How to Pick a Real Estate Agent

Buying a home may be the largest purchase for a family during their lifetime. Picking the correct real estate agent can eliminate many problems involved in the process.

Real Estate Agents Work on a Commission Basis

Real estate agents are not paid a salary. They work on a commission basis. They receive a commission only if they’re successful in selling the house.

Try to Obtain a Recommendation

The best way to find a competent and honest real estate agent is to ask your friends, family members, attorneys, accountants or other individuals who you respect for recommendations. You should practice due diligence and interview two or three real estate agents before deciding on one to represent you.

Real Estate Agents Represent the Sellers

A real estate agent is the agent of the seller. The real estate agent does not represent the buyer. They may appear to be your friend but be careful, what a real estate agent is primarily interested in is earning a living by selling homes.

Sellers Beware

Real estate agents, upon meeting with the prospective seller, want to obtain the listing. The agent will receive a commission even if he or she does not show your home. One of the things an agent may say to you in their first meeting is “I believe I have a buyer for your house”. This is a sales pitch. They may have a buyer who wants a house in your town, but they have no idea they want your house in particular. Another sales technique involves the agent telling you that they have obtained a great offer. However, this offer may be far below what you seek to obtain from the sale of your house. Remember, if a perspective purchaser makes you an offer and it is below what you want, you can make them a counter offer and meet them halfway or three quarters of the way to the price you want.

Buyers and Sellers

Buyers and sellers have different interests. A seller wants to get as much for his or her home as possible. The buyer wants to pay as little as possible. Both of them may be dealing with the same real estate broker. This may create a conflict of interest.

Real Estate Brokers Recommending Lawyers

The real estate broker you go to may recommend a lawyer to handle the real estate transaction. The broker may say this lawyer is affiliated with our office and he or she will give you a good deal. The issue you must look into is whether that lawyer really has your best interest at heart or is the real estate broker’s best interest his or her main concern. Real estate brokers refer lawyers to their prospective clients who they know will protect them with regard to their commissions. In most situations, you are better off having an independent lawyer that you obtained from another source.

Metropolitan New York Foreclosure Defense Lawyers

The New York City and Long Island foreclosure defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo can help you if you have a foreclosure problem. Our foreclosure defense lawyers litigate defective mortgages, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending and all other types of real estate related matters. We can explain the federal laws on foreclosure and how they affect you. We attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients.

In the appropriate situation, we will discuss foreclosure related bankruptcy issues, such as filing a Chapter 7 and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy with you. In bankruptcy situations, there is an automatic stay that goes into effect, ordered by the court, that stops foreclosure from moving forward. In some bankruptcy situations, we can eliminate second mortgages. At the end of the bankruptcy, we can assist you inre- establishing your credit.

Feel free to set up a free consultation with us. We will discuss your foreclosure options with you. Thank you for visiting our foreclosure blog.

A Generation of Renters

rentShould you buy a house or rent an apartment? As long as home values continue to decline, owning a home is a bad investment. If you rent, you have no responsibility for the apartment other than paying your monthly rental bill.

Home Ownership Declines in the United States

Home ownership has been declining the Unites States for the past few years. Home ownership is currently at its lowest rate since 1978. Approximately 38 million households in the United States are renters. While the building of new single family homes has dried up, apartment construction in the United States is now up 115% from its low in October of 2009.

Permits for new apartments hit a two year high in March of 2011. Compared to the number of permits applied for by construction companies for single family homes, there is a drastic difference. Permits for single family homes in 2011 are at their lowest point since 1960.

Rents Going Up

Since more and more families are seeking to rent, it has had an impact on the cost of renting. Rental rates are going up throughout the United States. There was over a 4% increase in rents between 2009 and 2010. Increasing rents is the result of the change in American attitudes. The American dream of owning a home is no longer held in such high esteem by young adults.

Many young Americans are concerned about the risk of home ownership. They see how home values have been going down for the past five years. They are concerned about making an investment of their valuable assets in a declining real estate market.

Harder To Buy A Home

Although homes have come down in value for the past five years, it is still difficult for young people to purchase a home. Banks now require larger down payments. Credit applications are underwritten more carefully and credit has become tighter. Many young Americans look at home ownership not as an investment, but as a financial burden.

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Foreclosure Defense Lawyer

If you own a home that is in foreclosure, we can keep you in your home! The Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo is one of the premier foreclosure defense law firms in the country. We litigate all aspects of foreclosure proceedings, including defective mortgages, predatory lending, defective foreclosure lawsuits, issues involving robo signers, and other real estate related issues. We attend foreclosure court conferences on behalf of our clients and we seek to motivate financial institutions to give our clients mortgage modifications. We are adept at dealing with mortgage modification programs that fail to meet our clients’ needs.

In certain situations, foreclosure related bankruptcies may be the answer to the foreclosure proceeding. In those situations, we discuss various types of bankruptcies that are available to our clients. These usually involve either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcies. The filing of the bankruptcy in a Federal Bankruptcy Court automatically stops the foreclosure proceeding from moving forward. In some situations, the filing of the bankruptcy can also be used to eliminate a second mortgage on a home. At the end of the bankruptcy, we can assist our clients in re-establishing their credit.

Call us! At your initial free consultation, we will discuss all of your foreclosure options. We appreciate you visiting our foreclosure blog.

Foreclosure Defense in Valley Stream, Lynbrook, Baldwin, Malverne, Freeport, Oceanside, Long Beach, Elmont, Lakeview, West Hempstead, Hempstead, Merrick and Bellmore, New York

We represent individuals throughout the New York Metropolitan area with divorce and child custody, personal injury, car accident, wrongful death, estate administration, nursing home and medicaid issues

The information you obtain at this website is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your particular legal issue. This is attorney advertising.

This is attorney advertising. This website is designed for general information purposes only. The information presented on this website shall not be construed to be legal advice. If you have a legal problem you should consult with an attorney.

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