Heart and Mind
Over the years we’ve discovered that most people let their heart
find the home they love and then try to justify their purchase afterward.
Our goal is to help you find a property that not only wins your heart,
but makes good investment sense as well. When you call us, you’ll
be tapping into a wealth of information and market experience. We are
accustomed to working with a variety of clients - from the first-time
Buyer to veterans of multi-million dollar real estate transactions. Regardless
of the level of experience of our client, we answer questions with straight
talk and facts. No jargon or hype. No song and dance. Just the plain old
truth. Here’s where you start.
- Survey the Landscape
Drive around and get a feeling for the Valley and its many neighborhoods. Then, meet with us for about an hour to discuss your plans, time frame, “wish” list and “have to have” list. At that meeting we will also discuss how we will be working together, what options you have as a Buyer for real estate representation, and how agency works in Colorado. - Search For Your Dream Home
After our first meeting and a review of our “game plan”, we’ll go out and preview some properties. We will have done our homework and have selected the most likely candidates. We won’t waste your valuable time looking at homes that are not suitable. It's likely that if you’ve shared with us all of your requirements and we’ve listened carefully, we will find you the right home in an afternoon. Occasionally the first day becomes a familiarization tour and it takes another day to narrow down choices. Once you’ve fallen in love with a home, we’ll help you make a decision, write up the contract on a State of Colorado approved form, negotiate the purchase, and you’ll be on your way.
- Take Advantage of a Personal Shopper
You will have the advantage of working with one of our Buyer Specialists, which is like having your own personal shopper! Our professional team of Buyer Specialists focuses solely on Buyers and makes it their full time priority to know all of the listed properties in the Valley (and some unlisted ones too!) If we don’t find the home you want before you leave the Valley, (which happens sometimes), we’ll make sure you are included in our Instant Buyer Notification System - when a new listing hits the market, you will be notified right away. We’ll make sure you have “first pick” of the best properties!
- Get The Whole Picture
Just a word about showings…through the Multiple Listing System (and on our website), you can have access to ALL of the listed properties for sale in the entire Eagle County! Unfortunately, there are a few brokers in our area who only show their company’s listings, thereby giving their Buyers only a partial picture of the market and possibly eliminating that perfect dream home for their client. Some company policies are to publish only their inventory, which misleads Buyers and gives them only a limited partial picture. We show all listings, regardless of who has them and sometimes show “For Sale By Owners” and unlisted properties. In other words, we will do whatever it takes to find you what you want.
- Negotiating Your Best Deal
In spite of the current economic climate, ours is not a market where you can steal property. Most properties in the Vail Valley sell within 5% or less of their listed price. We’ll provide the facts about recent sales. If we are representing you, we can help you determine the best offer to make which has a realistic chance of succeeding. Our specific advice will be based on years of experience and more than 1,000 successful transactions. But here are some general tips:- Make your offers clean and simple, with the fewest contingencies
possible.
- Have “vision” beyond the obvious - many Buyers can’t
see potential in
a property that doesn’t present itself well -if you can, there may be an opportunity for you.
- If you are not paying cash, pre-qualify with a local lender and
submit the letter of approval with your offer.
- Write a letter (or we can do it for you) to the Sellers explaining why their home is the perfect choice for your family. We’ll send it with the offer. Personalizing your offer from others can sometimes make a huge impact.
- Make your offers clean and simple, with the fewest contingencies
- Financing, Title Work and Other Details
Most Vail Valley Buyers secure financing through locally based mortgage brokers. Most homes under $1 million can be financed at 75-100% of value. Terms for loans over $1 million are determined individually, as are loans for construction and vacant land.
Upon sale, Colorado requires the closing agent to withhold 2% of proceeds from non-resident Sellers and to ensure the Seller files a tax return reporting the gain the next year. Excess funds are returned. In Colorado, the Seller pays for title insurance fees. Escrow fees typically total less than $250. You can review financing costs with your lender. In many areas of the Vail Valley, there are varying rates of transfer tax, which are often negotiable with the Seller.
- Long Distance Closings
Thanks to the convenience of technology and overnight delivery, most of our closings are handled long distance. We will oversee completion of inspections and appraisals, maintain day-to-day communications between Seller and Buyer, the lender and the title company. We commit to remaining your primary source of information and assistance, even months or years after closing. We don’t believe our relationship is a fleeting one, but rather an opportunity to establish a lasting friendship. We know that the greatest praise we can receive for a job well done is the referral of your friends and family. We look forward to meeting them!
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