Moving to a new hometown or leaving your old one? How do you find someone who will really help you find the best deal?

My name is Tanya Clapshaw, and yep, I'm a realtor. But I use my powers for good, not evil :)

But that's not why I started this blog. I've seen so many people who get transferred or move to a new hometown, and have NO idea who is a great realtor in the area. They need someone who's an EXPERT on their hometown, new or old!.

A GREAT hometown realtor should care about your equity and protect it. A GREAT hometown realtor will answer your calls right away and always tell you the truth, even when it hurts. A GREAT hometown expert knows the community--what the schools are like, how the city is developing, what neighborhoods are the best.

Let's help each other nominate the realtors who REALLY help their clients. I don't care if they sell $10 million or 100K a year, what office they work out of, or how long they've been doing it. Great service and knowledge is KEY---who do you know who is stellar? Go to Hometown Expert. ORG , and let's give the best gift you can give for someone who's given you great service--more customers!

Should I work with a buyers' or sellers' agent? What is that?

In the past, real estate agents always represented the seller, whether the agent helped a seller to market and sell a home or helped a buyer find and purchase a home. In other words, agents were at one time legally bound to represent the seller in a residential real estate transaction. In that scenario, the seller paid both the listing agent and the agent who brought the buyer.
In the past, real estate agents always represented the seller, whether the agent helped a seller to market and sell a home or helped a buyer find and purchase a home. In other words, agents were at one time legally bound to represent the seller in a residential real estate transaction. In that scenario, the seller paid both the listing agent and the agent who brought the buyer.

Today, agents either represent the buyer, the seller, or both. If you want to sell your home, you can work with a "seller's agent." If you want to buy a home, you can work with a "buyer's agent." Most states require real estate agents to disclose to consumers who they represent. Sometimes an agent will represent the buyer and the seller. A buyer who elects this situation should receive full disclosure on representation. In some states, dual agency affects the real estate professional's fiduciary responsibilities to the seller. The real estate agent you choose should fully disclose how they work with individuals and the options available to you.

Keep in mind that real estate laws differ from state to state and even from locale to locale. For more in-depth answers, talk with a knowledgeable real estate professional and ask about local practices. Be sure you understand and are comfortable with the services of the real estate agent you engage.

Hometown Expert. ORG

I maintain a website call Hometown Expert. ORG . It is a community of people who can tell you what is great in their hometown, including EXCELLENT local realtors (r). After moving across state lines myself, I realized I need a GREAT local expert who could help me find a new house and neighborhood for my family. Hopefully, this will help others in the same situation.

What is your home worth?
There are some websites that will try to tell you what your home is worth. From what I’ve seen, they don’t seem to be very accurate at all. The reason is this: they’re a computer, not a person. They don’t have up to the minute information about what the market is doing, or if a mall is being built next door, or if the urban growth boundary has just changed. They won’t be able to tell you if the property gets the prevailing winds from the pulp mill, or see if you just put in new carpet and painted, or if there’s a great new school being built in the area. Only a good real estate agent can really factor all those things in to get an accurate idea of what a home might sell for.

If you want to find out what your home is really worth, a Hometown Expert realtor ® can give you a FREE estimate of value.