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We will be happy to send our free, no-obligation Welcome To Montgomery Relocation Kit which contains, school information, homes for sale, recreation activities, maps, brochures, entertainment, etc. Just complete and return the form below. For further reading, check out our informative relocation guide, 7 Steps to a Successful Relocation, and our Montgomery, Alabama Newcomer's Guide - FAQs About Moving To Our Area.
The Helping You Move Members are experts in the relocation business—specialists, in fact
—making transitions go smoother for people for a combined total of 20 years. Our dedicated team will provide:
- Counseling on Montgomery, Elmore and Autauga counties and suburbs
- Experienced and accredited buyer representation
- Community and homefinding tours
- Special needs assistance
Moving to another location...Across the State or Around the World?
The Helping You Move Team will be happy to put you in touch with an expert relocation specialist Realtor in that city. No Obligation. Just ask!
7 Steps to a Successful Relocation
1. Prequalification
This is a simple step, but it is the most important step! It consists of contacting a lender and submitting personal information in order that a lender can provide a letter assuring the real estate agents involved and potential sellers that you as a buyer are qualified to purchase a home. Prequalification generally includes a good credit history and sufficient income to repay the amount of the loan necessary to purchase a home. The process can normally be done over the phone or by e-mail and it is free of any fees or obligations. If you are paying cash, then it is important to provide your realtor a financial statement, which supports that the cash is available. Either a letter of prequalification or a Financial Statement normally accompanies an offer submitted to a seller to buy a property. Having completed this step, you can expect to be taken seriously by everyone. Here are links to help with this key step in your relocation.
- Anchor Mortgage
Shop rates, Pre-Qualify, Express Application, and much more!- Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD) Home Page
- FHA Lenders Page
- Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan Page
- Buyer Don'ts!
- Regions Mortgage
- Countrywide
2. Selecting an Agent The second most important step!
There are very few instances where it makes any sense to not select an agent to represent your interests when you purchase property. The system is structured so that in most cases, the fees for your representation are already rolled into the seller's costs. You could approach the listing agent and request to have the price of the home in which you are interested reduced by the amount of the buyer agent's commission, but then you have to remember that you have no representation... the listing agent is obligated to further the interests of the seller, not yours. You have no one to assist with pertinent questions about soils, drainage, termites, home warranties, no one to help you determine a fair offering price, or to negotiate on your behalf. This is the way the system used to work and it was ultimately deemed to be unfair.This is true with builders as well. They include the expense of a buyer agent in the price of the new home, and they do not offer to refund that money to you just because you opt not to have an agent.
Even though the Alabama buyer agency contract obligates you to pay your Buyer Agent's commission, we have found that rarely happens. The listing agent normally sets aside one-half of the commission he is to be paid by the seller at closing, and offers it to the agent who brings the buyer. This information is presented in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) with each home that is listed.
In the case of a home, which is being sold by the owner, we always ask the sellers if they are willing to pay our commission if our client buys their home, and in most cases they agree. If the seller should refuse, than we approach our clients, even before we show the home, to determine in advance if they are willing to pay our commission. If so, we simply factor that cost into the offer we submit. In either case, the seller has no representation, as we are obligated to further our buyer's interests, regardless of which party pays the commission.
When you select an agent, it is a good idea to let that agent know that as long as he or she performs to your satisfaction, you will be loyal. The best way to do that is to sign a buyer agency contract early on. All good agents that we know will gladly release you from your contract, if you ask. Of course, you can not then go and buy a home that has been located during the time you were under contract with that agent. If you enthusiastically sign a contract, your agent will feel more comfortable and will not hesitate to go the extra mile for you. Remember that the agent fronts everything... all the costs associated with being in business, all the energy and time, and the agent receives nothing if you do not buy. The agent gets paid only if and when there is a closing
3. Locating the Neighborhood
Rarely do buyers select a home before they select the area of town in which they will be most comfortable. There are too many other determining factors, such as work location and the resulting commuting times, schools, crime, resale value, personal preferences like proximity to shopping, country clubs, or an airport.If you work with me, we try to tackle this problem by providing you access to all the information possible before you arrive. The first thing we do when we pick up our new clients at the airport, their hotel, or at our office, is take them on an orientation trip through the Montgomery area, excluding only those areas that we have mutually agreed won't meet their needs. We normally get things narrowed down to two or three general areas, and from there we can get a look at a few homes within those neighborhoods. After a few hours, most of our clients have a good idea where they would like to concentrate their efforts.
Here are some links that will assist in helping you select the best neighborhoods for your needs:
- Map
- School Information
- Montgomery Chamber of Commerce
- Prattville (Area north of Montgomery)
- Millbrook (Area north of Montgomery)
- Wetumpka (Area north of Montgomery)
- Alabama Information Network
- Relocation Package Request Form
- Newcomer's Guide - FAQs About Moving To Our Area
4. Selecting Homes
This is the step most people want to do first! It is human nature to project oneself into the future. But really, steps one through three have to be done first.Picking out the home that best meets your needs is always affected by budgetary limitations, as well as other considerations. When our clients are not constrained by time, we often select homes in their price range for them to drive by. Then, when they have found some homes they would like to investigate further, we arrange for showings on these properties.
You may have only a few days to actually look for a home, making time another constraint. This is another reason it is important to have done a good job at selecting an agent. We take pride in having taken the steps necessary to find out ahead of time what neighborhoods and what homes are most likely going to suit our client's needs. That way we will be prepared to show you numerous properties quickly and efficiently, so that you have time to decide on a "First Choice" and a couple of alternative homes in order of priority, all of which are desirable. This offers a back up course of action if negotiations on the primary become difficult, another buyer gets the most desired home, or some fault is discovered making one of the homes no longer a viable option.
5. Making an Offer & Negotiating
This is another stage of buying a home where having an agent again becomes essential. People normally do not obligate themselves to this big a purchase without some sense of interest, anticipation and excitement. You might want a home warranty or the seller's refrigerator. That is why rational, well thought-out buying strategies are key to reaching an agreed-to price between the buyer and seller.Following are some items to consider when making an offer:
The number of homes available in the buyer's price range, making it either a buyer's or seller's market; The degree to which the buyer wants to buy and the seller wants to sell; Whether or not another buyer has extended an offer at the same time; The dates the buyer or seller want to close the transaction; Whether the two agents can present the offers and counter-offers in a manner that leads to what is considered a "win-win" transaction by all parties. This is where negotiating experience is very helpful and two good agents can really help to bring the transaction to the closing table.
An earnest money check is included with the contract to show the buyer's intention to proceed with the sale. The amount of this check is agreed to by the agents during the negotiation and usually is in the $500 to $1000 range. This check is placed in the escrow account of the listing agent and held until closing, at which time that amount is included toward the purchase price of the home and shows up as a credit to the buyer.
6. Inspections & Appraisal
The period from the time of contract acceptance by both parties to the actual closing is used by the buyer to have the property inspected by a licensed or certified inspector, by the lender (selected by the buyer) to appraise the property and approve the specific loan under the conditions of the contract, and by the closing attorney to complete the research required to successfully close the sale of the property. our role here is to insure that all contractual obligations are satisfied.Although not required, we recommend a full disclosure by the seller of all known aspects of the property that might affect the value or desirability of the property is completed at the time of contract acceptance. This information can be used by you to confirm that you do indeed wish to proceed with the purchase.
7. Closing the Transaction
This is the final step in getting you situated in your new home. The day prior to closing, the buyers normally do a quick walk-through to insure that the property is in the expected condition. Closing is typically conducted at the closing attorney’s office whose job it is to insure that all the appropriate paperwork is signed in the right number of copies by all parties concerned, and, more importantly, that the distribution of money is in strict compliance with the contract and applicable governing laws. Both parties and their agents normally attend the closing, which lasts about one hour. There are provisions to handle situations where any or all of these parties cannot be present at the closing.
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4215 Carmichael Rd. Montgomery, AL 36106
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 All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. |
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Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not
quickly broken. The best real estate agents to help you move your home whether you are Buying, Selling, Building and Relocating in Alabama-Montgomery, Prattville, Millbrook, Wetumpka, Lake Martin, Lake Jordan, Montgomery county, Elmore county, Autauga county |
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