The Final Walk Through in Real Estate by John Biondolillo, BCK Real Estate Company Vermont

BCK Real Estate Vermont John Biondolillo

Most home purchase contracts include a clause that gives the Buyer the right to complete a walk-through inspection before closing. Often times Buyers feel that there is no need to do a final walk through, but the last thing you want to do is have to clean up a mess or fix some last minute thing yourself, before you can move in. The best time for a Buyer to do this would be during the last week before the closing, in order to ensure that the property is in substantially the same condition it was when you agreed to purchase it.

The final walk through also allows the Buyer to make sure that any items or appliances that the Seller agreed to leave have not been removed, and that any repairs the Seller agreed to are either completed or in the process of being completed. However, if the Seller has not yet moved out during the final walk through, it is impossible to know how the home will look once the Seller is gone. For this reason, most contracts require that the Seller remove all debris and personal property except those specifically included in the contract agreement. However, while a huge mess may not be left behind, most contracts only require the property be swept. Therefore, you may also want to ask if the Seller is planning on having the property professionally cleaned, and if not, you may want to arrange for this before you move in.

Also, while buying Vermont Real Estate, it is always a good idea to use the final walk through to ask the Seller any final questions. It is helpful to compile a list prior to walking through, in order to make sure all questions are answered. Make sure to ask if there are any idiosyncrasies of the property that you should be informed about, perhaps how to operate an alarm or pool system. Also, find out if there are any routine home maintenance tasks other than the obvious; maybe there is a gutter drain that clogs periodically, or a sewer pipe that needs clearing every now and again.

Find out, also, if the Seller can give you the contact information for any contractors that have done previous work on the house. Good contractors are often hard to come by and recommendations, or even who to stay away from, will come in handy. It is helpful to use this final walk as and opportunity to decide where furniture will go as well; this will make process of moving in go much faster. Make sure to transfer utilities from the Seller’s to your name in order to assure they do not get shut off, and ask the Sellers if they plan to leave any kinds of instruction manuals, spare keys, or garage door openers.

BCK Real Estate now has Vermont Realtors in six real estate offices in Vermont and if you are looking to buy or sell a home in Barre, Montpelier, Northfield, Waterbury, Rochester and Stowe, Vermont. We are your source for Vermont Real Estate. Email us at info@BCKrealestate.com.  This blog is provided for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed real estate professional.

You can also contact our individual offices:

BCK Barre VT   86 North Main Street  Barre, VT 05641   (802)479-3366

BCK Montpelier  15 State Street     Montpelier, VT 05602   (802)229-4242

BCK Northfield    17 East Street  Northfield, VT 05663  (802)485-7400

BCK Waterbury    21 North Main Street  Waterbury, VT 05676  (802)241-2000

BCK Rochester      42 North Main Street  Rochester, VT 05767  (802)767-9900

Stowe Realty/ BCK Real Estate  - 254 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 05672  (802) 253-8484

What Makes a Great Real Estate Agent by John Biondolillo, BCK Real Estate Company Vermont

BCK Real Estate Vermont John Biondolillo

By John Biondolillo, BCK Real Estate Vermont

Communication is a benchmark in real estate. Agents must be excellent communicators, able to tune into the buyers’ needs and desires to match to the right homes. They must be able to size up buyers’ housing needs as well as their financial situations. Great agents are able to answer buyers’ questions about the home buying process and inform buyers of the costs involved. They know the markets where they work intimately, they have years of experience to draw from, and they have good common sense and surefire instincts.

            Great agents will put you in contact with referrals for the various professionals you will need to wok with to build a winning team and get the job done: lenders, inspectors, attorneys, title officers, and insurance company representatives. You should receive a variety of referrals within the same category. For instance your agent might refer three real estate attorneys to you, allowing you to choose who you best feel comfortable working with.

            A great agent can have access to listing before anyone other agent does, allowing you to get a jump on other buyers’ To do this, the agent needs to be well connected with the local real estate community and have a good working relationship with other brokers. A great agent has access to multiple listing services and can expose you to a broader range of properties than you could find on you own.

            Great agents are full of enthusiasm and energy and are willing to go the extra mile to insure you are satisfied. During the home buying process they will become a constant in your life. In addition to showing you properties, they accompany you at property inspections and the signing of your closing documents. They arrange to oversee property repairs when necessary. They prepare a comparative market analysis of a property if you want to buy if you are uncertain about the value. They calculate an estimate of your closing costs.  They make special arrangements for you as different buyers’ have different needs. You may want to show the property to your relatives before closing, measure the rooms, get painter’s estimates, or have a final walk-through meeting with the sellers. A great agent will make all this happen and much more.

            A great agent has plenty of time to work in your best interest. Top agents will meet personally with the sellers and the listing agent to make your offer instead of dropping your offer at the listing office. They stay on top of every detail of your real estate transaction. They are available to take care of your real estate needs no matter how inconvenient for them. If a crisis arises, they work on resolving it diligently until the problem is solved.

            Great agents are with you every step of the way to insure that every aspect of your transaction proceeds as smoothly as possible. However, they know the limits of their professional responsibilities and never attempt to make decisions for you. Buyers and sellers are the decision makers in the real estate transaction, not the agents. If an agent is representing you in a transaction, he or she should advise you but never decide for you. Top agents use the “soft sell” approach, which means that they help buyers decide what they want without imposing their will.

BCK Real Estate now has Vermont Realtors in six real estate offices in Vermont and if you are looking to buy or sell a home in Barre, Montpelier, Northfield, Waterbury, Rochester and Stowe, Vermont. We are your source for Vermont Real Estate. Email us at info@BCKrealestate.com.  This blog is provided for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed real estate professional.

You can also contact our individual offices:

BCK Barre VT   86 North Main Street  Barre, VT 05641   (802)479-3366

BCK Montpelier  15 State Street     Montpelier, VT 05602   (802)229-4242

BCK Northfield    17 East Street  Northfield, VT 05663  (802)485-7400

BCK Waterbury    21 North Main Street  Waterbury, VT 05676  (802)241-2000

BCK Rochester      42 North Main Street  Rochester, VT 05767  (802)767-9900

Stowe Realty/ BCK Real Estate  - 254 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT 05672  (802) 253-8484