Handy
Ande is your House Hunting Companion/Advocate
Knowledge is power!
Pennsylvania law doesn't
permit me to act as a buyer's agent or give you home
buying/selling advice
until I have a
PA real estate license, but that doesn't mean I can't
accompany you as an experienced home buyer and home seller
and ask
the right questions so you have the
information you need to make a good decision. (This is
where my investigative skills as a journalist comes in
handy.)
The
critical questions I ask of your agent or the
homeowner will help your agent give you the information you
need to make an informed decision about whether to buy this
home or not. This is very important when your agent is
acting in a dual capacity (acting for both the seller and
buyer at the same time). Dual
agent means that the agent has a
duty to protect the interests of "opposing" clients and
won't volunteer
important
information to you in order to protect the other client...
to facilitate a sale for the seller. That means you may not
get all the information you could get... unless you ask the
right questions. The agent must answer if asked, but
doesn't have to volunteer the information if you don't ask!
My
concerns and priorities
will always
be:
- That you get the house of your dreams.
- That you not be bamboozled by anyone.
- That you have sufficient information to make a good decision about pricing.
- That you are not rushed into making a hasty, ill-advised decision.
- That you have all the facts and that you can make an offer based on reality (or refuse to make an offer).
- That you not pay more than necessary.
- That any dangers or disasters or health risks are uncovered/ discovered before you make a commitment.
- That you are satisfied with the terms of your purchase.
Do you believe having a * buyer's agent is the only solution? Here are just a few ways a real estate agent acting as buyer's agent failed her client:
- The electrical system was in bad shape and caught fire soon after the closing.
- The heating system was old, heated only at 15 degrees higher than the buyer could stand.
- There was a drunk who pestered the sellers and continued to pester the new owner 6 times a day.
- There was constant drifting smoke from two neighbors the new owner could do nothing about.
- The asking price was about 17% higher than market value, and the actual purchase price was still 12% higher than market value.
- Specific conditions the buyer wanted were omitted from the offer to purchase by the agent.
These were hidden from the buyer by the agent who was supposed to be representing her interests, who it seems was really acting in the agent's own best interests.
In my capacity as your companion/advocate, my sole responsibility is to act on your behalf, and consider your best interests, nobody else's. I can be objective because I have no other financial compensation than the standard hourly fee you pay me. I get no commission, no referral fees, no bonuses, no kickbacks from anyone else. (If you decide a tip is warranted later on, I won't decline, but tipping is not required or expected.)
When you are ready to look at homes, or thinking of making an offer, have me accompany you to ask specific questions on your behalf.
* Some agents are terrific, some... not so much.
MY RELEVANT TRAINING
Here are the areas of study I have completed and passed:
Kent State University
- Household Equipment: Construction, operation, safety of household appliances (3 credits)
- Survey of Family Housing: Building materials and methods in the housing industry (3 credits)
- Consumer Problems: Family economic expenditures (3 credits)
- Home Furnishings: Selection and arrangement of furnishings (interior design) (5 credits)
- Writing for Media: writing for newspapers, radio, business publications (3 credits)
Etobicoke Board of Education
- Home Building and Construction
Alan Kells School of Real Estate
1. Real Estate Fundamentals
- Real Property and the Law
- Land-Use Controls and Development
- Environmental Issues in Real Estate
- Legal Descriptions
- Real Estate Rights and Interests
- Forms of Real Estate Ownership
- Landlord and Tenant Interests
- Real Estate Taxes and Liens
- Transfer of Title and Recording of Title
- Principles of Real Estate Contracts
- Principles of Real Estate Financing
- Pennsylvania Real Estate Licensing Law
2. Real Estate Practice
- The Real Estate Business
- Real Estate Brokerage
- Agency in Real Estate
- Ethical Practices and Fair Housing
- Listing Agreements and Buyer Representation Contracts
- Sales Contracts
- Financing the Real Estate Transaction
- Appraising Real Estate
- Closing the Real Estate Transaction
- Property Management
I charge $30 an hour for this service (until mid-July 2011). Minimum: 2 hours.
Appointments: Andrea Reynolds (814) 431-9278 handyande@AndreaReynolds.com