All posts by Jonathan Clark

Jon Clark is an Internet Marketing Consultant, Entrepreneur and current editor of the Facebook Marketing Blog. Jon loves coffee, sports and NY. You can follow him on Twitter @jonleeclark or circle him on Google+.

Agents

Tips for Choosing the Most Suitable Estate Agent

January 23, 2012 Jonathan Clark

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If you’re a property owner looking to sell your property, there are many thing that you need to worry about – selling price, getting your home evaluated, finding a new home, cleaning your existing home, and the list goes on! One part of selling your home, and probably the most important aspect of the process, is selecting an appropriate estate agent to handle the sale. This article takes a look a few basic tips to bear in mind when choosing which estate agent to choose to handle the sale of your precious home.

Where to start in finding your agent

First of all, you want an estate agent who has a good reputation. Choosing a new kid on the block might seem like a good idea because you’ll most likely get cheaper commission rates and you might think that they would value your business more because they’re new, but the fact is that choosing an estate agent that has a good reputation is a much better option. Experience of the local market is a big bonus and only companies that have been around for a while will know exactly how much your home is actually worth – and they won’t settle for anything less.

Once you have narrowed down your selection to 2 or 3 reputable estate agencies within your area, be it local neighborhood agency that knows the niche market or a nationwide estate agency, ask them immediately if they have any potential buyers and ask to see a list of people looking for properties similar to the one you are selling. Many reputable and experienced real estate brokers, for example, differ in the types and range of properties that they sell and you need to find an estate agent that already has a list of potential buyers looking for a property like yours. If you’re looking to choose an estate agent and they don’t have anyone looking for your particular property type, then move on.

Who is best for me and my home?

Choose and estate agent that specializes in your property type. There are many estate agents that specialize in cheap housing and others that specialize in luxury housing. Make sure your home fits into the category of property that your chosen estate agency specializes in.

Finally, one very valuable piece of advice that I received from my very own estate agent is to always find out which particular estate agent within an agency has been allocated to work on your case. Get to know him or her and make sure that you have a chemistry and sense of trust that you can count on throughout the process. You need to know that you have somebody trustworthy working on the sale of your property.

There you have it: a few good tips to bear in mind when figuring out which estate agents to choose when selling your home.

Dave Tucker is a keen writer of property and related issues such as investment and business in general. Dave has worked in the property industry with many central London estate agents and more specifically estate agents in Paddington to hone his knowledge and expertise of the London real estate market.

Apartment

Apartment Search: Finding a Pet-Friendly Apartment

January 21, 2012 Jonathan Clark 2 Comments

Hunting for a pet friendly apartment is an experience that requires patience when it involves finding one that welcomes pets. A pet owner needs to know the rules of the lease contract, and be willing to abide by them, before settling on a few choices for final consideration.

The first rule on finding an apartment, if a person is a pet owner, is to narrow one’s search to those apartments that have a pet policy, not one in which the manager says, “Well, it depends.” There is too much room for subjective decisions in this situation. If allowed at all, the pet may be a point of contention with the manager later. Apartment locating services can perform this service since pet policies are high on the list of questions apartment hunters have.

One of the mistakes apartment hunters make is to decide upon a place where they want to live and then keep their fingers crossed that their pets will be allowed to move in as well. They are often disappointed and have to make a decision about whether to give their pets up for adoption or find a different apartment.

Many apartment managers have a pet policy that they share in their advertisements, but many others do not mention such a policy. It should never be assumed that their failure to mention it means that pets are acceptable. It is very disappointing to find out after touring the property that pets are forbidden.

After an apartment shopper has a list of places to tour, he should visit them with his pet in mind as well as himself. For example, forcing an older dog with hip problems to climb stairs for several walks per day will cause both the dog and his keeper to enjoy their new home less.

Other things to consider while touring a list of possible new apartments are walking areas and pet-friendliness in the apartment community. If an apartment complex has nothing but a parking lot, concrete walkways, and no areas where the pet can sit in a sunny window, it is not particularly pet-friendly.

On the other hand, an apartment complex that has dog-walking areas, a small fenced-in patio, and other friendly pet owners who live in the community, may be a renter’s delight.

Apartment

Tips for Renting an Apartment for the First Time

January 16, 2012 Jonathan Clark 1 Comment

Someone who decides to move away from home for the first time, and into an apartment, steps into an independent lifestyle as well as a world full of new questions.

Driving by an apartment complex with several swimming pools and meticulously kept landscapes, a sight that is appealing for many first-time renters, is not the same as living there, and it does not cost any money, not yet.

Preparing oneself for the sales pitch from the apartment manager, and the questions she will have for the new renter, can feel like preparing for an excruciating job interview, but it is really much easier, and potentially just as exciting, as landing a new job.

Apartment managers want to know a few things about the renter. Most importantly, they want to know that the new renter will pay his rent on time and not bail out of the lease agreement, forcing expensive court action on the apartment owners. New renters should expect apartment managers will run a credit check and check with the renter’s employer to verify he has the means for paying the rent.

Landlords also want to know how many people will be living in the apartment. They may ask some impersonal questions about the relationship between the renter and the person sharing the apartment. What they are really asking is whether the renter intends to rent space in the apartment to someone else.

Some apartments have strict policies against subleasing arrangements. Getting caught in this, a tenant may commit a breach of the lease contract and be evicted.

Apartment managers will also share with the tenant a list of apartment community rules. This is a way of advising the new renter, before either party commits to the lease, what kind of personal behaviors are forbidden. For instance, there will be rules about noise levels, conducting business in the apartment that might infringe upon the privacy of other tenants, how many cars a tenant can park in the parking lot, and keeping pets in the apartment.

These rules are not personal, but they are put in place to protect the rights and privacy of the community as a whole.

Renters should go into the interview with questions of their own. They should ask what is included in the price of the rent. Some possibilities are internet service, cable television, and utilities. There may also be a fee for the use of amenities such as private party rooms, swimming pools, and other recreational extras.

Moving into independent living is an exciting time. Finding the perfect match of an apartment with a renter is a rewarding experience. Coming into the process prepared will ensure that both parties are equally satisfied.

Mortgage

Mortgages in California: Opportunities Galore

January 14, 2012 Jonathan Clark

Mortgages are age old business in the country. You can obtain a home mortgage loan in all the states in the country, including the state of California. Price of real estate is however comparatively high in this state in relation to the average real estate price in the country. In fact, it requires huge amount of money to purchase real estate in this state. The high price of property means that the majority of you are required to take out mortgage loans to purchase property for your families. A large number of mortgage lenders operate in the state of California and, if you search well, you can find a reputable mortgage lender who offers an affordable home mortgage loan to you. The following points will give some good ideas on finding a suitable property:

1 – The state of California has always been a high attraction real estate area. Located in the West Coast of the country, this is the most populous state in the country. Major cities in this state include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland. If you want to purchase a new home in Sacramento or if you are willing to contact a California home builder, you must take the help of a California mortgage lender.

2 – Finding a reputable mortgage lender is very important since several unethical mortgage lenders are also operating in the state at large. Finding a reputable mortgage lender on your own sometimes, however becomes an upheaval task for you as need to conduct thorough research on several mortgage lenders as well as have to make a comparative analysis on the different rates offered by these mortgage lenders in order to find the most suitable lender for you. So, it would be an excellent idea to find out a trustworthy mortgage broker. A mortgage broker can significantly simplify the process by finding the best rate for you.

3 – A trustworthy mortgage broker is experienced enough and has better access to the different mortgage lenders. A genuine mortgage broker in the state of California can easily find the most suitable mortgage loan for you. However, before contacting the mortgage lender, a mortgage broker must analyze your case. The broker will take into consideration various factors such as your income, your requirement, your affordability etc. After taking into consideration all these factors, the mortgage broker will find out the mortgage deal which best serves your requirements.

California Apartments Blog