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For some people, the process of buying a home is different then every other financial transaction they go through in their lives. When the same person goes to buy their first used car, they enter the lot, look around and do their best to play coy about what car they like. They know better then to find a car they like and then tell the salesmen they have fallen in love with the car and that they must have it.
Everyone knows the first thing that salesperson is going to do is jack up the price. It is simply bad business to do. But every day, people behave this way when they are looking for a place to live. All of the common sense that people have when they are shopping for appliances or a car or ANYTHING other than a home, they seem to forget.
Let´s take a look at why it´s smart to stop, look and listen when your shopping for prime Sarasota Fl real estate.
It pays to stay calm when you´re looking at a home. Just as that opportunistic used car salesman and that sketchy appliance salesmen will suddenly raise the price of a car or fridge the moment you express interest, the same basic thing can happen with a home. As hard as it might be to contain yourself, you simply cannot gush and show how much you love a home as you tour it. You should ask plenty of questions and no matter what, remain calm and objective. Try to appear cool and detached, like you are looking at a home for a friend to move into, not for you. You can keep a log as you walk though the home, but don´t let anyone read it but you and your realtor; you don´t want to tip off anyone that you are super-interested in a home.
By keeping your comments to yourself, you´re also opening up your ears. Your third grade teacher was right, you can´t talk and listen at the same time. By keeping your comments to a minimum, or, if you are talking, by engaging the owner in casual conversation, you´re building trust. Also, make sure you listen very, very closely to the comments the owner makes as he or she shows you around. They may sound innocent and completely without deeper meaning, but they are often signs of potential problems with the home. They may make offhanded comments or gestures to a water stain on the ceiling (could be a leak) or a bubble in the wallpaper (bad plumbing?). What they don´t realize is that if they never offhandedly pointed these things out, most people who they toured through their home wouldn´t even have noticed them.
It is a good idea to ask questions, but watch the tone. Just like you don´t want to seem too anxious or excited about a particular property, you also don´t want to be too critical. People hold grudges and more than one sale has been ruined because the seller just didn´t want to do business with a particular buyer, even if they had the best offer price. It doesn´t happen often, but it´s not unheard of. You have every right to ask questions as you tour a home, but be polite and positive, not rude and confrontational.
Finally, remember the golden rule. Treat others as you wish to be treated. If you look at enough homes during your search, chances are, you´re going to look at some real dumps. When you go to look at these types of places, treat the owners exactly how you would like to be treated if the tables were turned. Even if the house is a complete disaster, be kind and toss a compliment or two their way. It could make their day and you´ll leave feeling a lot better about yourself, too.
Watching your mannerisms when you tour a home can be a big deal. People, for some reason, tend to forget they are in a buying position when they look at homes. They tend to forget everything they were ever taught about how to negotiate and how to present yourself in a professional manor. But if you follow these simple rules, you´ll put yourself in the best possible position when it comes to buying that perfect Sarasota home.
GBrey |
