While, it may seem obvious to state, it is extremely helpful for a new home buyer or home seller to use a real estate agent, that is familiar with the area you are buying or selling. The more intimately they know they area, the better the chance of you getting the house you want, or the price you want if your the seller. When I moved to London Ontario, about 23 years ago, I didn’t know the city all that well. I had lived about an hour away all in life in a city down the 402 called Sarnia, and had visited London on numerous occasions, but still never really knew the city or it’s subdivisions very well. I just knew it was a much bigger city, and having grown up in a small town, it seemed that being in my twenties, it was about time for a change.
I wasn’t moving here alone, as I was engaged to be married, and my wife moved here with me. For a few years we rented apartments and townhouses before deciding to make a decision to purchase. Renting an apartment or townhouse in a new city is a great way to learn more about it before you decide to actually buy a house. Combining some first hand experience, with knowledge of a London real estate agent made for a successful venture, the first time we decided to buy a home. When your buying your first home in that situation, it’s nice to have the luxury of being able to take your time. Not having to sell your current home, and move out by a specific date provides a lot of flexibility when selecting from the different homes on the market.
I remember, that we spent quite a long time looking for just the right house. We looked at just about every subdivision in the city. Whitehills, Orchard Park, Sherwood Forest, Old North and Old South. Even a few places east of Adelaide. Even though that end of town has a bit of a bad reputation, we weren’t aware of it at the time. We’d only lived here a few years, and that’s not the same as growing up somewhere. But it all started to make sense, as we were comparing prices and couldn’t quite understand why pretty much the same house in different parts of the city had such a big spread in prices.
As luck would have it, we’re still in the same house we bought over twenty years ago. It was close to school, parks, and bus routes, so it’s been an extremely good place for us all these years.
Tags: london homes, london real estate, London real estate agent
March 18th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
it’s all about experience and knowing how the market has changed and what phase the market is in currently. Although it is not essential to have your real estate agent reside in the area you are looking to buy/sell, it does help if the area is their specialty. There are lots of agents around, so finding one in the area you’re looking to buy or sell shouldn’t be a problem at all!