Carole J Anderson, ABR, GRI, CRS, Agent
Keller Williams Realty Spokane
Spokane, Washington

What Others Say About Buyer's Agents

Reader's Digest
Always remember that a real estate broker does not work for you, but for the seller. If you want a broker on your side, get a buyer broker.

US News &World Report
A real estate agent of your own.....Buyers no longer have to fend for themselves.

Money Magazine
House Hunting? Save By Hiring Your Own Broker
By Carla A. Fried
If you ever doubted the value of real estate agents who work solely for home buyers (as opposed to traditional agents who report to sellers, consider this: A recent study by U.S. Sprint found that 232 relocating Sprint employees who hired buyer's brokers paid an average of 91% of a home's list price. People who use traditional agents typically pay about 96%. On a house originally priced at$150,000, that's a difference of $7,500.

Business Week
Smart Money: A Personal Shopper For Your Dream HousE
By Pam Black
When Sallye and Jim Ryan wanted to move from their Tampa apartment to a three-bedroom home this spring, the busy couple used a buyer broker, Beth Tansey, to help. Within a week, they had bid on the house they now own. Sallye liked being able to delegate the house-hunting. "With both my husband and me working, it was a lot easier," she says. "I don't think I would have found this house that I really love without her. There are so many homes for sale here, I would probably still be looking.

Because Tansey is a buyer broker, who exclusively represents the home buyer's interests, the Ryan's trusted her to find the best deal on a house that suited their needs. By contrast, a traditional real state broker is legally bound to work for the seller who pays the commission and therefore may be more intent on selling listed homes than finding your dream house. Even Realtors who don't hold the listing on a given house act as subagents to the seller. So unless a broker says that he or she is working for you -- brokers are now legally obliged to disclose who they represent -- you can assume the broker is working for the seller. Such agents must pass on information such as the buyer's income to the seller, who then has a better idea of what price to hold out for.

Because these brokers are obliged to get buyers the best deal possible, they approach houses with a critical eye for apparent flaws. You'll still need an inspector to uncover hidden defects, however. Buyer brokers also show properties sold by the owner, which can be cheaper because the only commission is what you agree to pay your broker. Sellers' agents usually won't show these homes because they don't make commissions on them.

Brokers representing buyers should also appraise the value of the house, negotiate the price, and pre-qualify you for a mortgage, sometimes at a better rate. Buyers' Agent brokers, for instance, narrow mortgage bids from 15 lenders nationwide to the three best offers -- and then get those three to rebid. "A well-trained, experienced buyer broker is a great asset," says Peter Miller, author of How to Sell Your Home in Any Market ($12, Harper Perennial) and other real estate guides. "You won't do any worse, and you may do a lot better.

Usually, the buyer broker splits the sales commission with the seller's agent, just as a subagent who didn't have the listing would with the broker who did. So the fee still comes out of the sale price. Some people might assume that buyers' agents have an incentive to keep the price high. But again, the broker must get you the best deal. "In my experience, all of them do," says Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America.

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Tips For Home Buyers

Purchasing a Home? Some Things You Should NOT Do.

Don't make any major purchases such as a new car, expensive electronics or appliance, or anything else that you cannot pay cash for. The extra payments may prevent you from getting a loan.

Don't move money from one account or investment to another. One of the things a lender is concerned about is the source of funds for your down payment and closing costs. The lender will ask for statements for the last 3 months for all your bank and investment accounts and even your company 401K and retirement accounts.

Lenders like to see what is referred to as "seasoned money", that is, money that has been accumulating in an account over a period of months or years. If your bank account has a large deposit that was made less than 3 months ago they may think the money was a loan from a relative who is trying to help you qualify for a loan. Then you will have to prove where the funds came from which can be a time consuming process.

Please, leave your money where it is until you talk to a loan officer. And don't move a significant amount around without letting the lender know about it in advance.

Keller Williams Realty Spokane, 601 W. Francis Spokane, WA, 99205 is a licensed Washington Real Estate Brokerage, Kathy Lemons, Broker.

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