Greg Snow - Southwest Florida Real Estate Expert provides real estate services to Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva Islands

Should I use a real estate broker?

 In our Lee County, Florida area, we saw some rapid acceleration in real estate values, then a precipitous water slide to where we are today. Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres have surplus inventory of REO's and foreclosures. South Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva, and Fort Myers Beach homes have fared better. Today, the value of a savy real estate agent is very important in successfully acquiring title and ownership to local properties. Below is an excerpt from HUD, www.hud.gov/buying    Should I use a real estate broker? How do I find one?

Answer: Using a real estate broker is a very good idea. All the details involved in home buying, particularly the financial ones, can be mind-boggling. A good real estate professional can guide you through the entire process and make the experience much easier. A real estate broker will be well-acquainted with all the important things you'll want to know about a neighborhood you may be considering...the quality of schools, the number of children in the area, the safety of the neighborhood, traffic volume, and more. He or she will help you figure the price range you can afford and search the classified ads and multiple listing services for homes you'll want to see. With immediate access to homes as soon as they're put on the market, the broker can save you hours of wasted driving-around time. When it's time to make an offer on a home, the broker can point out ways to structure your deal to save you money. He or she will explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of mortgages, guide you through the paperwork, and be there to hold your hand and answer last-minute questions when you sign the final papers at closing. And you don't have to pay the broker anything! The payment comes from the home seller - not from the buyer.

On how do I find one? Recommendations from the community or friends. Contact them with questions, either in person or online. See whom may be better perpared to serve you in this content rich information age.