What Are the Benefits of Working with a Real Estate Team?

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When you work with a team of real estate professionals, one of the first advantages you get is flexibility. Instead of waiting for one agent's time to open up, you have multiple people to rely on.
 
The second advantage that you receive is that you get a collaborative team that can accomplish more and in a shorter time period. We all specialize in something different, so this also allows us to accomplish things with a higher level of quality.
 

Working with a team will also prevent burn out between you and a solo agent. With a team, you're not always seeing the same faces, you're working and interacting with someone different.
 
The best part about working with a team is that you pay the same price as you would to a single agent. Why not get 10 agents for the price of one?
 
As always, if you need any assistance when you're buying or selling in Rochester, please don't hesitate to contact me!

How to Obtain the Best Mortgage Rate

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Welcome back to our blog. A lot of people have bought homes lately in Rochester, and buyers are taking advantage of historically low interest rates. In order to get the best interest rate from a mortgage company, you need to understand all the factors that go into determining the type of loan you qualify for. There are three basic pillars that determine your eligibility for a mortgage: your credit, your income, and your collateral. 

I would say credit is the most important, because most banks have a tier system to determine your rate based on your score. If you have a credit score of 740 or higher, that's exactly what you need to get the best rate. Credit can be quite difficult to understand, but as long as you remember to keep your credit card balance down and always have some kind of credit (like an auto loan or mortgage). 

As far as income is concerned, you need to have been in the same line of work for 2 years prior to getting pre-approved. 

For collateral, your down payment minimum on a conventional loan is 5%. However, the more you put down now, the less you'll have to pay in interest down the road. 

If you've got a good credit score, 2 years on the job, and are able to put 5% down on a home, you're going to get a great rate. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Can You Trust Zillow to Give You an Accurate Home Evaluation?

Want to sell your Rochester Area Home? Get a FREE home value report.

Want to buy a Rochester Area Home? Search all homes for sale.

As the Rochester market continues to heat up, many homeowners are going to Zillow to see how much their homes are worth. Are these online home value estimates accurate? Should you trust them? 

In most cases, Zillow estimates are anywhere from 5%-15% off. They use a basic algorithm that uses similar home sales in your neighborhood to come up with a value. However, finding the true value of a home is not that simple.

The best way to find a home's value is to talk to an agent who will pull comparables and physically assess your home. There is no way for Zillow to account for all the things that give a home its value. Zillow is a great tool to get an idea of your home's value, but not to find an accurate home value. 

If you would like to have an agent give you an in-depth market analysis, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to help you in any way possible.