Related Services

1. As your REALTOR®, I can help you determine your buying power -- that is, your financial
reserves plus your borrowing capacity. Provide me with basic information about your available
savings, income and current debt, and I can refer you to lenders best qualified to help you.

2. I have many resources to assist you in your home search. Sometimes the property you are
seeking is available but not actively advertised in the market. I pride myself on finding your dream
home after a few tries as long as I have EXACTLY what you are searching for and are pre-
approved with a lender. Always important to have your money first before we go shopping!
This ensures we are staying within your budget & we can find your home in your desired time frame.

3. As your REALTOR®, I can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information
about each property. I can provide local community information on utilities, zoning, schools, etc.
You can also find out more information on my website by visiting my home page or the buyer/seller
page. There are two things you'll want to know. First, will the property provide the environment
I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to
sell?

4. I can help you negotiate! There are myriad negotiating factors, including but not limited to
price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and
furnishings or equipment. The purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to
complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to
complete the purchase. As your agent I can advise you as to which investigations and inspections
are recommended or required.

5. I will provide due diligence during the evaluation of the property. Depending on the area and
property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof
condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. I can assist you in finding qualified
responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports.
You will also want to see a preliminary report on the title of the property. Title indicates ownership of
property and can be mired in confusing status of past owners or rights of access. The title to most
properties will have some limitations; for example, easements (access rights) for utilities. As your
REALTOR® I can point us in the right direction- title company or attorney can help you resolve
issues that might cause problems at a later date.

6. I can help you in understanding different financing options and in identifying qualified lenders.

7. I can guide you through the closing process and make sure everything flows together
smoothly.

8. When selling your home, I can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the
marketplace and the price, financing, terms and condition of competing properties. These are key
factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.

#1. What's the catch? How does the Realtor get paid? Will I have to PAY SOMETHING TO
WORK WITH A REALTOR!

Answer:
No!! As the buyer, the Realtor is paid by the seller or the builder! So why not use a real estate
professional to review all of those legal contracts and assist you in having a pleasurable buying
experience?

#2. If I use a Realtor then I won't get the best deal from the seller because they have to
pay my agent a commission!

Answer:
False! When a seller puts their home on the market to sell with a real estate company, the cost of
commissions is already factored into the marketing costs and they are fully prepared to pay a
commission to your agent. This will not affect the price or 'deal' you get when you purchase the
home. Also, as your agent I will check the price of other similar homes in the area and base how I
negotiate the best deal for you by reviewing the CMA (Compartive Market Analysis) I have done.

#3. I am considering purchasing a newly constructed home or even building from the
ground up. Do I still need a Realtor? The builder has agents that work at the subdivision
that can write the contract for me, right?

Answer:
You still need a Realtor. Remember, the agent that sits on-site works FOR THE BUILDER and
represents THE BUILDER! That does not mean that they will not treat you fairly, they are still
Realtors and must abide by the Georgia Real Estate Boards Code of Ethics, but it is always best to
be represented by your own Realtor! I will review all documents before you sign anything.

You still want a real estate professional who can represent you and your best interest.
The builder can have his own legal team write the sales contract which differs from the
Georgia's Realtor Association contracts. So you will want your agent to review the builders
contract in detail.
Your Realtor may be able to negotiate closing costs being paid for you by the builder,
upgrades for free such as hardwoods, stainless appliances, washer & dryer and/or
refrigerator.
Ontop of that, your agent will assist you in meeting all of your contractual obligations and
deadlines.

#4. I don't know where to begin in the home-buying process! Should I find the house first
or talk with a lender first?

Answer:
Always know what your budget is first!! The worse thing to do is go shopping at your favorite store
and not know how much money you have on that department store credit card or what you have in
your bank account!! Talk with the lender first- they will help you determine what you can afford per
month in payments, which will also help you determine how much house you can afford! Many
people fall in love with a house that's on the market and later find out that they cannot afford that
much house. So don't put the carriage before the horse, get approved first with a lender!
Visit my partners page today to get approved for your home loan.

#5. My sisters, cousins, aunts friend was approved for a $200,000 home and her
payments are only $700 per month and her interest rate is 5%. Why can't I get the same
interest rate and monthly payment?!

Answer:
Each real estate transaction is unique! Often times we may not know the entire story or see the
whole picture. Your interest rate can be determined by your credit score or can even be determined
by your buying power. Some clients choose to 'buy down' their interest rate so they can 'lock-in' at
a lower rate than where they market may currently be at the time. Or perhaps that person put down
40% from the sale of their last home or that large family inheritance check finally came through! So
even though the home may be worth $200K maybe they only had to finance $160K. Your lender
can review several loan options with you, so be sure to get a GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE once
you have met with your lender in detail. This estimate will give you an idea of loan options and
monthly payments.

Step 1: Pricing the home to sell
The selling process generally begins with a determination of a reasonable asking price.

As your real estate professional I can:

Provide you with up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace by giving you
a CMA (Comparative Marketing Analysis). This will include similar homes for sale in your area,
homes recently sold and homes that are considered 'Expired" listings, or homes that never sold.
Price the property to sell and net you the most for the sell of your home
Assist potential buyers with financing terms once they consult with my preferred lenders
Update you as the seller with the current condition of competing properties.

These are key factors in getting your property sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.

Step 2: Marketing/Advertising Plan
As your agent, my professional interior design staff and I can recommend repairs or cosmetic
work that will significantly enhance the salability of the property.

Marketing includes:

The exposure of your property to other real estate agents and the public by use of a Multiple
Listing Service (FMLS & GAMLS).
Open House
Agent Caravans
Internet exposure on various websites
and much, much more.........

In many markets across the country, over 50% of real estate sales are cooperative sales; that is, a
real estate agent other than yours brings in the buyer.

Advertising is part of marketing.
As your Realtor, my team and I use a vast amount of creative and innovative marketing strategies to
market your home!

Including:

Featured on MetroBrokers website at www.metrobrokers.com
Featured on www.shannonbyrdsong.com
And many other real estate website that buyers frequent such as www.ajchomes.com and many
more.

Remember:
Overexposure of a property in any media may give a buyer the impression the property is distressed
or the seller is desperate. As your real estate agent, I will know when, where and how to advertise
your property. There is a misconception that advertising sells real estate. The NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® studies show that 82% of real estate sales are the result of agent
contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, family and personal contacts.

Security
When a property is marketed with an agent's help, you do not have to allow strangers into your home.
As your agent I will generally pre-screen and accompany qualified prospects through your property if
they do not have an agent representing them.

Step 3: Negotiating

As your agent I can help you objectively evaluate every buyer's offers & assist you in
negotating a contract that will stay together and close smoothly once at the day of closing.
Assisting you through the initial contract agreement is only the beginning of a process of
appraisals, inspections and financing -- a lot of possible pitfalls.
Help you write a legally binding, win-win agreement that will be more likely to make it through
the process.
Assist the buyer with any financing questions and qualify them to ensure they are able to
qualify for the loan

Step 4: Monitoring, renegotiating, surprises and closing

Between the initial sales agreement and closing (or settlement), questions may arise.

For example: unexpected repairs are required to obtain financing or a cloud in the title is discovered.
The required paperwork alone is overwhelming for most sellers. As your agent I can
objectively help you resolve these issues and move the transaction to closing (or settlement).

Why use a REALTOR®?

All real estate licensees are not the same.
Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR "®" logo on the business
card or other marketing and sales literature.
REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly.
REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of
knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate.
An independent survey reports that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR®
again.

You be the judge:

Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people
experience in their lifetime.
Review the legal contracts needed to complete a real estate transaction: Purchase &
Sales Agreement (7 pages), Property Disclosure statement (5 pages), Instructions to the
closing attorney (1), Sale/Lease of Buyers Property Contingency Exhibit(1-2 pages),
Addendums(1-2 pages) or Amendments to original sales contract (1+ pages)
Transactions today usually exceed $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax problem, would
you attempt to deal with it without the help of a CPA?
If you had a $100,000 legal question, would you deal with it without the help of an attorney?
Considering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would be foolish to consider a
deal in real estate without the professional assistance of a REALTOR®!

References: Ron Schmeadick, CRB, is Co-Owner and Associate Broker at Realty Executives, Eugene, Oregon

		One-stop shop: Metro Brokers Financial, Metro
		Brokers Insurance and Metro Title Trust.
		Metro Brokers award winning website featuring
		Atlanta's largest database of homes for sale; more than 70,000 homes!
		I also offer a complimentary interior design
		consultation with a certified kitchen and bath designer should your home need those services.