Spend Time on the Financing!

Financing has become the make or break factor for many real estate transactions. As important as it is to the overall purchase of a home we are seeing less time spent on the actual specifics of financing. Today we had a one hour class taught by one of our mortgage brokers. She wanted to review a Pre-App Worksheet, HUD form, and various funding fees for conventional, USDA, FHA, and VA mortgages. Did you know? • On an FHA loan that the maximum contribution from a seller, for closing cost, is 6% of the purchase price? • A lender can pay mortgage insurance by putting it in the loan? • On a 90% Conventional loan the maximum contribution from a seller, for closing cost, is 3% of the purchase price? • On an FHA loan the Tax Service Fee is always $83? • The lender makes their money from the origination fee and the admin fee only? The items listed above are a few of the many factors current today and for the state of Georgia. One thing is for certain: They will change! The reason I listed the above items is to emphasize how important it is for your buyer to meet with a mortgage representative prior to starting their home search. Why? Because the mortgage representative can offer a variety of mortgage products, closing cost, rates, and terms that work to the advantage of that buyer in that environment. The Wells Team has a good relationship with many lenders in the Atlanta area. As part of our customer service we require our buyers to sit down with the lender of their choosing and work together to put in place a comprehensive financial plan. The result: A successful buyer experience!

This is not your mother's negotiations!

Everything is negotiable? The traditional way to negotiate involved going back and forth until both sides agreed on the terms. It was done void of emotion with both sides trying to feel like they have won. Real estate is supposed to be no different. Or is it? For the month past few months The Wells Team has been involved in numerous negotiations. Some turned out successful and others no so successful. Here is what all of them had in common: •Emotion came into play from both buyers and sellers •Buyers would not move off of their initial offer even after receiving a solid counteroffer. •Buyers did not tell us that this was their final offer. •Small items in the home (appliance, pool table,) became the focal point of the negotiation. •Buyers and sellers were basing their price on "what they FELT the home should sell for" and not the statistics that we provide. •Both buyers and sellers were holding their grounds based on "principle" •Both buyers and sellers were determined to be the winner. There was no concept of win-win. What are we telling our sellers? Before we receive an offer on your home ask yourself the following questions: •What is my time frame for moving? •Do I need to sell now or do I want to wait for the "perfect" offer? •What is the power of money? In other words if I sell now for a little less am I better off than continuing to pay taxes, utilities, and maintenance while waiting for the bigger offer? •What items in the home am I absolutely, at any price, unwilling to leave in the home? •Do I want to negotiate in small increments or do I want to be aggressive with any counteroffer? •Am I mentally prepared a "low ball" offer? •Has my agent provided me with enough data to give me a fair assessment of my market? It is not getting any easier. Take the time to prepare your sellers and your buyers for negotiations!