Vanessa Barnes

All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. I proudly display the REALTOR "®" logo on my business card and other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again. Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime.

Here are several reasons on the value of a REALTOR®:

1. Your REALTOR® can help you determine your buying power - your financial reserves plus your borrowing capacity. Once you provide some basic information about your available savings, income and current debt, he or she can refer you to lenders best qualified to help you.
2. Your REALTOR® has many resources available to assist you in your home searchSuch as knowledge of properties that are new to the market, or those that are about to be listed, and access to property information via the Multiple Listing Service. This database enables REALTORs® to search for properties in their local area. For example - our Multiple Listing Service allows us to search for properties in Brevard, Lake, Osceola, Orange, Polk, Seminole, Volusia, and many other counties in the Central Florida area.
3. Your REALTOR® can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property REALTORS® have access to a variety of resources and can provide local community information on utilities, zoning, schools, etc. Once a property is selected, your REALTOR® can assist in preparing a comparative marketing analysis which helps you to research homes and pricing in the area.
4. Your REALTOR® can help you negotiateThere are countless factors that can be negotiated when purchasing a property, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs, appliances and/or furnishings. The purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you (typically 30-60 days) to complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.
5. Your REALTOR® provides due diligence during the evaluation of the propertyDepending on the area and property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests (if applicable), just to name a few. Your REALTOR® can assist you in finding qualified professionals to perform the investigations and provide you with written reports.
6. Your REALTOR® can help you in understanding different financing options and in identifying qualified lendersYour REALTOR® can help you in understanding different financing options and in identifying qualified lenders.
7. Your REALTOR® can guide you through the closing process. Your REALTOR® can guide you through the closing process.