Springfield MO real estate listings and homes for sale, home buying, home selling information – Carol Jones Realtors

Springfield Area Blog

Brokers Disclosure and Buyers Agency explained

May 7th, 2008 3:21 PM

Greetings Friends,

Many of you have asked me about Buyer's agency and what it is. Since you are using the Home Buyers Scouting Report and are actively looking for homes, it is important that you know the advantages of using a professional buyers agent. Whether you are a seasoned veteran in real estate or a first time buyer, I think it is important to make sure that you know the difference between the different types of agencies offered. Why?

A. You want (and deserve) the best representation

B. You want (and deserve) the smoothest transaction

C. You want (and deserve) the BEST possible terms and conditions.

D. You pay NOTHING for my services as your Buyers Agent.

A couple of Real Estate myths:

1. I'll get the best deal on the house if I call the agent listed on the For Sale sign.

Probably not. That agent represents the seller and is contractually bound to get the best deal for the seller. That doesn't mean the agent can't work with you in a fair and professional manner as a dual agent, but it does mean you should not disclose confidential details to the agent until you are assured that the agent will keep your information confidential.

2. I'll pay less for the home if I simply use the Agent I met at the Open House.

Again, probably not, especially if the agent represents the seller or is part of the seller's agent team. I can help you get the best possible terms and conditions because by working as your Buyers agent, I am required to keep your details separate and confidential and work tirelessly to save you money on your new home purchase.

Below is Missouri Brokers Disclosure form for your review. It explains in detail the responsibilities and definitions of each type of agency.

For those of you who will be putting homes on the market, know that I will market your property aggressively and work tirelessly to get you the highest price possible if you choose to employ me as your Listing Agent. That is my fiduciary duty to you as my selling client.

I appreciate the opportunity to help explain the process a bit more clearly and look forward to working with each and everyone of you

Best, Rick

Missouri Broker Disclosure Form.pdf

Posted by Rick and Cheryle Below on May 7th, 2008 3:21 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Springfield Area Blog redux

May 28th, 2008 8:36 PM

Dear Friends,

Welcome to what I hope will become a lively exchange of ideas, a cornucopia of opinions and place where folks can write about what they love about Springfield and the surrounding area. Having lived with my family all over the United States from CT to FL to TX to CA to IL and finally down here in the Ozarks, we are so happy to be here. The people, the lakes, the lifestyle suits us perfectly and we are so happy we "landed" here ;-).

I truly hope you will share your opinions, ideas and a get a chance to brag about what you love about the Ozarks. Have any restaurants you love, places you like to go, new shops that you want to give a shout out to, movies we should stand in line for? I know I, and many others around would like to hear about it.

You can subscribe to this blog by clicking on the subscribe link and of course let your friends know if they have anything they would like to post here. It is a great avenue to let folks know about upcoming events of interest, etc.

BTW, does anyone like the fried tacos at Maria's more than I do?

Have a great week,

Rick

Posted by Rick and Cheryle Below on May 28th, 2008 8:36 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Springfield Missouri Dream Home giveaway

May 20th, 2008 12:39 PM

Just wanted to update you all on this great charitable event. Hope you all having a great week! You can visit this site directly at www.stjude.org

Best,

Rick

Springfield Dream Home Giveaway

Take a chance on winning the St. Jude Dream Home^® Giveaway and help the kids of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital fight cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. Reserve your $100 ticket for a chance to win our beautiful house valued at approximately $380,000. Located in the Vintage Hills subdivision in Springfield, Missouri, the 4,700-square-foot house, including five bedrooms, four baths and a finished basement, built by the HBA Charitable Foundation with construction coordinated by John Marion Construction LLC.

FREE TOURS! Stop by the open house for a free tour beginning May 31 through June 28 on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Just for stopping by you can register free to win an Open House Prize, $5,000 worth of furniture, courtesy of Ashley Furniture Homestore.

Posted by Rick and Cheryle Below on May 20th, 2008 12:39 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Interest Rate Information for my clients.

May 2nd, 2008 2:32 PM

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to offer a daily interest rate lock update to anyone who may want it. This is a super tool to get the latest info for all potential buyers out there, giving you insight on where the interest rates are and where they are going. Just let me know and I will sign you up. I hope that you will take advantage of this information which could save you thousands of dollars in payments over the life of your loan. Below is todays news.

Have a great weekend,

Rick

Friday's bond market has opened down sharply following the release of stronger than expected employment figures. The stock markets are showing gains with the Dow up 66 points and the Nasdaq up 2 points. The bond market is currently down 23/32, which will likely push this morning's mortgage rates higher by approximately .250 - .375 of a discount point.

The Labor Department brought us today's big news with the release of April's Employment report. They said that the unemployment rate fell to 5.0% when it was expected to rise to 5.2%. The payrolls number was also bad news for bonds with a 20,000 job decline compared to the forecasted 75,000 drop. Those readings indicate that the employment sector may not be as bad as many had thought. This has hurt bond prices and led to this morning's increase in mortgage rates.

In a bit of good news though, the average hourly earnings portion of the report showed a 0.1% increase in earnings. This was well below the 0.3% that was expected and should ease some concerns about wage inflation. Unfortunately, the other two headline numbers are influencing trading the most this morning.

March's Factory Orders data was also released this morning. It showed a 1.4% increase in orders that greatly exceeded forecasts of a 0.2% rise. Also worth noting was a 0.4% upward revision to February's orders. This means that combined orders for durable and non-durable goods exceeded what analysts had thought. While this is a negative for bonds, it has not had much of an influence on mortgage rates this morning as the employment figures are the driving force behind today's losses.

Next week is fairly light in terms of economic releases. There is a moderately important piece of news scheduled for release Monday in the ISM Services Index. If it varies greatly from forecasts it could influence mortgage rates. However, it likely will have little impact on rates. Look for details on the rest of next week's events in Sunday's weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would.... Float if my closing was taking place within 7 days... Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days... Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days... Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now... This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

©Mortgage Commentary 2008

Posted by Rick and Cheryle Below on May 2nd, 2008 2:32 PMPost a Comment (0)

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