This sounds crazy, but when buying a home, your focus should be on finding a buyer’s agent who is knowledgeable and, equally important, one you can truly work with. In addition, most buyer’s agents are focused on certain geographical areas and communities. Find someone who knows the communities you want to be looking in. If they are not on top of the community details, you should see them scrambling to study the situation so they can provide good input.
The first step in purchasing a home is finding out what you can afford i.e, how much money you will need for a down payment, and for the other costs involved in purchasing a home. It is important to talk about contingencies with your agent and financial advisers, just in case you ever find yourself in a situation where you cannot afford the home. Don’t overspend, especially if you need to give attention to other important issues in your life. For example, newlyweds would not want to overspend and find that they have no money for short vacations or special occasions with their new spouse.
A good buyer’s agent will spend time getting to know you, and will work hard to help you understand the steps you will be taking. Your initial anxiety level should be noticeable to a professional buyer’s agent and he/she should work to provide information and understanding that will consequently reduce the fear associated with making such an important purchasing decision.
Why work with us?
Phil has a teacher’s heart.
He likes to spend time to both educate and get to know his clients. This is a requirement for anyone working with Inspire. With many years of teaching under his belt, Phil feels the only ridiculous question is the one that doesn’t get asked.
We give our clients a break, financially.
If the broker commission is the normal 3.0 to 3.5%, we give 15% of that commission back to our client. It is just a rebate to say thanks. We can afford to do this because of our low overhead operational style. It helps the client with the small additional costs associated with moving into a new home. Example: For a $150,000 house with a 3.5% BAC the client gets a rebate of $787.50.
We have knowledge about a wide range of issues.
We not only know the neighborhoods you are searching in: we know about creative financing and resale-ability (a good idea of how it will go when you try to sell in the future, subject to economic conditions); we have a handle on local and national economic trends; we know about schools, amenities, and local growth patterns; we understand commercial real estate and how it might impact the value of your home.
**Phil Millage has taught university level economics, marketing and real estate for 25+ years. Phil was a commercial developer during the 1980’s and 90’s. He has managed commercial and residential building, including the development and construction of his own assisted living facilities during the mid-1990’s. Phil has consulted for commercial builders in Indiana and around the country. He has worked with zoning boards, economic development offices, local politicians and local leaders on development projects. Lastly, Phil owns, and manages, many of his own residential properties and thus hires and manages construction people and even enjoys working on his own properties. He will quickly understand your needs and be able to provide input.
We have knowledge about creative buying.
Phil has developed commercial property, personally undertaken 1031 like kind exchanges, and bought and sold property using lease/options, notes, land contracts, etc. If there is a way to make it happen, he will be glad to make suggestions.
We have negotiation skills.
Phil has taught negotiation and sales both at the university level and around the country for his clients. Negotiating on the front end of a home purchase will leave more money in his clients’ pockets, not only for the short-term, but for the bigger picture of their financial well-being.
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