Realtor Rating System? Moving to North Carolina.?

Question

Is there a rating system anywhere?

I might be moving to Charlotte, NC in the next 12 months and will be needing a TOP NOTCH realtor, someone who will not sleep till they find me the absolute BEST house for me and my family. Someone who is actually willing to EARN their commision. Someone who has only MY interests in mind, and not the sellers. Looking for a 2 to 3 bed house, 2 to 3 bath. The newer the better. I want someone who is familiar with local programs in financial assistance, first time buyer programs and someone who can help with a great 30 year fixed mortgage. Price range from $0 to $110,000. Foreclosure property okay if it's a steal. Only people who can meet those qualifications need email me.

Answer 1

If you want somebody who has your best interest in mind and not the seller's, then try to find an Exclusive Buyer Agent - they only work for buyers and never represent sellers. They will not push you towards the purchase of any particular property, they'll point out faults of a property and will make sure you get the best deal. You can have the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents refer an agent to you. Go to their website to find out more: http://www.naeba.com

Answer 2

You need to rethink the question.

1. Realtors work in a specific markets. Their membership is to a specific RMLS service. Individually they can not see the full state or be competent in all of the markets.

2. You are setting a price range. How about picking locations that make sense for you and the family? Does the job and the commute matter?

3. Some of what you want (mortgage help) is not what a Realtor does. They can refer you but they can not control all aspects of what you want.

4. For an overview of the foreclosure process and what is involved when buying from a bank (REO property) take a look at the links below.

Answer 3

For one $110,000 is pretty low. Local financial assitance, first time buyer programs and help with a great mortgage. The fact is with all of this..... evn if you had a great downpayment you won't get a great mortgage rate. But then again you can later refinance if you swing the rest.

A top notch realtor is top notch because they are busy. A top notch person will expect that the client has done a lot of their research already and know what they want. They may not be so willing to put in so much time and effort.

So you might get someone who is not so busy. They might be willing to help you across the financing hurdle and find a house for you. They can still do all of the same paperwork that any other can do.

Answer 4

The ONLY good rating system for what you want is word of mouth. Talk to relatives, friends or coworkers about their Realtors.

Unfortunately, real estate has moved to being a "Marketing Driven" business and is moving away from being "Service Driven". What I mean by that is Realtors are being taught how to "capture the client" with a good advertising campaign. To "make a good living at real estate", service is becoming a secondary (if considered at all) issue.

Look at it alot like politics. (and I'm not picking on any one party or person) To get elected, the candidates main job is to "Look" like they can do the job the best. The reality of who can do the job the best can ONLY be measured by observing what they've done in the past - if it has been consistent, then at least you have an idea of what they'll do for you in the future.

Pick a Realtor by word of mouth referrals.

Answer 5

check out hud.gov for "steal" properties. (4 bedroom / 2 bathroom built in 2003 for $150,000???)

unfortunately, as with all real estate, the cardinal rule of "location, location, location!" still applies

p.s.

i'm in los angeles, california but will be exploring my options in NC within the same time frame.

just veeery curious why north carolina and georgia have sooo many foreclosures (compared to california), even with a lot of people moving in, desirability of schools, upbeat local economy(ies), etc.etc...

you can also ask that of the realtor to find out if its the high cost of property taxes (like in texas) or some other law, (or natural event -- like flash floods, tornadoes, twisters, and what-not) that's specific to NC.