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The Evers Advantage for Buyers
Evers and Co. understands all the concerns that go with a move to a new area, or even a move within the Metro area. We have designed our buyer services around your needs, from the
first phone call all the way to settlement and after that.
Services and Advantages for our Buyers
- The Evers Advantage: Your Bridge to MRIS: your instant access to all the listings in our area's multiple listing service, the Metropolitan Regional Information Service (MRIS). You can look up listings via our Evers Advantage Bridge and become familiar with homes and neighborhoods long before your first visit to the area. As you find properties that interest you, your Evers & Co agent can visit the properties in person and give you a detailed report.
- The Resource List: Evers & Co. keeps a complete up-to-date list of lenders, title attorneys, building inspectors, contractors , moving companies and a myriad of other resources you need when you are buying a house and moving.
- Personal Service: When you deal with Evers & Co., you deal directly with your agent and never with an assistant.
- Teamwork: When you work with Evers & Co., you benefit from the combined knowledge of the entire company. Most Evers & Co. agents have been Million Dollar Club award winners for 5-15 years. These experienced, successful agents are available to each other for consultation and brain-storming , and this teamwork benefits each of our clients.
- Donna Evers, the owner, President and Principal Broker of Evers & Co. is in the office daily and her 27 years of experience and expertise is an integral part of the company's resources. This means no red tape, advice is readily available, and decisions are promptly made and implemented.
- Reputation: Evers & Co enjoys an excellent reputation in the Metro area and our agents have an excellent working relationship with other agents and companies within the Washington area real estate community.
Agency and Buyer Representation
In your first meeting with your agent, you will be provided with the Agency Disclosure Form, which give you the choices available to you for representation. Regardless of which type of
agency representation you choose, the agent will provide many services to you, all with the goal of making the home-buying process as smooth and satisfying as possible. Here are the two types
of agency representation available to you:
- Seller Agency. In this scenario, the agent will sign a listing agreement with the seller and , in turn, work with cooperating subagents to sell the property. Subgents showing properties to buyers are working with the buyers and not for the buyers, to help them find the property they want to buy. Seller agency, with cooperation through subagency, prevailed throughout the United States until the late 1980's. The National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics requires its members to treat all parties in a sales transaction fairly and honestly, to assist buyers in financing and other matters that help the buyer in making an informed decision to purchase real estate, regardless of whether they represent the buyer or seller. All Evers & Co. agents are members of NAR and subscribe to its Code of Ethics.
- Buyer Agency. In this situation, the Evers & Co. agent will enter into a written agreement to
represent the buyer in the purchase of real estate. The Buyer's Agent will provide substantial advice and assistance, including to:
- Provide current information about the local real estate market as it relates to the purchaser's specific property interests
- Provide form contracts that are acceptable and widely used in the respective market areas of the District of Columbia,Maryland and Virginia
- Counsel and advise in negotiating purchase offers
- Represent the buyer at the contract presentation to the seller and act as the buyer's advocate throughout the transaction and contract settlement
In this relationship, the buyer's agent has a fiduciary relationship to the buyer-client and will represent his or her best interests. Arrangements between the buyer and his or her agent are agreed upon in writing at the outset, including compensation which may be paid by the buyer, the seller, or both. Buyer agency in Maryland varies from the above in that the buyer will be "presumed" to have an agency relationship with the agent showing them properties unless otherwise stated. Additionally, while dual agency is allowed in DC and Virginia,- where an Evers & Co. agent or listing agent may represent both the buyer and the seller via Dual Agency,- the listing agent can only represent the seller according to Maryland agency law.
Your Evers & Co. agent will be happy to explain the definition and merits of buyer agency
as it is practiced in the jurisdictions where you will be house-hunting.
How To Be a Successful Buyer
- Choose the right agent
The right agent is the one who will give you the best service and market information. This real estate professional should be a person with whom you have rapport and can count on for consistent and thorough attention throughout the purchase process.
- Make your wish list
Your wish list should include all the home and neighborhood features that are important to you. Take your time with this. The more thorough and detailed your list is, the more relevant information your agent can gather for you and the more focused your search will be. Throughout the home search your agent will be a valuable and knowledgeable guide and advisor.
- Get your financing lined up
Your Evers & Co. agent will put you in touch with lenders who offer a variety of competitive programs and rates. When you choose the mortgage loan officer you want to work with, you can meet with that person and either (a) get pre-qualified for the loan, or better yet, (b) get an actual loan approval, contingent upon appraisal of the property you choose. This pre-approval or pre-qualification raises your value as a buyer in the eyes of sellers.
- Communication is the key
Throughout the home search process and escrow period, it's important for you and your agent to have open communication. After you've visited a number of properties with your agent, you may change your mind completely about the kind of home or neighborhood you're looking for. Just be sure to tell your agent about any changes in your goals or preferences as you go along.
- Writing the contract
When you find the right property, your agent will meet with you to write the offer. Be frank and thorough about what you want to include in the offer, including price, contingencies and settlement date. Don't worry about having to know everything; you won't. That's why you have to have a good agent at you side.
- The contract presentation
As soon as you sign the contract, your agent will register with the listing agent and ask for a prompt presentation, in person, with the seller. Remember, your agent makes the presentation, not you. The seller will either accept the offer, refuse the offer, or counter the offer. If the seller counters the offer, then it is your turn to respond. Your agent will be available to provide you with the information and advice every step of the way until contract ratification when both parties reach agreement in writing.
- Contingencies and the escrow period
The first steps you'll take after ratification are to satisfy the contingencies in the contract including the inspection and financing contingencies. Your agent will give you the names of inspectors to choose from; you will probably already have chosen a lender. Next, you'll choose a settlement attorney from a list of well-qualified companies. Remember what your high school teacher told you, "The only bad question is the one you didn't ask." So fire away; your agent is there to assist you with the information that is important to you.
- Settlement
This is when the money and the deed change hands. Don't be nervous. Your agent will be there to see that everything gets done and goes smoothly.
- After the sale
Feel free to call us anytime. Our Resource Center is available to you indefinitely. Just call your agent, or call our office any weekday from 9-5. It's our way of saying thanks for putting your confidence and trust in us.
The Home Inspection And The Final Walk-Through
An important step in the buying process is the home inspection. This inspection is conducted by a professional inspector of the buyer's choice and at the buyer's expense, the cost being usually between $300 and $600. The inspection is expressed as a contingency in the sales contract, to be conducted and dealt with, in writing, within the contingency period.
The purpose of the inspection is to ascertain the condition of the home and it's mechanical systems, including items that may not be discernable to the layman.
While the contract forms we use generally require that the mechanical systems in the house be delivered at settlement in"working condition," buyers will also want to determine the condition of the house exterior including roof, gutters, and chimneys and the interior walls, windows and floors, for example; as well as use this inspection time to discover if hazardous materials are present in the house.
It is important for the buyers to accompany the inspector through the house, in order to ask questions and learn about the property in general. When the inspector is finished, he will usually summarize his findings and give the buyers a copy of a written report and summary.
Based on the findings of the report and the conditions of the structural inspection contingency, the buyers may void the contract (which is rare), accept the property "as is," or give the seller a list of repairs to make. In the latter case, buyers and sellers should understand that there are many "gray areas" in determining proper condition of house components and systems. The purchaser may wish to request that the seller bring receipts of repair work to settlement, to make sure the work was done properly. The agent will advise purchasers on how to present and negotiate these issues.
The final walk-through takes place just before settlement. Buyers should conduct this inspection personally, checking any repairs that were to be made and testing the mechanical condition. After this inspection, buyers will sign off on the satisfactory condition of the property; if there are any exceptions, these will be noted on the sign-off sheet.
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