IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Summer 2016 | Page 23

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : R E A L E S TAT E

4 BUYING: Protect yourself!

It’s easy to get wrapped up in signing papers and losing sight
of what you are agreeing to when buying a home. Fortunately,
contingency clauses can protect you from losing what is yours.
An example is a mortgage-financing contingency; if you lose
your job or your loan falls through, you’ll get your “earnest
money” back in full. Otherwise, you may be obligated to follow
through with purchasing a house you can no longer afford.

5 BUYING: Enjoy the view?

It’s obvious that homes with a view can sell big. In fact, Realtor.
com states that homes with a view of the city sell the fastest,
with an average of 83 days on the market, while homes with
an ocean view sit for 98 days (mostly due to the elevated price
of oceanfront property). If you are in love with a home with a
view, be sure it is there to stay. Although you may see rolling hills
through your living room window now, who’s to say a real estate
developer won’t see that same space as the perfect opportunity
to build more homes? Check with your local municipality for
land use regulations to make sure your view will remain.

6 BUYING/SELLING: Your real estate agent

matters.

According to Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff, research shows
gender matters when choosing a real estate agent. Rascoff says
men will get your home sold closer to asking price because they
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