Closing A Real Estate Deal

Closing a Real Estate deal, these days, is not an easy task. I have been working with clients for a few months now, and we finally found the perfect home. It started in that neighbourhood, we ventured from it, and then we came back.

You may ask, why we ventured, well because the borders for the school were changed, and then changed back after discussions between parents and the school board. This just proves that parents that get involved with their children(s) education can get things done. I kept on top of this information because it was important to my clients.

Now, back to the main story. After about a week of negotiating, we had a deal. There didn't seem to be anything "wrong" with the home. It was only 10 years old. There was a condition of Home Inspection in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Now, there is a reason for home inspections. As Realtors, we know what a home inspector will see and what he cannot see. (He is not Mike Holmes because if he takes it apart he will not come back with a crew to correct the problem). The inspector was quite thorough. He did find a few deficiencies in the home. (I have yet to have a home inspection to be performed and NO deficiencies found irregardless of how small. This is true of brand new homes, also)

Well, as you know, the buyers were a little nervous about 2 of the 'problem' areas. Because of these areas, I realized why this home had not sold for such a long time. The Sellers were not going to fix anything. You take the home for the agreed-to price or they will sell it to the next buyer. My buyers truly liked the home but they felt that they were being pressured by the sellers. After a long discussion with my buyers over a period of 2 days, I began my search for someone to assist me making some of the repairs. Of course, I was going to pick up the tab. The deadline for the conditions was coming up.

Fortunately, the repairs that I was going to 'help' with could be estimated from the outside and we did not have to disrupt the lives of the sellers. Two of the contractors came in with very high prices. The best that they could do, but still quite high. Then, on the final day, I had Jason come and take a look. Jason was recommended to me by a colleague of mine. Jason and his father were doing work on another street. Jason, of Green City Windows, was very accommodating and met me very quickly. He provided me with 3 different options for making the repairs AND he gave me a great (and extremely reasonable) price.

We shook hands. I called Mr. Buyer and told him the good news. "I will take care of the 2 issues". He was very excited and told me to come over and he would sign the Waivers.

As a Realtor, I was happy to provide this service to my buyers. When I know that a home and buyer match, I do my utmost to make the deal come together. I had a few sleepless nights worrying on how to help my buyers, but in the end it proves that my perseverance paid off.

I would like to thank Jason Aguiar for his help in closing the deal. If you would like his telephone number or his email address, feel free to contact me directly at 416 427 1875 or email me at betty@bettybart.com. I will highly recommend his company. I'm sure his services could be used by stagers as well.

This is what I do for my "Clients". If you have any questions regarding the difference between a 'client' and a 'customer', I can provide that information to you. If you do not want to sign a Buyer Representation Agreement with me, then you will not benefit from the services I provide.

Let me know how I can help YOU!

Give me, Betty, a call directly at 416 427 1875. Let's sit down and chat. Find out how I can help you in all your real estate matters.

Betty Bartusevicius, Sales Representative
Re/Max Realty Specialists Inc., Brokerage
Office: 950 828 3434
Cell: 416-427-1875
Email: betty@bettybart.com
Web Site: http://www.bettybart.com
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Elegant Homes in Lorne Park, Churchill Meadows, Mississauga, Fine Homes in 905

We all eventually woke up this past weekend and realized that the holiday season is behind us. Of course, different celebrations will go on throughout this new year. I was very happy to see 2008 go to rest. The last few months were a flurry of bad news and fewer opportunities for anyone. Now, with the New Year comes a clean slate and let's get going with our plans.

There was an article in the Toronto Star on Saturday that was very interesting to me and my business. It related to House Inspections of brand new homes. Because I was a Buyer Agent for a lovely family in December of just such a home, I feel I could comment on this.

In case you didn't read the article or if you don't get the Toronto Star, I will just point out some specifics to make this article shorter:

A family was living in a "luxury" townhouse in Uxbridge for almost a year. They didn't think that anything could be wrong with their home. Their parents (and we know that parents don't know too much) have bought and sold property over the years suggested that they fill out the 1-Year Tarion New Home Warranty Report and list any issues.

Because neither of the young people had much knowledge or experience with home building or repairs, they hired a home inspector to have a look. "We wanted to make sure we caught everything but we're not handy, " says Buyer. "The home inspector found a number of things we never would have noticed. The stuff he found came as a surprise."

The most significant defect found was that the clothes dryer hadn't been vented properly, thus was not blowing outdoors but into insulation, which could have eventually caused a moisture and mould issue. He also noted that the plumbing to a toilet in a seldom-used second bathroom wasn't on the right angle for flushing, that a promised rough-in for an electrical fan for the fireplace was not completed and that attic insulation had been flattened in places. My words --"Welcome to the New Home Buying Process".

Most builders will come in and repair deficiencies just so that they keep their reputation clean. But if you don't point things out to them, they will never know and you could go on living with problems that you don't even know about.

This is the same situation that I was in a month ago. The home was only a month old and my buyers were questioning the cost of the house inspection and also whether they should even do one. Their question was, "What could possibly be wrong with a brand new home?" However, they did follow my suggestion and low and behold guess what -- there was no cold air return on the second floor which is a code violation. There was nothing else wrong with the home but because we found this flaw we quickly informed the selling agent and the sellers informed the builder who came in and repaired the problem before we signed off on the purchase. It was very simple, the cold air return was there but the workers had dry-walled over it.

In both of these situations, the house inspection was well worth it. Most buyers believe that new homes are perfect. I have yet to see a "perfect" home, irregardless of the age.

I always advise on a home inspection. It is a cost that is very worthwhile, especially when you are making such a large financial purchase. Know up front what needs to be done and approximately how much it will cost you to repair. Let me do the negotiating regarding all this.

There are different home inspectors, and I can advise you on who to hire and I can also give you names of inspectors that you can interview. Inspectors now require a RHI designation which would mean that they are registered.

If you need more information, or you would just like to chat contact me, Betty Bartusevicius at 905.828.3434 or directly at 416.427.1985

I can help you save time and money by shopping smarter:
http://www.bettybart.com/createnewclientuserid/whyregister.cfm

There is no time like the present to begin your investigations into a property purchase or sale that will lead to sound decision-making.

Experience is not expensive; it is Priceless.