Home Buyers

HOW TO FIND YOUR DREAM HOME?

Like most things in life, there is more than one way to achieve something. When it comes to finding the home you love, there are basically two ways: the hard way and the easy way.

The Hard Way

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 means 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 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.

The Easy Way

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.

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. We call it our Home Find Program. 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 large 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.

Best wishes from all of us at Daly & Bernar.

HOW TO BUY AT A CHEAP PRICE

Which is more important to you as a homebuyer - the right home or the right price? You may say that both are important. Well, consider this: Provided you can afford the home you want, would you still buy it if it meant you had to pay a fair price? Do you really want a bargain or do you want the right home. Our research shows that, provided the price is fair, the most important thing to homebuyers is to find a home they love.

Sure, with many agents, you can buy for less than you were prepared to pay. There are several ways to do this. One of the best ways to buy for a lower price is to discover how long the home been for sale. On the Internet this is easy to do. Just look at the homes that have been advertised for a long time or have had many buyers inspect them. If the homes are not sold, ask yourself why. The answer is obvious - there is either something wrong with the home or the price is too high.

In many cases, you can view a home on the Internet and also click a small button which will tell you the number of "visitors" who have seen the home on the Internet. Often, hundreds of people will have looked at the home. What does this tell you? You can buy at a cheaper price.

At our agency, we do NOT advertise homes on the Internet. However, we do show homes to buyers and we do treat buyers with courtesy and respect.

As more and more homesellers understand the importance of protecting the value of their homes and they understand that mass advertising their homes leads to their homes becoming stale, more and more sellers are choosing our agency. This means we have many homes for sale. Sure, they may not be the cheapest homes and sure they may not be bargains, but they are nice homes.

EXAMPLES OF HOMES IN OUR AREA

Properties and Prices

Epping is an older well established leafy suburb approximately 19 kilometres from the City of Sydney with a good selection of brick home units and houses.

There are many Federation houses, Californian bungalows, newer houses as well as a sprinkling of timber and fibro houses.

In many instances these latter properties are being demolished and replaced with brand new homes.

Prices in Epping range from $500,000 for a one bedroom unit and from $1,300,000 for a three bedroom house. Some prestige properties would sell for in excess of $1,500,000.

Our Community

Epping today is a thriving community with a refurbished railway station, new recently completed Epping to Chatswood line, bus interchange with the M2 Motorway and a busy shopping centre.

There are many churches with active congregations, excellent primary and high schools as well as easy access by train or bus to many private schools.

There are attractive and well maintained parks, a variety of residential accommodation and a near new RSL Club for the enjoyment of residents.

Epping straddles three Local Government areas, Hornsby, Parramatta and Ryde.

BUYING SOLUTIONS

Buying a home can be one of the most exciting and rewarding times of your life. Or it can be a roller-coaster ride of financial and emotional devastation. It depends on what you do. And what you do, depends on what you know. Most homebuyers do not have enough accurate knowledge. Worse, many are ill-informed.

This booklet lists 13 of the worst mistakes made by homebuyers. It suggests, briefly, how to avoid these mistakes so that buying a home will indeed be an exciting and rewarding experience.

Exceeding Your Future Financial Limits

Financial stress is horrific. It tears families apart. The most important financial question to ask yourself, before you buy a home, is: "What's the worst that can happen?" What if interest rates rise? What happens if you buy based on two incomes and you lose one income? Think of the future. Your financial limit today will rarely be the same as your financial limit in the future. Sure, it might be better. But what if it's not? What if things get worse? Play it safe. Make sure that when you buy a home, you will be able to keep your home.

Buying What You Want Instead of What You Need

There are TWO kinds of buyers: Those who buy what they want, and those who buy what they need. The public world of materialism is often a private world of financial stress. Do you need four or five bedrooms? Do you need to live in the "best" area? You can buy a better home in a less expensive - and less prestigious - area. What's more important - struggling to maintain an image of wealth or living safely within your means? Most buyers could save tens, even hundreds, of thousands of dollars by buying what they need instead of what they want. Think about it. Be careful.

Buying What You Want Instead of What You Need

Ignoring the Extra Costs and the Hidden Costs

The extra costs of buying a home can add as much as ten percent to your purchase price. In some States, the government stamp duty climbs as high as six percent of the price. Will you need money for inclusions for your home, items such as carpets and curtains? And then there are the hidden costs of ownership - rates, taxes, insurance and maintenance. These can add up to thousands of dollars - all of which are constant costs. The price you pay for your home is not your final cost, it's the first of many costs. Know what they are and make sure you can afford them.

Failing to Research the Area

There are few things worse than discovering, after you have bought, that you could have bought better. If you intend to live in your home for many years, take some time to check out the area before you buy. Visit the area and make sure you like it. Check the prices of recent sales in the area. When you find the home you love, don't be shy about inspecting it more than once. The more you see a home before you buy it, the more you'll know if it's the right home for you. And, finally, check out the neighbours. Research is always time and money well spent.

Tolerating Poor Service from Agents

Before you find the right home, find the right agent - one who will listen to you and one who is prepared to help you find the right home. Sure, agents are paid by sellers, but this is no excuse for the widespread apathy, deceit and rudeness shown towards buyers. All agents are not the same. Try to find one who will sit down and discuss your needs with you. It is a mistake to think that you have to tolerate poor service. An agent who is courteous and caring will make all the difference to you.

Taking the Bait About the Quoted Price

One of the most unethical tricks in real estate is advertising a home at a price well below its real price. Thousands of buyers get their hopes up, only to discover that the home they love was never in their price range. Advertisements which say "price range" or "offers above" or "bidding to start from" are usually misleading. The agents will use the excuse of the "market" to cover their lies. Be very careful ? financially and emotionally ? when you see "quotes" about likely selling prices. Most times, it's just a bait to lure you. Take the bait and you?ll almost certainly get hurt in one way or another.

Losing Money with Auctions

While you can often buy at a lower price with auctions, your challenge is discovering the truth about the likely selling price. At auctions, thousands of home buyers lose money through legal and inspection costs for homes they never had a chance of buying. When they realise they have been tricked it breaks their hearts. Auctions can be deceitful and cruel. Unless you know what you are doing, it may be best to do what many buyers do - forget about buying at auction. If you must bid at auction, learn the 7 Rules of Buying at Auction - (see page 38 of the book, Real Estate Mistakes, available in most bookshops or view the web site http://www.jenman.com.au/.

Being Unprepared for Gazumping

Sometimes after you make an offer and it is verbally "accepted", another buyer will offer more. No matter what you are told, you have never legally purchased a home until both you and the owner sign a legally binding contract. Until this happens, remember five words: Don't Get Your Hopes Up. One way to reduce the risk of being gazumped is to meet the owners. At the very least, ask the agent to confirm that should another buyer make an offer higher than yours, you will be given the chance to increase your offer before the home is sold to the other buyer.

Being Too "Clever" With an Offer

If you decide to make an offer for a home you like, be aware that the lower your offer the less chance you will have of buying the home. Often it is best to make one offer - your best offer. Make it in writing and state that you either can not or will not pay any more. Be careful playing the 'bluffing' game, it can easily backfire on you. Decide which is more important - the home you love or the price you will pay. You don't have to pay more than you can afford, just don't be too clever or else you may miss the chance to buy the home you love.

Not Getting INDEPENDENT Inspections and Advice

It is essential - for your financial and emotional safety - that you obtain an independent building inspection report. Be sure you discover any major faults before you buy the home. The biggest word to remember is the word "INDEPENDENT". Be careful using anyone recommended by the agent. Some agents receive kickbacks from advisors they recommend. Also, be sure to get legal advice before you sign anything. It is madness to make one of the biggest financial decisions of your life without independent advice. If in doubt about the price, consider obtaining a valuation. The hundreds of dollars you spend could easily save you thousands of dollars. Spend it.

Being Too Quick or Being Too Slow

The right time to buy a home is when you find the right home at a price you can afford. This can happen on the first day you start looking or it can take weeks, even months, of painstaking effort. Don't hesitate to buy if you find the right home; but, also, don't be pushed into making a hasty decision. No matter what you might think, you will always find another home. Take the time to make sure everything feels right and that everything checks out right. Whenever this happens, be it on the first day or after several weeks, it is then the right time to buy.

Being Caught By an Investment Scam

Despite all the negative publicity, thousands of consumers are caught with investment scams. Be very wary of "free" offers, such as investment seminars or trips to inspect property in distant areas. No matter how good these offers seem, many are a nasty con where consumers are tricked into buying properties at hugely inflated prices. Often, it is not until they try to sell that they discover how badly they have been duped. Be wary of anyone who is trying to sell you something because it is a "good investment" or it has "tax benefits" or a "guarantee". Do your research and don't sign anything without getting independent advice.

Failing to Complain

If you have a bad real estate experience you must complain. Often the louder you complain the more chance you will have of being compensated. At the very least, you will be helping other buyers to avoid making the same mistakes. Remember, too, that real estate institutes represent real estate agents not consumers. Complain to your lawyer or to the Department of Fair Trading or the ACCC.

BUYING FROM DALY & BERNAR REAL ESTATE

Bring your Cheque Book

When you are ready to inspect homes, bring a cheque book or a deposit incase you see something you like. You don't go shopping without a purse or a wallet, so please don't go shopping for a home without being able to pay a deposit. This does not mean, of course, that you have to buy anything. It just means you are ready to buy.

If you are ready to buy, please bring your cheque book so that you will lessen the chance of being disappointed if the home sells to another buyer who does bring a cheque book.

Maximum Price

Know the highest price you are prepared to pay. Daly & Bernar Real Estate is employed by the seller and is therefore the seller's agent. It is unethical to sell a home to you at less than it could have sold to another buyer. To buy the right home you should be the buyer who is prepared to pay the best price for that home.

Prices Quoted

We will not mislead you about the prices of the homes. There will be not "bait prices" showing a false low price in order to bait you. Daly & Bernar Real Estate always try to offer homes for sale with specific prices that should be accepted if that is the best price that the sellers are offered.

However, please understand that Daly & Bernar Real Estate are not the owners of the homes being offered. Until a property is legally sold [by the signing of contracts by BOTH sellers and buyers], sellers still have the right to change their minds about any condition of the sale, including the price. When a price is quoted, the sellers always maintain the right to accept the best offer ABOVE that quoted price. This often happens when there is COMPETITIVE INTEREST from MULTIPLE BUYERS.

If there are two or more buyers who wish to buy at the full asking price, each buyer will be given the opportunity to offer their highest price. Subject to the approval of th owners, the home may be sold to the buyer who makes the highest offer. All offers will be confidential between the buyer making the offer, the agent and the owner of the home. Offers from different buyers will not be disclosed to other buyers thus protecting the owners from under-selling their homes. For this reason you are encouraged to offer your best price should there be another buyer interested.

Auctions

You will rarely see an auction being conducted by Daly & Bernar Real Estate. Most auctions involve deceit and trickery. If a home is offered by auction, Daly & Bernar Real Estate will compensate any home-buyers for loss of inspection and legal fees should they not become the buyers of the home.

Price Haggling

Daly & Bernar Real Estate try to follow a 'NO HASSLE, NO HAGGLE' concept. Real estate is notorious for tricks and games but Daly & Bernar Real Estate we believe good ethics is good business. It is much more pleasant for everyone to be 'open' and 'up-front', rather than indulge in what is often called "commerical reality" (telling lies).

Please understand that the best homes sell readily, usually within the first month of being offered for sale.

It is best for you, therefore, to make your best offer and give yourself the best chance to buy the home you want. If you can afford it, pay a little more for the right home. The years of happiness you enjoy wil be well worth avoiding the hassle of haggling and the risk of not buying the home you really want.

The Home you Want

When you find the home you want, you will be asked to declare the highest price you will pay for the home. If your highest price is acceptable to the owners, you will most likely be able to buy the home. However, until such time as the owners have signed a legally binding contract, you cannot be certain that the home is "yours". When the above points are explained to buyers you should never have any accusation of foul play. No buyers will be able to say that you were not direct and up-front with them.