National Buyer’s Agent Association Blog 

Whether it's a name spelled incorrectly, a buyer who forgets to bring a cashier's check or a last minute revelation of title defects, any number of glitches can spoil a closing. Some are just small glitches in a transaction that are easy to resolve and others have the potential to completely derail the deal. With a little work, preparation and education, you can prevent many closing difficulties.

There are many problems that arises out of no where during a closing procedure. There are always unforeseen problems in a transaction and a little foresight can go a long way in eliminating the preventable problems. You may want to ask these questions to see whether any common closing snags may be applicable to your transactions.

In these uncertain times, many home owners have had to face the fact that the current market value of their home is less than they once thought. Most of these home owners continue to pay property taxes based on that higher value. Higher taxes may also make a property less appealing and less affordable to buyers, since higher taxes will increase their overall costs, at least until the property is reassessed. The vast majority of taxing jurisdictions throughout the US assess residential property based on market value: the amount a willing buyer would pay a willing seller without duress. However, assessments are generally not reviewed on an annual basis, so a property's assessment will never be 100% of market value. To compensate, taxing bodies apply an equalization ratio, which is designed to ensure that assessments are relatively equal among different taxing districts to all assessed values. After a review with a residential broker or appraiser and a home's assessed value seems out of line with current market values, the home owner should undertake an investigation to determine what might have caused the incorrect valuation. There are a few steps for your clients to follow:

The national real-estate market has been in a slump and many homeowners are still scrambling to unload properties. Consumers are in a great position to save some cash by bidding down asking prices. In the often-complex process of buying a home, negotiations can be tricky and people considering do so should make sure they understand what they are getting into. Having an exclusive buyer's agent on your side to help you through the negotiating process is a very important first step. U.S. News spoke with five negotiation experts and came up with a list of some of the biggest mistakes you can make in negotiating to buy a house.

For many people when they are ready to move up into another home they must first sell thier current home. In order for their home to show its best sellers want to get thier home in its best showing shape. There are many household problems that you can fix yourself or with the help of your spouse. It will cost you a lot less if you try to fix these little problems yourself instead of paying a contractor to come in your home for twenty minutes and charge you for something that you could have done for much less. Problems like squeaky stairs and oil stains on the garage floor can be quick turn offs to buyers, but these common household troubles need not hold your listing back, especially if they're relatively easy to do-it-yourself. But if you run into a bigger problem, you may want to seek the help of a contractor.

There are low cost financing sources that can rescue a deal when buying a home. Sometimes the buyer is just shy of meeting all the financial requirements to purchase a home. Here are some sources and strategies that may help when you are buying a home.

In today's society, people want to personalize, economize and make the most of their spaces inside and out. Home owners are seeking style and comfort as well as making decisions in their homes that may save them money and are better for the enviornment. These home furnishings trends reflect current priorities and aspirations. Some of these phenomena will eventually fizzle, while others will become mainstays of the home. For now, they are attracting lots of industry and consumer buzz.

There are both Pro's and Con's to whether a short sale is the right choice for you. It is important to understand the short sale process. Although it's not always an easy path, a short sale can be an excellent solution to a homeowner who must sell and owe more on their homes than they are worth. There are a number of myths about short sales that have developed and it is important to understand the reality of it.

Saw this interesting article in Realtor magazine and thought to pass it on: Ten Myths about Multicultural Real Estate Clients Over 60% of all home buyers in America today are minorities according to the National Association of Realtors. There are over one million people from overseas coming into the U.S. every year and they all want to show families and friends they are successful by buying an American home.

There are common home-buyer mistakes that people make every day and you don't want to be one of them. You don't want to be one of those people with buyer's remorse after the closing asking questiosn like: "Did I put too much money down?" "Did the agent earn the commission?" "Should I have made another counteroffer?" "Is the house big enough?" "Can I really afford this house?" or the biggest question, "Did I get the right house or make a giant mistake!!" Buyers can avoid expensive mistakes if they take their time to do their homework and shop around.