5/12-Social Media Update: At a Lewes Chamber Breakfast Meeting, Trisha Seitz, an Account Executive at Comcast Spotlight showed the membership, an Online Minute. Its amazing how much information is being uploaded - thats probably why the Internet has had such a huge impact on the real estate industry. While we all have different sets of priorities and different ways of searching, the goals are the same if you are searching for your next home. Find out what you need to know to make a good purchase decision, based on local knowledge, reputation and experience.
Boomers: what kind buyer are you going to be?
Have you ever noticed that some people look at the big picture while others focus on the minutest detail? When my husband and I are taking a drive I generally notice the landscape-taking in the whole view like a painting, while Bill will ask if I saw that odd bench in the park we just passed. I always say, What bench? I was looking at the sky! While Bill is extremely detail oriented and notices things I never even see, I tend to look at the overall picture.
This same thing happens when people decide to buy a new home or relocate to a different area. As unique individuals, we all have different sets of priorities, different ways of searching for the same goals, thats probably why the Internet has had such a huge impact on the real estate industry. You can search and search, looking at homes for sale all day long.
Finding your next home on the Internet, who are you?
It should be that simple but many people think that is all it takes. Now, if you are moving locally and have lived in the area for a long time, you may have enough local knowledge to decide on your own where you want to buy your next home. However, most of our clients are relocating to Delaware from out of state. Many have never even been to the 1st state but have made the decision to move here or at least are considering this state when they retire.
The Believers - The Internet never lies!
Dont believe the hype. So much of what you need to know to make a good purchase decision is based on local knowledge, reputation and experience. In your own business or industry, do those things matter? I bet they do and no one has that expertise from day one. The longer I am in the real estate industry, the more I realize how much there is to learn every day. Just because a builder is the biggest or the one that spends the most on advertising on the Internet or on Billboards, this does not mean they are the best choice.
The Experts - So many websites too much time to search.
Next, there are people who love the search and they have discovered the real estate websites, Zillow and Trulia and now they feel like Experts. They get in their car and drive around calling agents on the fly to show them a house they like. When they come across a new home community theyve seen online, they go right to the sales office and talk directly to the Community Sales Person.
Is that really the best way to get expert advice? Go directly to the person who is employed by the Builder (a.k.a., the Seller) and trust that they will tell you the absolute honest truth. Will they truthfully help you compare their community to others? Its not that they are dishonest people, but they are employees not independent REALTORS whose job it is to represent you (a.k.a., the Buyer) and protect your interests.
CLICK HERE to READ MORE the advantages of working with an Active Adult Realty Agent!
Put down that Mouse!
Some people are absolutely sure that every piece of information they need to make a good purchase is online at Zillow or Trulia or the myriad other real estate sites trying to insert themselves into the world of real estate transactions. Its only the biggest financial decision most people ever make but they want you to believe that it all about the published facts.
Smart Shoppers - Opt out and connect with an Expert!
The Internet can make us all feel like experts even when we have no idea what we are looking for. You can see all those minute details about the house, you can see tons of photos and virtual tours. But the truth is the house is only a small part of the picture. Where it is located, how it was built, the history of the neighborhood and the reputation of both the builder and the developer are all critical elements in making a good purchase decision.
A good Buyer Agent will be sure to evaluate all of those aspects with you and protect your interests. Enlisting a professional from Active Adults Realty, who specializes in the needs of Baby Boomers and who will help you narrow down your search, is smart thinking and smart buying.