|
|
|
|
|
|
Q. Can you tell me why the Sellers are selling their home? A. This information may or may not be disclosed. Any concern about the reasons for the homeowners selling can be explored by your REALTOR®. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Will I owe my REALTOR® a fee for showing me a house for sale? A. The REALTOR® assisting you can provide written information on your choices for representation and how real estate agents are paid. Although every case is different, most often the fees are paid for by the Seller. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. How much will the utilities cost on a certain home for sale? A. Most cities can provide you with general information about the usage of utilities. However, the cost of utilities is highly variable depending on many factors and the actual cost of the current homeowner may or may not be helpful to you. In Springfield, you can call City Utilities and get an "energy disclosure" showing the average utilities usage for the last 12 months on the property. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Can you show me houses in "good neighborhoods" only? A. REALTORS can provide certain facts about neighborhoods, such as density, average age of homes, etc., but cannot define "good" neighborhoods without being in violation of Fair Housing Laws. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Can you tell me if a house in a good school district? A. The local school board district office can provide facts about each school in the district. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Do I have to have a home inspection on the property I am buying? A. An inspection is highly recommended but is not mandatory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. What is an appraisal on a property? A. An appraisal is generally ordered by a lender for the purpose of demonstrating that the bank, or mortgage company, has justification for making the loan. The appraisal does not necessarily pinpoint the market value of the home. Oftentimes the appraised value is higher than the actual sales price. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Is pre-qualification the same as pre-approval in the loan process? A. One is pre-qualified when a lender has reviewed his/her financial information but not yet verified income, bank accounts, retirement accounts, etc. On the other hand, pre-approval occurs when the lender has verified the information on the borrower's loan application. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Will the sellers come off of their list price any? A. Not even the Sellers know the answer to that one. A Seller has the right to accept, reject, or counter any offer he or she is presented. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Can I initially make a verbal offer only? A. Verbal offers are difficult to enforce and are therefore discouraged. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Once the Sellers get my offer, how long will it be until I know something? A. It usually depends upon the Seller and the Seller's availability. As soon as the Seller has a written response, we will present this to you but we can only guess as to how long the Seller will take to accept, reject or counter an offer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Can I perform the inspection myself? A. You can personally conduct an inspection on a house with an accepted offer. The contracts we use have very specific terms regarding inspection so this issue requires a more in-depth discussion than is allowed here. Contact Paul Dizmang or Jay Reasor at (417) 887-0501 to discuss this further in person or on the phone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. I want to buy a house, what do I do first? A. The first thing one should do is find a REALTOR® (a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of Realtors) who comes highly recommended. He or she will be able to take you through all the steps of buying a home for sale. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Will this house be a good investment? A. No one can be absolutely certain, but a good agent should be able to supply data to show how the value of the house has changed or not changed up to the current date. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. What if I have other questions that are not answered on this FAQ form?
A. Submit your question here and we'll get back with you ASAP or post your answer on this page.
|
|
|
.JPG){kind=logo}
.jpg){kind=spacer}
