Education is Key for 1st Time Homebuyer

Homebuyer Education is essential

I follow a blog from a disgruntled home buyer in the Denver area.  This person bought a home, used a Realtor, and is VERY unhappy with the results.

If what is written is true, there would appear to be some shiftiness on their broker’s side, but no huge problems uncommon with home ownership.  The major issues are that there seems to be a whole lot of repairs and maintenance items that these buyers were unaware of and unprepared for.

I follow this blog for the simple reason of training my agents (and myself) of how NOT to provide customer service. The blog writer has caused a public relations nightmare for a very prestigious local company, and it could have all been prevented with better education, honest communication, and the belief that the clients needs are more important than the brokers! I also believe that if the problem was taken care of in a responsible manner, after the fact, the agent could have gained a great client, instead of a real thorn in the side!

The Get Home Denver Team has a very educational approach to the home buying process.  We have an initial consultation with every home buyer, and go over the entire real estate transaction process.  At this time we discuss the potential benefits and responsibilities of home ownership.  We discuss the related costs and financial benefits to owning versus renting.  And finally, we make sure the client fully understands the process, and has no questions.

After the initial consultation, the home buying process begins in earnest.  When looking at homes, there is plenty of “windshield” time driving between properties.  We use this time to go over past experiences, discuss the pros and cons of properties, talk about the importance of home inspections and the critical need of knowing exactly what you’re in for once you own the home.

Knowledge is power! Once you purchase a home, it is your responsibility to maintain the property.  Yes there are costs involved, but an informed consumer will know, and accept those costs BEFORE they close on the home.

The bottom line is to know what you are getting yourself into and make informed decisions. It is your responsibility to make sure you have the information you need, and the choice of a great agent will make that job much simpler!

Note: I have purposely not included a link to the blog of the disgruntled because I think they are being slightly unfair in the characterization of their broker, and taking very little responsibility for the problem.  If you would like the blog link, send me an email (bob at gethomedenver dot com) and I would be happy to respond with the link.

photo credit: jnb photos