Are You Looking at Current Home Listings?

 Are you a first time home buyer? Are you driving around and looking for properties on your own? Are you surfing all the real estate websites? Congratulations for taking the first step towards home ownership! Before you get super excited about what you see online, you may want to consider a few things.

Did you know you can get a list of properties as they become available, both regular listings and listings of DFW foreclosures? Many agents today have websites where you can search for properties or you can be emailed a current list. 

Did you know that all real estate agents who sell DFW homes share the data that is directly from the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Not all the websites you are searching are kept current or up-to-date. It is ultimately up to the webmaster who hosts the site to keep their data feed current. Sadly, there is no way to monitor all the different sites or control what they post at all times.

Nothing is worse than finding out the house you really like online has sold already sometime to one of those We Buy Houses companies. Unfortunately, not all the real estate sites keep current data. Your best bet is to get a list directly from a Realtor® who provides you the most current information straight from the MLS.

Another benefit of working with an agent is they do all the work and there are no upfront costs to utilize their services. They work on commission and their commission is already negotiated in the sale of the price. They also can save you a lot of time and money by providing you a good buying experience. Have you ever heard the term “buyer beware”?  What happens if there are repairs that need to be done?  Do you understand the contract you are signing? Who is doing the inspections? Do you know how to open escrow? Are you going to give the seller option money? These are all events that occur in a transaction and you would be foolish not to use a real estate agent to help you through the process. 

No two transactions are alike and even if you have purchased several homes in the past, it’s wise to use a licensed agent who has the properly trained to successfully guide you through the buying or selling process.