Buffalo Grove /Long Grove real estate agent Judy Greenberg gives important tips and strategies on how to sell your home in today's market. Stay tuned for my strategya week series....
Strategy 2- Buyer's should hire a localrealtor!
After all that you read in the newspapers, hear 
on the news, you probably are wondering how you can get the best house and the best deal if you are a buyer, or frightened that you will not be able to sell your home in this market if you are a seller.
So I want you to ask yourself , do you want the best realtor for this challenging job?Isn't' your home one of your largest investments? In this tough market, I feel that hiring a local realtor, instead of a third cousin who lives 1 hour from your home would be one of the wisest financial moves you will ever pursue.
In this post I'm going to address why you want to hire a local realtor if you are a buyer in today' s market and in my next post, I'm going to address why you should use a local realtor if you are contemplating selling your home. Sounds too obvious, maybe to you and me, but not to all the past disappointed past sellers and buyers I have met.
If you are a buyer, your buyer's agent needs to be a true expert in the communities you are interested in purchasing. Your agent should be completely versed in the schools, school districts, boundary lines, commuting, type of water the home uses, conservancy laws, etc.
Let me give you an example. Suppose a school district changed boundaries within the last few years. Many listing realtors are relying on old school information, and submitting incorrect schools or incorrect spelling of schools on the MLS sheets. This is happening more frequently today, especially with the influx of foreclosures and bank owned property on the market. The seller's bank hires the Realtor and this realtor may live and work hours from the property. Unfortunately, these Realtors may never have visited the property, and clueless of the school boundaries. 
Unfortunately, these unintentional mistakes in turn affects the buyer's realtor. Thus, the buyer's realtor who is not familiar with the area will either miss good homes (in their search) in the school district their client prefers, or advise their client to purchase a home in the wrong school district. Even if the listing realtor has the right school district but spells the name of the school incorrectly, you may miss a home in your search. To the right, I have copied a portion of the MLS of an active bank owned property located in Kildeer, Illinois. If you are looking for a home in district 125, Stevenson High School- you will pass over this home since the lister used the wrong district. They didn't even bother putting the name of the High school in the listing either. If a buyer's agent unfamiliar with the area used this information, it would be like the blind leading the blind!
Another important reason to hire a local realtor is that they are familiar with the nuances of the specific neighborhood, ordinances etc. One time a friend of mine moved in to a neighborhood and didn't realize the maintenance involved to purify the well water. Her realtor wasn't familiar with this, and in turn didn't inform her of the necessary upkeep. A local realtor would have been knowledgeable about these issues.
When you are negotiating on behalf of your client, it is always better to be the one who is more knowledgeable about the area. If you are representing the buyer and the seller won't budge on the price, you always have the advantage if you have seen the inside of the comparables and the reason that they sold for the price they did. A local realtor has the upper hand in the negotiations.
The last benefit I am going to address in hiring a local realtor in purchasing a home is that they may be aware of the best homes before they even hit the market. Many times when I have a buyer in a specific price range and they can't find a home that they are truly in love with, I go the extra step. I ask the realtors in my office, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, if anyone has a listing that they know that is coming on the market soon. If this networking proves unsuccessful, I take it one step further and ask my close friends and colleagues I trust in the other offices in town to see if they know of any listing that is going to meet the needs of my buyers. Although inventory is high, and you are probably laughing to yourself that a person can't find a home in today's market, many times the best homes do not even hit the market. It's the local agents who know of these homes first.
Caveat; if for some reason you do choose to hire a realtor that is not local, make sure they do their homework and learn all about every aspect of the home and communities you are buying....
Last week's strategy- Contemplating selling soon... Take pictures of your home now!
If you want more information regarding specific real estate sales in the Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Vernon Hills, or Lincolnshire area please do not hesitate to call me at 847-602-5435 or email me at info@buffalogrovehomes.com . I am available 24/7 to make appointments!
Visit my websites www.buffalogrovehomes.com, www.buffalogroveareahomes.com or www.movetolonggrove.com and you can search for more information on any listings
