Your Realtor's Knowledge of the Area Can Play
a Critical Factor in Your Home Purchase!
A Buyer's Real Life Story ...
Hi! My name is Cheryl, and a few years ago I bought my first home ever. I had been Europe for several years (in the military) and finally decided one day to move to Arizona to be near my family.
My family lived in Prescott, and I started looking at homes in Prescott Valley - which were more in my price range.
I looked at existing homes as well as new construction homes. Money was tight and so I knew I couldn't afford to be spending a lot of money on home repairs. I also didn't have the time to spend on a lot of home maintenance tasks. I was looking for a low maintenance home that wouldn't cost much in the near future.
While existing homes seemed to be cheaper, new construction homes seem to be more cost effective - as they wouldn't need major home repairs in the next several years. But they did require landscaping and sewer assessments. I wasn't sure which way to go.
Then I met Pat. She mentioned to me that this area had been through a major hail storm a few years earlier. Cars and homes were damaged.
While insurance companies had issued checks to home owners for roof repairs, many people didn't repair their roofs. They spent the checks instead.
This tidbit of information told me that I risked buying a home with roof damage. I either needed to get proof of roof repairs or focus my attention on new construction homes.
That kind of information could only come from somebody who has lived in the area long enough.
I talked to several realtors over the course of my house-hunting journey. A lot of the realtors I dealt with didn't have that knowledge (they weren't in the area long enough).
But what impressed me most, is that even among the realtors that did know about this storm, Pat was the only one who voluntarily shared this information. Everyone else with-held it until I asked.
I hope my story will be of use to you. This experience taught me that not only do I need to seek out realtors in the future who have lived in the area for a while - but also to ask lots of questions.
Sadly, in today's world, many people are more concerned about looking after themselves than others. When you find somebody who will openly share information that's in your best interest, hang on to them!
