Shop Local
By Liz Burrow
Most people agree with the concept of supporting our local
economy, but when it comes to real estate, it is more about
knowledge and expertise than just helping local business. I
hear agents all the time saying, ‘Lake Linganore is the best-
kept secret in Frederick’, and that doesn’t necessarily equate
to a good thing when it comes to selling or buyer a home.
We have a unique community and knowing all its attributes
is essential to effective marketing. There is a host of very
talented and knowledgeable local professionals from
within this community who can advise and assist with any
real estate transaction.
1. Networking: The leading local agents, although they
may be from different companies, work together on a
regular basis, and are often able to match up buyers and
sellers using their knowledge of the inventory and what
may be coming onto the market.
2. Appraisal assistance: Lake Linganore is one of the most
challenging areas in Frederick County to appraise,
and so an agent who can assist with the right comps is
invaluable to a smooth transaction.
3. Inventory knowledge: Resident agents can stay up
to date on the inventory by touring properties and
attending open houses and so have detailed knowledge
of condition and updates in many of the homes on the
market.
4. Changing landscape: The community is constantly
altering and having inside information about how
these changes may benefit potential buyers can make
all the difference to securing an offer.
5. Pricing know-how: You only get one chance at the all-
important first few weeks on the market, and it is vital
to have any home priced correctly from the outset.
Knowing which sub-divisions form accurate comps
is a skill acquired by understanding the intricacies of
this area and an agent not intimately familiar with Lake
Linganore will often struggle.
6. Local Auxiliary support: Although this is more relevant
to buyers, real estate offices frequently have affiliations
with auxiliary services such as lenders, settlement
companies, and inspectors. It stands to reason that
if the agency is out of the area, so will their auxiliary
companies be, further reducing local expertise.
7. HOA and by-laws – The Community’s inner workings
are complicated and often not fully understood, even by
residents. Understanding the community improvement
fee, re-sale packages, benefit assessments, and building
restrictions is information that local agents work with
daily, while others may not be as informed. Getting
an offer to the settlement table is often dependent on
items such as these which, if overlooked can cause a
transaction to falter.
But the most important factor of all is the love for the area.
Lake Linganore is so much more than the home itself.
The lifestyle is what attracts people to our area and who
better to explain this lifestyle to sell your home, or find you
a new one, than someone who has chosen to make Lake
Linganore their home.
*Resident realtors are welcome to submit real estate
articles for print in this column. All articles must be strictly
informational and market oriented
LIZ BURROW®
301.788.6076
LakeLinganore.com
SELLING? BUYING? BUILDING?
Love Where You Live
[email protected]
Beautiful Custom Homes from $400s
240.309.6000
240.309.6000
LakeTalk February 2018
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