Wanna Move to the Country?… Why not Washington County!
Why you should hire a Washington County Real Estate Specialist…
At WC Real Estate, our local real estate pro’s have invaluable community insights who help buyers and sellers in Washington County (2015 we had 170 transactions and over $32 Million in sales). We’re committed to making our digital house/acreage hunting tools the best in the industry, and we are also proud to have the local expertise to back up our high-powered search –www.wcforsale.com. Here are five reasons you should always hire a local real estate specialist when buying or selling your home/acreage in Washington County.
An unbiased perspective
While it may be hard to imagine, some buyers put their blinders on when they see a home that looks beautiful but has glaring pricing issues or plumbing problems. By working with a REALTOR® who specializes in the area, you’ll be sure that you have an unbiased perspective from someone who has been to hundreds, if not thousands, of showings in Washington County.
Plus, keep this in mind: homebuyers spend between $4,000-5,000 more on their homes/acreage in the first year after purchase than existing homeowners spend. So even if you buy the most perfect house/acreage, it’s only natural that you’ll find home improvements or purchases to take on after you buy. By setting a realistic expectation of the kind of home/acreage you want, your WC agent can help protect you from buying a “lemon” of a home/acreage that requires even more than the usual post-purchase upgrades.
Community knowledge
Sure, you saw that the local elementary school has an “A” rating, but what does that mean? When an agent lives in the community, they aren’t spouting off test scores or graduation rates. They can tell you the name of their daughter’s kind second grade teacher, or the best competitive soccer league that doesn’t schedule tournaments on holiday weekends.
It’s possible to aggregate almost any kind of data online these days, but it’s not always easy to translate how those data points would affect your daily life. When it comes to community knowledge, the word of someone you trust always means more than a website rating.
Sneak peek
Once a listing agreement has been signed, our agents begin networking properties to one another to check for buyer interest. If you work with a WC Realtor who is on the phone with other WC specialists discussing local inventory, then you’ll know that the perfect house/acreage won’t slip past without notice.
Trusted partners
For many, the hardest part of buying a home/acreage isn’t finding the right number of beds and baths, it’s qualifying for a loan, making sure the out of town appraisers are using the correct sale comps and finalizing all the paperwork. By working with a local pro who has trusted partners across the lending, title, appraisal and insurance fields in our county, you can be sure you are getting honest and expert advice about the best home, loan, warranty and homeowner’s insurance policy for you.
A better selling price
Finally, if you’re considering selling your home/acreage without enlisting an agent’s help, you may want to look at the numbers. In 2014, the average For Sale By Owner home sold for $184,000 while the average home sold by a REALTOR® sold for $230,000 (National Association of REALTORS®).
Even after you’ve paid a local agent’s commission, you’d still end up ahead in this average selling transaction. Plus, you’re off the hook for the listing photos, marketing, showings, open houses, negotiations, home inspections and closing paperwork that comes with selling on your own.
The long and short of it
We won’t pretend that we aren’t biased. We are proud to have spent 24 years as the leading real estate agency in Washington County and we believe WC Real Estate Realtors have insights you won’t hear from anyone else. But we invite you to try for yourself and make a mistake free move. WC – There IS a difference!
Call 402-426-2600 to connect with a local pro who works everyday in Washington County and knows the communities of Blair, Fort Calhoun, Cottonwood Creek, Lakeland, Kennard, Arlington, Herman and Tekamah. We always have a local agent on duty 7 days week! www.wcforsale.com