homebuyer Archives - Page 18 of 25 - Real Estate News and Commentary

March 11, 2015October 15, 2019

Credit reporting changes may help home buyers

It’s no secret that your credit report can affect your ability to buy a home. Most mortgage lenders impose minimum credit score requirements to qualify; and tiered interest rates can cost you hundreds of dollars if your credit score is too low.

Your credit score is used as a predictor of your ability to manage debt. The score is the result of an analysis of information that is reported about you to the three credit reporting agencies; and is produced by each agency’s proprietary algorithm. Typical information that can be found in your credit report includes revolving and installment credit accounts, such as credit cards, home equity lines of credit, mortgages, and auto loans. Reported late payments, collections, and judgments can adversely affect your credit score.

Financial experts recommend you review your credit report annually to ensure accuracy, and dispute incorrect information. Annualcreditreport.com is the only authorized website where you can obtain a free annual credit report.

Correcting credit report errors can be tedious; and unfortunately, the outcome may not please you. However, this could change as a result of a recent settlement between New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the three credit reporting agencies. A March 9^thpress release (ag.ny.gov) announced a settlement with the three credit reporting agencies to “improve credit report accuracy; increase the fairness and efficacy of the procedures for resolving consumer disputes of credit report errors; and protect consumers from unfair harm to their credit histories due to medical debt.” The statement quoted a 2012 FTC study that suggested that millions of consumers’ credit reports contain errors. The study indicated that 26% of the participants reported at least one error; and about 13% of the participants reported a positive change to their credit score after disputing errors.

The Consumer Data Industry Association (which represents the consumer data industry, including the three credit reporting agencies) also announced on March 9^th (cdiaonline.org) the creation of the National Consumer Assistance Plan. Stuart Pratt, President and CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association, stated; “The National Consumer Assistance Plan we are announcing today will enhance our ability to offer accurate reports and make the process of dealing with credit information easier and more transparent for consumers…”

The implementation of the National Consumer Assistance Plan (NCAP) is expected in upcoming months, and is focused on improving how consumers interact with the credit reporting agencies, as well as data accuracy and quality. The NCAP is to build upon recent improvements to consumers’ experience with the credit reporting agencies, which includes a 2013 digital application to facilitate credit report disputes. To ensure consistent and uniform data submission to credit reporting agencies, a multi-company working group is to be formed.

To improve the consumer experience, the NCAP is to: provide expanded credit report education; provide dispute results and suggestions on what to do if not satisfied with dispute outcome; and enhance dispute resolution for proven victims of identity theft and fraud.

To improve data accuracy and quality, the NCAP is to: implement a “waiting period” of 180 days for medical debt; remove previously reported medical collections that have been paid, or being paid by insurance; reinforce consistent standards for data submission; reject data that does not include a date of birth; and eliminate reporting debt which did not arise from a contract or agreement to pay (e.g., tickets or fines).

By Dan Krell
© 2015

Protected by Copyscape Web Plagiarism Detector

Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

February 11, 2015September 21, 2019

Protect your identity when buying a home

Last year, hackers targeted a number of retailers to compromise shoppers’ financial and personal information. A recent hack of a health insurer possibly jeopardized policy holder data. And Krebbs Security (krebsonsecurity.com) reported on February 15th about an investigation being conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency of a possible hacking.

Surely the reports of stolen data by hackers have made you more aware of protecting your credit cards when shopping. But how protective are you about handing over personal information to mortgage lenders, real estate brokers/agents, and title companies? If not managed or disposed of properly, your sensitive personal information could be at risk of being stolen – an identity thief only needs a few pieces of personal information to access bank accounts, credit card accounts, health record/insurance, etc.

When buying a home, your information is “out there;” and you are trusting those who have it to protect it. If you want to obtain a mortgage, you must complete a mortgage application; which requires a social security number, date of birth, address, employment, and other information. Mortgage lenders also collect financial documents (such as w-2’s, tax returns, and bank statements) to verify income and asset information on your application.

Additionally, your real estate agent may ask you to complete a financial information sheet to demonstrate to the seller your ability to purchase the home. And as a means of record keeping, transaction files maintained by brokers and agents may also contain copies of deposit checks, credit card information, and other financial instruments.

Renters may be required to submit personal information too. A rental application is a lot like a mortgage application, asking social security number, date of birth, address, employment, and other information.

The National Association of Realtors® (nar.realtor) Data Security and Privacy Toolkit states that although there is no federal law specifically applicable to real estate brokers, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act applies to businesses that qualify as financial institutions; which may subject brokers to comply with “Red Flag Rules” (and other rules), and require policies and procedures to protect against identity theft.

States have also implemented laws to protect consumers from identity theft. For example, the Maryland Personal Information Protection Act (MD Code Commercial Law § 14-3501) describes personal information as an individual’s first name or first initial and last name in combination with any one or more of the following: Social Security number; driver’s license number; financial account number (including credit cards); and/or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Additionally, the law requires a business to take reasonable steps to protect against unauthorized access to or use of the personal information when destroying a customer’s records that contain personal information.

When choosing a mortgage lender and real estate agent, you might consider asking about the company policy on protecting personal information. Some questions about personal data might be: what types of information will be collected; what is it used for; who has access; when transmitted, is it encrypted; how long will the information be retained; and how will the information be disposed? Besides the management of your personal data, you should ask about procedures in case there is a suspected data breach.

To learn more about protecting your personal information and protecting yourself from identity theft, visit these consumer websites: FTC (consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft) and the FDIC (fdic.gov/consumers/privacy).

By Dan Krell
© 2015

November 14, 2014November 23, 2021

Narcissistic real estate agents?

A common criticism of real estate agents is that they are manipulative and often focused on their own needs rather the home buyer or seller. Could it be that real estate agents are narcissists? Samuel Lopez De Victoria, Ph.D. describes a narcissist in the World of Psychology blog (psychcentral.com/blog) as someone who is preoccupied with “self, personal preferences, aspirations, needs, success, and how he/she is perceived by others.” How can you tell when you are dealing with narcissistic real estate agents?

In an industry that relies on self promotion, it’s not as easy as you might think to spot narcissistic real estate agents. They initially don’t often come across as manipulative or self centered. Dr. Lopez De Victoria describes. Extreme narcissists as being able to portray themselves in many ways to attract others to get what they want. They will seem likeable and be the “nice person.” They may often seem to be the “proper diplomatic” person. They often appear to care about you, but it is not authentic empathy. And of course, they are often a charming person.

Dr. Lopez De Victoria says that having some amount of narcissism is normal and even healthy. So even though most agents are not extreme narcissists, it does not address the remorse expressed by some about the agents they chose. Even though industry experts recommend interviewing several agents before buying or listing a home, the majority of home buyers and sellers do not. According to the National Association of Realtors® 2014 Highlights of the Profile of Buyers and Sellers (realtor.rog), 70% of home sellers and about 66% of home buyers only contacted one agent before listing or buying a home. Regardless of the remorse expressed by home buyers and sellers about their agent, maybe they would have chosen to work with other agents if given the chance.

Although interviewing several agents before you buy or sell a home won’t eliminate all remorse over your choice of agent, it can certainly increase the probability of your satisfaction. If you choose to interview several agents, you might consider having a conversation about their experience, knowledge, and expertise. Additionally, knowledge about the local neighborhood market and surrounding neighborhoods is extremely important because market trends are hyper-local. You should also talk about the agent’s specialized experience, if your buying or selling situation is unique.

You should also ask about the agent’s limitations. This is an area where some agents get themselves into trouble is by not knowing, or are unwilling to disclose their limitations to potential buyers or sellers. By discussing the agent’s limitations, you can understand what the agent can and cannot do as well as know when the agent will refer you to other professionals for advice; this can also frame your expectations.

To get some insight into the agent’s way of thinking and service, you might consider asking atypical questions too! Surely an agent is more than happy to talk about their accomplishments, number of sales, and even name drop a past client or two; but what about the listings that didn’t sell? Have they been fired by a client?

The ratio of expired to sold listings can be telling; is the agent focused on servicing your listing or is it a “numbers game” for them? If an agent is open to sharing those figures, ask for reasons why the listings didn’t sell; was it about price or the marketing? If an agent has a history of being fired, it could be a possible indication of issues with the quality of service, including over-promising and not meeting expectations.

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2014/11/14/narcissistic-real-estate-agents/

October 30, 2014July 5, 2019

When Selling a Home – stay away from gimmicks & listen to buyers

You’ve probably heard a story or two about a home that was priced very low to “create a buzz” and illicit a bidding war. And in fact, there was a 2012 article in a local newspaper about such a sale in DC that touted the rebounding housing market. But guess what? A recently published study, with robust empirical data, suggests that such a strategy may not be the best for a home seller. Furthermore, the study suggests evidence that real estate agents who recommend under pricing as a strategy believe that homes listed for less – sell for less than comparable homes.

Bucchianeri & Minson (A Homeowner’s Dilemma: Anchoring in Residential Real Estate Transactions. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. May 2013: 76–92) collected and compared data related to “anchoring” (higher list price to prompt buyers to make higher offers) and “herding” (lower list prices intended to creating bidding wars) theories. Although actual sale prices may depend on location and time on market, the conclusions are that homes listed at higher prices sold for more than those that relied on bidding up the price. The authors suggest that sellers should think twice before under pricing their home to create a bidding war; and suggest that results from such strategies are typically anecdotal.

If setting a higher price may translate into a longer time on market, how could you know if you are priced too high or low? Listen to home buyers. A study conducted by Case, Shiller, & Thompson (“What have they been Thinking? Homebuyer Behavior in Hot and Cold Markets.” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. 2012: 265-315) of 25 years of data in four metropolitan areas concluded that there is a strong relationship between buyer’s perception of price trends and actual price changes; the stronger the price trend (in either direction), the stronger the agreement among home buyers perceptions.

Home buyers’ short term and long term expectations of home prices can differ. And although Case, Shiller, & Thompson indicate that it is more difficult to gauge long term pricing expectations, they were undoubtedly impressed that buyers’ were “out in front” of short term home price changes. They stated, “…We find that homebuyers were generally well informed, and that their short-run expectations if anything underreacted to the year-to-year change in actual home prices.”

If deciding on your home’s selling price gives you a headache, Stefanos Chen wonders if taking a Tylenol could assist in making a decision. In his October 23^rd Wall Street Journal article (Can Tylenol Ease the Pain of a Home Sale?), Chen reported of to-be-published research that indicates taking the pain reliever may ease the anguish associated with “loss-aversion” (an avoidance of a perceived loss).

“Can acetaminophen reduce the pain of decision-making?” by DeWall, Chester & White is expected to be published in the January volume of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (pages 117-120). The results indicate that those who took acetaminophen sold a mug (that was given to them 30 seconds prior) for significantly less than those who tool a placebo. Chen’s question whether taking a Tylenol could help a seller take a lower sales price is a stretch, considering that the study was limited to 95 college student subjects. Although further research is indicated, the study’s conclusions may have implications to lessening the “pain” of letting go of ownership.

By Dan Krell
© 2014

September 17, 2014November 23, 2021

Retro-future of real estate – buyers like representation

When I wrote about the future of real estate brokerage seven years ago, I predicted that consumers would become increasingly reliant on the internet; while the process of selling homes would remain interpersonal. Once thought to free home buyers and sellers from real estate brokers, the internet has become ancillary to the home buying and selling process.

Some real estate experts point to home buyers’ perception of buyer agency as a reason for the integration of the internet into the buying process. The internet has become a prolific source of information that funnels buyers directly to listing agents. With information in hand, many buyers are seemingly ditching their agents when viewing homes; some thinking they can negotiate a sweat deal directly with the listing agent.

Consider this 2012 anonymous post from a popular real estate web site. The poster proclaimed to have fired their agent and on their own negotiated a $490,000 price, when a previous buyer backed out from a $515,000 contract. The poster stated that “it makes financial sense,” the rationale being that there is always a 6% commission built into the price. The post stated that the seller makes more money if there is no buyer agent to pay, even if the offer is lower; while also getting the listing agent to accept a lower commission.

The post’s rationale may seem ostensibly compelling; and if the tactic works, it most likely has nothing to do with commissions per se. The strategy of negotiating a better price based on commission falls flat when you understand how broker commissions are negotiated. Generally, commissions are negotiated between the listing broker and the seller before the home is listed; the negotiated commission is expressly stated in the listing contract. The commission belongs to the listing broker, not the agents. The listing contract is also specific to the amount of the commission to be split if the buyer is represented by a buyer broker. Trends in commissions vary; including variable commissions, which is an agreement to a reduced listing commission if the buyer is not represented.
(Continued below)

Of course this do-it-yourself (DIY) home buyer post (and many others like it) has garnered a lot of attention and unconfirmed corroboration. However, there is no additional information about this specific transaction; and two thoughts immediately come to mind, either: the home did not appraise at the higher price (this was 2012); or the buyer walked on the home inspection.

The truth is that many still value buyer broker representation, which goes beyond just finding a home and negotiating a sales price; and may include (among other responsibilities) identifying and guiding you through any obstacles that can arise during the transaction. Of course, not all agents are the same. If your agent is a strong negotiator, the probability on settling on a better price is higher; as well as other occasions during the transaction where negotiation is paramount – notably during the home inspection process.

What some experts proclaim to be evidence of a trend of home buyers purchasing sans a buyer agent, may actually be just a shift in buyer behavior. Sure, there will always be the “DYI” buyer trying to justify a price by reducing commissions. But the reality may be that, rather than ditching the buyer agent altogether, the internet has allowed many home buyers to put off signing a buyer agency agreement until they are ready to make an offer.