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My Tech House Hunt
My Tech House Hunt
One writer's journey from commentator to consumer.
5 out of 5 by (2) User/s
4 Comments
4 Comments
I’m about to step off of the sidelines and onto the playing field. After a year as a real estate technology commentator, I’m becoming one of those people I write about all the time: the oh-so-elusive consumer. You see, my husband and I want to buy a house. We’ve picked our neighborhood and established the square footage and beds/baths we need. Now, we have to find “it” – the right house for us.
Obviously, this is already an emotional journey, but I’m going to make a scientific endeavor as well, documenting the role that technology plays in our house hunt. This weekend we drove through our desired neighborhood and spotted a few “For Sale” signs, so I think today is a good time to begin this column.
A Few Introductory Notes
We are already homeowners. However, we don’t want to list our current home until we’re sure we’ll find what we want. This is a reminder to all you agents that buyer leads are very often seller leads as well.
I also want to point out that, like many people, I did not begin my search online. We began our search by driving through our aspirational neighborhood and building castles in the air. Low home prices (and advice from trusted sources, as I’ll talk about later) were the reason we decided to see if we could make our dreams become reality. This is another reason that the first agent that we contact will be from a yard sign.
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And at that same time, if I were your agent, I would insist you go to a financial company to get at least pre-qualified for a mortgage and get an idea what price range (with taxes) you will be able to afford.
Since you are inclined to use the internet, I must say here that you need to use your smart phone as a phone this time and get a local person at a local company. I recommend people I have worked with who were able to give personal service and help in difficult circumstances. I deal with several dozen mortgages a year and I want you to know that I am promoting experience, not getting a kick back or in collusion when I make a recommendation.
Except at an Open House, you need to be prequalified, or better- preapproved, to actually go into a house for sale to see it.
Our signs are legally requlated as to what they can and can't say, the size, the size of each phone number on them, etc. I would like QR codes, but few of the people in the area have the readers- in my town many people still don't have computers at home.
Your idea of trying to buy a house from your smart phone is interesting though, and sure to be revealing.
Sandy, we're getting started finding a buyer's agent today.