There is a House for You

Are You Fishing for a House?

There has been a lot of weird talking lately. Housing crisis, Mortgage Meltdown, Historical Foreclosures, Prices are going to drop, interest rates are going to drop, now is not a good time to sell, and my favorite now is not a good time to buy. In my opinion if you are in a position to buy it may be a good time. Prices have dropped, interest rates are good. When I bought my first house interest rates were 10.25 and the house prices were high. Everybody kept telling me wait prices will fall. Don't buy now. My point if you are thinking of buying anytime can be a good time. Don't listen to to many people there is enough confusion right now. Look at your options and decide for yourself.

Don't let your dream home fly away without making a informed decision. Check out what properties are on the market, get pre-approved to find out how much home you can afford. I believe there is a home for every budget. Will it be the perfect home? Probably not there are no perfect homes and as I have said before "Sticks and Stones don't make homes People do". The pride and fun is adding your personal touches to make your home perfect. Remember there is nothing wrong with stepping stones and buying up after all isn't that the philosophy out parents used. Some times if we listen to the right advise it makes sense.

My passion in this business is locating properties for buyers. Whether you are looking in the thousands or millions let me help you find the home that is perfect for you. Together as a team we can locate and iron out the details to make home ownership a reality and not just a dream.

Bye for Now,

Lisa

lgtiv@aol.com

Do You Think Your Clients are Happy?

Are you sure your clients are really happy? Do you keep in touch them and explain where you advertise their properties?
I live in Rhode Island which is honestly from my location approximately five minutes to Massachusetts. Therefore most of us are licensed in both states. In my neighborhood for the last couple summers there are been two properties for sale by owner. I know your saying well Lisa how come they are not listed with you and I agree. But there are a couple of reasons one being asking price (that is why they are on the market every summer). As you read on I am sure you will get the other reason.
One of the FSBOs recently listed his property with a very well known brokerage and as far as I know one of the top brokerages in the area. I drive home one evening and find the neighbors chatting across the street which is not uncommon so I go to say hello. Well I guess they were talking to the FSBO next door and he is ranting about his agent. As a way of showing his disappointment with the agent he pulled the signs from his yard as from what I understand to be a form of punishment!
Well there are always two sides to the story and most of the time I find the conflict and frustration comes from a lack of communication. Many agents in this area either belong to the MLS in Rhode Island or one from Massachusetts. This customer was very upset because his agent is from MA and therefore listed his property on the MA MLS and he lives in Rhode Island. Many customers don't understand that their property is exposed all over the Internet or where to find the listing on the Internet.
Considering the cost of advertising I would think it would be a benefit to send an email link to the customer so that they could see their listing. Not everyone is computer literate but with a little help they can find their way around the Internet. If placing an ad in a magazine explain that it could take up to three weeks depending on insertion deadlines and once published bring them a copy. I don't know - all I do know is it has been over a week and yup you guessed it still no sign on the lawn.
I had to write this because it bothers me every day when I come home. Not to mention the buyers who may be driving down the street because there is a sign posted at the top of the road and never really know for sure which property is for sale.

Almost Hit One Out of the Park

This in my opinion would have been the grand slam of a real estate transaction. A young couple looking to purchase a home was referred to me. They were anxious and looking to meet the next day so I happily rearranged my schedule to make an appointment. They were looking for financing so I also arranged for a mortgage originator to attend the meeting. Big Thank You to the mortgage originator for being readily available. Everything was falling into place.

The next day we met went through the normal (if any real estate transaction can be classified as normal) routine questions, disclosures, and the such waiting for the mortgage originator to arrive. This couple was so on top of their game it was incredible. They knew the property they wanted, they were informed, and had all the paper work to apply for a loan. The mortgage originator was also impressed he left with all the information he needed and felt confident they would qualify for the mortgage. They were very happy and wanted to put in an offer right away. I was like wow. I went to print the purchase and sales agreement, yeah I know most of you use an offer form first not in Newport County, and proceeded to call the listing agent for the sellers name. All of a sudden my grand slam turned into a triple as I was informed that the listing agent had procured the buyer because they attended an open house and had attended a second viewing of the home along with her parents. He asked if they had an agent as I had. In May of this year Rhode Island passed a new law of agency which adds to the confusion. I sent them back to the listing agent to complete the offer. Boohoo for me Hooray for them the buyers I mean. They were so happy and I wish them the best. I'm glad I could help in some way. I only hope they get the representation they need and deserve. I am very confident with the mortgage originator and I can rest assured that he will help them every step of the way. Like a friend of mine often says some days your the bat and some days your the ball. Next time I'll be the bat.

Coastal Village News

Life in New England is like the weather in New England ever changing. Real Estate is much more than buying and selling property. It is about lifestyles, information, service, and location. Up to this point I have been letting you get to know me so you feel comfortable working with me. I hope I have demonstrated my love for this area, the value of dedication, loyalty, honesty, attention to detail, and the importance of family. Now it is time to let you know about the location. An example of this is in an article by Alex Kuffner staff writer for the Providence Journal "Big Developments from Tiverton to East Providence" written in Dec 2007. http://www.projo.com/ri/warren/content/EB_DEVELOP_12-26-07_EN893D5_v59.22b5344.html

Recently I had the opportunity to visit The Carnegie Abbey Club mentioned in his article. The Carnegie Abbey Club is a private sporting estate all about living well and having fun. Offering golf, tennis, equestrian and maritime pursuits. What impressed me most besides the history of the land, attention to detail, and services (to many to mention) was the focus on family. Nobody has been forgotten at The Carnegie Abbey Club. IF this lifestyle appeals to you then I encourage you to research this sporting estate.


CRMC just approved a Marina in Tiverton article offered by: http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/76482.html?content_source=&category_id=10&search_filter=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=&town_id==

Allowing 74 slips this will be the largest marina in Tiverton. Nice addition to this coastal village. Jimmy Buffet cruised the waters of Newport to participate in the Newport Folk Festival this year and next year the Folk Festival turns 50 (see article link eastbayri).


Westport's Horseneck Beach gets a face-lift article provided by Marc Munroe Dion of the Herald News. http://www.heraldnews.com/news/local_news/x390636082/Horseneck-Beach-gets-a-face-lift


As a Life long resident of Tiverton it is nice to see the improvements being made to the coastal villages in this area. It is in my opinion one of the most beautiful places to live. Offering rich history, the best seafood, farmer's markets, antique shops, art galleries, and best of all four seasons. Minutes from the ocean, close to the cities for a change of pace, and not far from the mountains to observe the Autumn foliage and into winter for some of the finest winter sports.


For available property in this area leave me an email giving me an idea of what you are looking for in a property and I will be happy to provide you with listings. As I mentioned before real estate isn't just about buying and selling it is also location and service. When working with me you will never be alone in your pursuit for a home. In the meantime I will be adding a list of my favorite magazines, places, and keeping you up to date with what is happening around our coastal villages.

Sign of the Times

It has been a very weird summer. The 4th went off without much of a bang. I mean to say not the usual amount of fireworks. The last two weeks although have been very busy. Brimfield was just shortly after the 4th. I made a slide show to display just how hard these people work. There is one last show before next year. For the schedule visit http://www.brimfield.com/.


After a long week in the field at Brimfield's Antique show we returned home. Brimfield is very similar to camping at times with more work if that is believable. So we sat back tried to enjoy the day, cleaning the yard, having a little camp fire. Low and behold here come the police and the fire trucks. A couple weeks back we had a camp fire and the police and fire trucks came then too. Apparently sometimes the wind just blows the wrong way. The person complaining made sure we had the rules which we were following the second time we had a fire. So there went that little bit of fun. Guess everyone is feeling the stress.


So missing the grand baby the weekend we were at Brimfield we decided to pick her up for the weekend. It was a very hot weekend and I can't seem to keep that kid out of the water. I wish I could say the same about the boats. She is 1 1/2 and has no fear of the water. She is now relaxing eating grapes pushing her feet on me as I try to type this.

So lets get back to the boats. It has been one of the hottest weekends of the summer so far and not many boats were in the pond. Gas prices getting everyone down. So to the point. Everything comes in cycles and I feel we are in a down cycle. On a positive note there is only one way to go "up". I just went to a real estate class and as you know we are always taking classes. Things are changing in this business also. People, your salespeople and brokers work hard for you.

Buyers please get pre-qualified if possible before you start looking for a property. Whether you are looking for a 100,000 or a 1,000,000 dollar property it seems to becoming the standard. We are not trying to insult you or questioning your ability to buy. You demonstrate that you are serious about buying when you are pre-qualified and believe me things are changing and it is getting more difficult to obtain financing. When Freddie and Fannie are stumbling a bit it does raise some concerns. There are some new proposed criteria for financing which I will try to post as soon as possible.

Sellers try to listen to your salespeople and brokers they have your best interest at heart. They know their areas and they are the best at pricing your home to sell. Both of you have the same interest - to sell your home. If they think you are pricing your home to high it is their job to tell you so because you want results and so do they, not to mention advertising is very costly. Let me tell you they work very hard for their clients. It doesn't do anybody any good to have a property on the market for a year or more.

Lastly, don't get discouraged we are all in this together. Buyers there is a house for you and Sellers somebody wants your house. Lets work together and negotiate the best for both interested parties.