Sheri’s Blog

Recently I wrote a contract for a client on a home located in Huntsville, Alabama. This buyer was an investor, looking to purchase a rental property. He had no emotional ties to the property we found. His focus was strictly on the bottom dollar, cash flow potential. In the written offer, we asked the seller to contribute $5,700 toward closing and prepaids. That is different than asking the seller to contribute only toward closing, which in this case amounted to about $3,500. What are closing costs and prepaids?

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This month, I worked with a family relocating to our beautiful Madison County, Alabama. We had begun our correspondence over the internet, after they expressed great interest in one of my listings. They were very excited about their relocation, and couldn’t wait to fly here and explore, hoping to find the home of their dreams. So they planned their trip, and feverishly began emailing me homes that they wanted to see once they arrived. They felt eager to buy, and came with checkbook in hand, ready to put down earnest money on a home.

Sure enough, they found a beautiful house that they loved, and we wrote up an offer. The only issue with the offer was they wanted to sell their current house before they bought a new one — to avoid a double mortgage payment. So, the offer was contingent on the sale and closing of their existing home.

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As a Realtor in the Huntsville area, I work with many people looking to improve their lifestyle by purchasing a home. Maybe their family has expanded and they are looking for more space. Maybe they just desire a nicer and more expensive home. Whatever the reason, it is very easy to get caught up in the desire for “newer and better”. I’ve worked with individuals who’ve wanted to stretch their income so far, that they were willing to risk foreclosure and possible bankruptcy. In today’s world, where material things so often become a reflection of individual success, it is easy to lose sight of what really counts.

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The business of selling a home is just that… business. That is why finding the right Realtor for the job is one of the most important steps in the process. Unfortunately, all too often sellers make decisions based on emotion, which costs them money and time. Here are three top mistakes sellers make when choosing a Realtor.

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This is a fun poem that I whipped up for all of my sellers.

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Last week, a friend came to me looking to purchase another investment property. She and her husband purchased a home in Madison from me several years ago which turned out to be a very good investment, and now they were ready to buy another property in the Madison – Monrovia – Huntsville area. We spent an afternoon looking. The next day she called to tell me she found the perfect FSBO home, and wanted to enlist my advice. She was going to meet with the seller later that evening to sign the contract and turn over quite a hefty earnest money deposit.

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Here is a fun little poem that I whipped up for all of my buyers.
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A Home is a Large Investment!

After deciding to buy a house, folks often begin by surfing the internet — looking at the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), driving around neighborhoods of interest, and stopping by at open houses. Before long, they are bound to find some homes they would like to see, and they may make phone calls to the listing agent or to the homeowner (for FSBO’s). In either case, at this early point, it is often the case that the buyer does not have an agent working for them.

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This is Business- Don’t take it Personally!

Different states have different rules regarding defects and disclosures (consult your local Realtor for details). Alabama is what we call a “non-disclosure” state, otherwise know as “buyer beware!” What this means is that it is up to the buyer to uncover defects.

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