You have decided that it's time to look for a new home in Charlottesville Virginia.  With so many homes out there you want to be sure that you don't miss any.  So where do you start?

It would be a good idea to employ the services of a Virginia real estate professional.  They can act as your buyer's agent and since their commission is paid by the seller they will, in essence, be working on your behalf for free.  Some people will argue that not having an agent will mean you can reduce a home's price by the amount of their commission, but this is not true.  

When a home is listed with an agent the listing agreement clearly states the total commission that the seller will pay.  This total is usually split between the two agents 50/50.  If there is no agent representing you the seller is still obligated to pay the entire commission per the agreement.  So the listing agent gets paid more and you have no one to negotiate on your behalf.

Sponsored by: Charlottesville 1st-Time Home Buyer

Using a real estate agent means that they have up-to-date access to all of the information available.  Unfortunately, if you try to rely on the internet you will come across homes that are no longer available.   You will also certainly miss homes that were not even placed on the internet at all.  Some Charlottesville Virginia agents only list homes in the listing services that agents have access to.  They totally rely on agents to find their listings in these services.

An agent can also do all of the legwork for you.  This includes setting appointments, gaining access to any home and knowing what to say and what not to say to sellers and agents.

Don't try to find your home by driving around, either.  You are not only going to miss something, but you may see a home you like and it might already be under contract.  Then you have gotten excited for nothing.

Newspapers and magazines are even worse.  The information is outdated in magazines, and newspapers may delay publishing an ad until a certain date.  By the time you see it in the paper it may already be gone.

To learn more about the process of buying a home in Charlottesville Virginia, you can contact Fulton W. Gaylord with Keller Williams Realty at 434-964-7474.

Sponsored by: Charlottesville 1st-Time Home Buyer