised at what you realize
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4 C's of Mortgage Lending
June 10th, 2009
Categories:Home Buyer Education
Although specific guidelines can vary from one loan program to another, there are four basic principles evaluated for each homebuyer. These are referred to as
the 4C’s of mortgage lending: Capacity, Capital, Credit and Collateral.
Capacity -
The ability to repay your loan based on your employment and income history. Your lender will look at the amount and stability of your income. Housing costs including property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance in some cases and homeowners association dues should be approximately 29% of your gross income.
Types of income that are considered will include: Read the rest of this entry »
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Gilbert Continues Attempt at Syncing Traffic Lights
May 11th, 2009
Categories:East Valley News
After a decade, $2.2 million Town of Gilbert dollars and $550,000 in federal grants, the Town of Gilbert still struggles to reduce traffic congestion through green-light synchronization. However, after they do expect it to be fixed about 12 months. AZ Republic has more information here.
Why Do We Care?
In the ideal world syncing all the traffic lights would mean the average driver doing 45 miles an hour would hit every green light. This would reduce the incentive for speeders as they would only get to the red light a little faster and have to wait there while everyone caught up. In more simple terms it would dramatically reduce the amount of traffic that builds up on the surface street during the heaviest traffic times.
Those Little White Cameras…
Ever wonder what the little white cameras on top of the traffic lights are all about? Read the rest of this entry »
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Queen Creek Home Values, Too Low?
May 11th, 2009
Categories:Real Estate News
According to the Cromford report, their data shows Queen Creek homes are selling way below 2004 (as well as 2003 and 2002) prices, in terms of price per square foot. The image below shows the data as it is represented by Cromford.
Side Note: Queen Creek saw a good deal of growth and expansion during the housing boom. As a result, data gathered on the housing market pre-real estate boom might be somewhat unreliable because the homes being sold are probably very different from what was being sold in 2002 and earlier. Queen Creek home builders also Read the rest of this entry »
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