Look through thousands of ads in papers, go to hundreds of open-inspections, spend hours on the Internet - and then, on top of all this, put up with the following:
False Quotes: In the industry it's called 'price range'. In reality, it's 'bait pricing'. You see a home advertised with an "estimated" price. It looks great. You get your hopes up. Later you discover you had no chance of buying at the price advertised. It was a bait price. And so you start again. And then it happens again. It's hard to buy with bait prices.
False Advertising: The home looks great in the ad. In reality, it's another story. You soon learn the painful lesson of real estate advertising. Low maintenance garden means a slab of cracked concrete the size of a postage stamp. Close to transport means a busy road so noisy it sounds like the buses are going through the lounge-room. Four bedrooms mean two bedrooms plus a sunroom and a closed-in verandah where, at a pinch, you might squeeze in a single camper bed. How often do you see a home which is better than the advertisement described it? It's hard to buy with false advertising.
Auctions: The agent says you have "a good chance". And so you spend hundreds of dollars on inspection reports. You eagerly await the big day only to discover that the first bid is thousands more than you could ever pay. When you look shocked, the agent blames "the market". It's hard to buy with auctions.
Sorry, it's Sold: Why is it that the homes you really wanted, always seem to have just sold?
Respect: What's going on? You're a serious buyer and yet you can't get an agent to take you seriously. You are treated like a looker when all you want is some information to help you make the most important financial decision of your life. It's hard to buy without respect and courtesy.
Finding an Agent: Why is it so hard to speak to a real person? Why do so many agents fail to return phone calls? Why do they make and break appointments? It's hard to find a home when you can't even find an agent.
Listen to me!: It's probably the biggest complaint of buyers. Most agents don't listen! You ask for three bedrooms; they show you two bedrooms. You tell them your price and they show you homes you can't afford. What's going on? It's hard to buy when an agent won't listen to you.
Despite all the hassles, the discourtesy and the mucking around, you can find a home the hard way. It may take weeks, even months, but provided you keep at it, one day you will find the home you love. And the relief! You will be as glad to get away from the real estate agents as you are to find a home. Thank goodness you don't have to do it again for many years.
That's the hard way to buy a home. It's not impossible, just unpleasant.
Buying a home can be easy, simple and pleasurable. All you have to do is find an agent who will take out the hard parts.
At Walter & Irvine, our aim for all homebuyers is simple:
To help you find the home you love.
Here's how we can help you.
Please contact us and tell us what you want - the type of home, the area you wish to live in and the approximate price you wish to pay.
If we have a home on our books that may suit you, we'll tell you all about it. And, we will tell you the truth - the price, the description and the conditions of sale.
If you wish to see the home, we will then arrange an inspection time to suit you. If we do not have a home to suit you, we can, subject to your approval, search for a home on your behalf. Let us do the hard work. There is no obligation or charge for this service.
Before you find the right home you need to find the right agent, one who will treat you with respect and courtesy, one who has a range of beautiful homes at excellent prices. That's us. At the moment, we have many lovely homes for sale. One could be the home you love.
Before you make that huge financial decision, don't sign anything to buy any home until you see what we can offer you.
We look forward very much to helping you find the home you love. Contact us today.
