You passed your written exam with flying colors, right? You’ve got a pretty good grasp on the rules of the road. Why, then, are you sitting behind the wheel of your car watching an officer of the law write you a ticket when you’re 99.9% sure you didn’t do anything wrong?

Because you’re not in the know about all the strange, unusual and downright bizarre traffic laws that could be affecting your auto insurance quotes! Take the time to study this list, figure out which ones apply in your state, then do your homework to find out what else you didn’t learn about in driver’s ed.

- In Hilton Head, South Carolina, it’s against the law to store trash in your car. Make sure you clean it out more than once a month!

- In Scituate, Rhode Island, it’s illegal to drive with a beer in your car, whether it’s open or not. These guys take their DUIs very, very seriously.

- When driving on the sidewalk in Oregon you absolutely, positively must yield to pedestrians at all times. (I have GOT to go to Oregon, just to see that one…)

- Trying to bench press your car or pull it with your teeth out on the streets to prove your physical endurance is a Class A traffic violation when you do it on the Oregon streets. You have to wonder who did what to put that law in effect.

- While Oregon simply expects you to yield to pedestrians it’s absolutely, positively against the law to drive on the sidewalks in Rhode Island. Keep that in mind when you’re driving coast to coast!

- Fill up the tank BEFORE you get to Youngstown, Ohio. They’ll ticket you for running out of gas while you’re there.

- In Sag Harbor, NY it’s illegal to disrobe in your vehicle. So if you’re the type of person who tends to be running late, make sure you leave early enough that you don’t have to change while you drive.

- In Rockville, MD you must get out of the car before you decide to curse at the guy that just cut you off. Swearing at other drivers is considered a misdemeanor.

These are only a small sample of strange, unusual, bizarre and, let’s face it, downright hysterical traffic laws that are still on the books, but can lead to you picking up a ticket that might do some major damage to your auto insurance quotes. Do your homework, be prepared, and happy trails to all!

In today’s market it is very important good realtor to represent you. In a marketplace overflowing with opportunity, tax benefits and variable values, proven experience, integrity, market awareness and outstanding communication skills are essential. No one can ignore qualities like that. Home purchases and sales are too important to place in the charge of inexperienced, unverified realtors.

Whether dealing with a commercial or residential Real estate transaction, the client should verify that the realtor is a associate in good standing with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This membership assures the client of the realtor’s responsibility to educational programs and compliance with principles of ethical conduct and cooperation. The National Association of Realtors has been instrumental in increasing and implementing important ethical principles of conduct throughout the industry.

In addition to enrollment with the NAR, the realtor that can best locate and list for sale either residential or commercial Real estate will be a An associate of a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is a regional marketplace that is designed to assure clients of highest exposure to existing Real estate and the cooperation of many other real estate Agencies. Whether buying or selling, clients must persist that the realtor be a member of the Realtor board.

It is essential to recognize that the term realtor refers to the agency itself. Realtors, or real estate brokers, keep agents that list, sell and lease real estate, on behalf of the realtor. However, the realtor is liable for the activity and conduct of its agents, the Firm’s marketing campaign and the interaction with other cooperating Firms. Selecting a proven and trustworthy realtor can maximize the sale of a property and assure the buyer of making an informed choice.

Real estate marketing has changed dramatically in the past few years. The industry has been impacted by the advent of enhanced MLS services that have made properties obtainable for review on the internet. A recent survey showed that almost 70% of residential Real estate investors began their search Online. In today’s Market, the greatest realtors have fine-tuned internet strategies, marketing plans and communication programs that keep their agents, their listings and their clients abreast of activity as it occurs.

Programs such as virtual tours and digital photography can do much to enhance the visibility of listings and can be Changed with the availability of aerial photographs, tax documents and copies of deeds and disclosure statements. Good realtors are capitalizing on the public’s Needs for internet access by creating web logs for listings, agents and related projects.

As eminent as the internet is to overall real estate marketing, it is imperative to choose a realtor with outstanding communication capabilities. There is no reason for a realtor to ignore a call or be oblivious of market activity as it happens. The finest Real estate agents understand the importance of being on top of the market at all times and are always accessible to their Buyers and sellers. With the cellphones systems, Clients will benefit from a relationship with a Real estate agent who is always at the Prepered.

Traditional real estate marketing activities, like signs, brochures, flyers, business cards and even Open Houses still have value in the marketplace. Skilled realtors incorporate these principles with Buidling websites and advertising online to increase exposure and facilitate the purchase and sale process.

Realtors need to know the current mortgage market as well.. Many of the finest agents have direct lines of access to Mortgage companies and programs. In today’s marketplace, clients should examine the realtor’s understanding and contacts to the financing arm of the industry. A realtor’s ability to connect Home purchasers and home sellers to suitable financing can have a big influence on a property’s marketability and can help bring transactions together easily.

I’ve stated in numerous articles in the past that FSBO Marketing hinges on the “Law of Reciprocity.” Here’s why I tell you this. For legitimate reasons Sellers try to go it alone to sell their homes. In this market we are seeing more and more of this. When marketing to FSBO’s it’s important to keep your eyes focused on the BIG picture. I know – but Realtors are taught in school to GET THE LISTING! And I also know that a large percentage of For Sale by Owner’s do list eventually. But, here is where YOU have the opportunity to knock it out of the park. Use the “”Law of Reciprocity” to win the day.

Smart Real Estate Agents everywhere are warming up to FSBO Marketing. They are realizing that it’s more than just placing a sign in the front yard. It’s really about building relationships with these Sellers who someday will become Buyers. So, when you give your time and efforts to helping these Sellers go it alone – the “Law of Reciprocity” kicks in to full gear. It has to – it’s a law. Like the “Law of Gravity” – whether you believe it or not, it still works! Just ask Evil Knievel.

The point that I’m trying make is this. Smart Realtors get the fact that it is a Buyer’s Market right now. And, the good Realtors are looking for uncommon ways to market themselves anew. I see them giving out a FREE Market Analysis. I see them giving help at the Open House and offering staging tips for these new FSBO’s. And you want to know something – it is working! These Sellers are becoming Buyers in record time with the name of that Agent that gave his or herself – in the front of their minds eye. They are now thinking of YOU as their Realtor. They are even telling their friends what a big help your where. The news spreads and your business now snowballs.

FSBO Marketing by its very nature – hinges on the GIVING. Knowing this and working it, will make you stand out as a Realtor.

When purchasing property in Scottsdale, Arizona it is extremely important to use an agent with experience, education, and a fine knowledge of the area. With any product, people generally want the best price possible. An experienced Realtor will be able to negotiate price more effectively versus a Realtor with no experience. Would you rather have a Realtor represent you that is a high school drop out, or a Realtor with a College Degree with ample experience?

Price is always negotiable. In most cases, the longer the negotiation process takes the better price you will get. A great Realtor offer a low bid for his buyer to the seller. The seller will counter offer, and then the buyer will counter offer back, and so on and so forth. As long as the seller keeps counter offering, the price is usually coming down on every counter offer. There obviously comes a time when a final price should be established, but as long as you can keep the seller negotiating the better chance the buyer will get a better price.

When selling property in Scottsdale, Arizona it is also extremely important to find a Realtor that will represent you effectively. When your Realtor receives an offer from a potential buyer, there is verbiage you can use to make it seem like the seller is not going to come down much on price with out scaring the buyer away. Only an experienced agent has the knowledge to have the courage to say such things.

When representing the buyer, the buying agent, by law, has to represent the buyer best interests. When selling, the selling agent must represent the sellers best interests by law. A great Realtor will do just that. A new or lazy agent will think that they are covering their legal responsibilities, but the fact of the matter is that they probably could have done better. They just did not know any better.

A bad Realtor could literally cost you several thousand dollars. You may have been able to purchase the home for thirty thousand dollars less if your agent negotiated properly. Do not let this happen to you. Below is a link where you can contact an agent with the experience, the education, the knowledge, and the track record to make sure your best interests are represented. Click on the link below to contact this agent.

When buying, the seller will pay both the buying and selling agents. The seller’s closing costs are generally a little bit higher because of this reason. When buying, get free representation by clicking on the link below. When selling, you will get a competitive rate with premium service. When selling, marketing is the absolute key to selling your property. By clicking on the link below, you will get in contact with an agent that markets your property above and beyond other Real Estate firms. Click on the link below for all of your Arizona Real Estate needs.

There are many real estate agents out there but you need to find one suited to you if you are looking to buy a house. Don’t choose an agent just because they have their picture plastered all over town or because you see their name somewhere. Meet them, get to know them, and then decide if they are who you trust to help you find your dream home. They should be someone you get along with and trust their judgment to help you select a good home.

The best way to find a good realtor is by word-of-mouth. Ask your friends or family members for the name of a good one. Chances are, some of them know one or two that they have had a good experience using before. Once you get a few names, arrange to meet with them so you can see if they are a good “fit” for your needs.

Your best match would be a realtor who really listens and understands what you need. They should get along well with you and offer suggestions but they should never make decisions for you. A good realtor will get to know you well and will be able to guide you, point out things you need to know, and answer all of your questions.

You should make all of your wishes known to your realtor in regards to the house you want to find. Let them know your likes, dislikes, must-haves, and also share with them your preferences in regards to location, price range, and anything else you can think of.

Discuss with your agent the tools they use when searching for homes, such as MLS, online ads, newspaper advertising, and any other methods they utilize. You may have some suggestions for them or you may have some preferences on how they should conduct their search. Don’t ever hold back your feelings about any home or location they find. If you don’t like it, you should say so. Don’t allow them to waste their time looking into something that you don’t find suitable. After all, it is your money that is paying their commission so you should be able to express yourself.

Always look over any papers carefully that you are asked to sign. Ask your realtor to explain anything you don’t understand. If you aren’t happy with his or her explanation, go to someone else for the answer. Never sign anything you don’t fully comprehend. They may need for you to endorse an agreement that states any sale made will be credited to them. If you are working exclusively with them, then you should sign the agreement.

Finding a good realtor is not difficult but you need to make sure you choose someone that you have a good rapport with and can understand. Choose one that makes your needs their top priority and that you feel comfortable asking anything, no matter how trivial. Buying a home is a big, major decision and you want to make certain you get someone who you can trust to put your needs first. Happy house hunting!

Realtors who want to do short sales can potentially do well in the current market, but there is a problem. Doing short sales really takes time away from what Realtors should be doing. Realtors should be helping regular sellers sell their properties and helping buyers buy properties.

Realtors should partner with companies that specialize in the short-sale process. Here is the problem. A short sale includes two steps that are not found in a regular real estate sale. And most Realtors are not trained to perform these steps.

Let’s look at the structure of a short sale:

- Acquisition

- Negotiation

- Sale to buyer

The acquisition and negotiation steps are the culprits. These steps require the Realtor to interact with the short-sale lender. This interaction doesn’t occur in a “normal sale.”

Look a “normal sale” first. In a “normal sale,” the Realtor usually follows the following steps. The Realtor signs a listing agreement with a seller and lists the seller’s property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The Realtor also uses various means to market the property.

- Buyers make offers (usually through other Realtors) to buy the property.

- The listing Realtor presents all offers to the seller who selects the most appealing offer.

- The process then moves through escrow to closing.

These are not complicated steps. Now with the short sale, things are different. The value of the property is less than the amount the owner (seller) owes on the loan. This creates some selling problems. Buyers will not buy the property for an amount that will help the owner cover the existing liens and closing costs.

There is no way the Realtor ( a business person) can make a commission (business income).

What now? The Realtor finds out about short sales and how the “short-sale lender” may take less than what the owner owes on the property. But there is a procedure.

This procedure involves those two steps I mentioned earlier: Acquisition and Negotiation.

Acquisition: So the Realtor stops doing what he or she normally does (finding properties to list and/or buyers of properties) and enters the acquisition phase of the short-sale process. Acquisition means Buyer

The owner fills out lots of documents to convince the “short-sale lender” that the owner’s hardship prevents the owner from paying his or her loan. This is the short-sale package. But one thing is missing! An offer to buy the property. You see, the complete package must contain an offer from a buyer to buy the “distressed” property. And the listing Realtor does not have any offers yet.

Of course, the Realtor can put a price in the listing without having an offer. But that price has nothing to do with reality. And the listing will no doubt include the words, “lender approval necessary” or some words like those. But suppose that price attracts some interest from buyers whose Realtors send offers to the listing Realtor.

Now the Listing Realtor can send a complete short-sale package to the short-sale lender. This takes us to the next step and MORE UNPRODUCTIVE TIME, Negotiation.

Negotiation: Lenders usually have a department called Loss Mitigation. A loss mitigator is assigned to the short-sale package and this person’s job is to “mitigate” (lessen) the lender’s loss.

The Loss Mitigation departments of lenders vary in their procedures, but one thing is for certain. They consume irreplaceable Time.

But stop here for a moment. This is not really about the Loss Mitigation departments of the lenders. It is about Realtors.

How much time has the Realtor spent attempting to assist this owner in default? Some Realtors spend 20 hours or more on a short sale. And the outcome very often is not successful and the property goes to foreclosure. In the end, lots of time (which is money) is wasted, especially because the Realtor was not pursuing tried-and-true money-making activities.

Thankfully, all is not doom and gloom, for there are companies that will help the Realtor and take away the pain. The Realtor still controls his or her listing through closing and gets the commission.

As you begin your house hunting process, you will probably already have a good idea of what type of home you are looking for. For example, you might know the size and style of the home you want to purchase and you might have a general idea of the city or town in which you want to live. Of course, it is important for you to share this information with your Realtor so you can be certain to find the home of your dreams. At the same time, there is plenty of information that your Realtor can provide to you that will also help you in your decision making process. Therefore, you should be certain to ask plenty of questions and to utilize your Realtor’s knowledge to the fullest extent possible.

Finding Out About Schools

If you have a family or plan to start a family in the foreseeable future, schooling will likely be quite important to you. Therefore, you might want to ask your Realtor to help you acquire information about the school district you would like to live in. Many Realtors will not guarantee that you will be in a specific school district because these district boundaries can change. Nonetheless, he or she should be willing to help you find out what the current district boundaries are. In addition, the Realtor should be able to help you look up information about the school district, such as the scores the school has received on standardized testing and what the current teacher/student ratio is a the school.

Learning About Utilities

In addition to helping you find school information, your Realtor should also be able to help you learn more about utilities for the home you are considering purchasing. For example, the Realtor can help you find out whether or not the property is served by city water and sanitation. You will also be able to find out who supplies the electricity and gas to the home as well as whether or not cable is available on the property.

Zoning Information

You can also ask your Realtor to provide you with zoning information. If you think you might like to start a business in the home at some point, for example, you might want to look for property that is commercially and residentially zoned. The zoning may also have an impact on the resale value of the home, so it is worth your while to look into this information before making a purchase.

Finding Out About Crime

Your Realtor can also help you learn more about the crime rate in the area you are considering moving to. By finding out about these statistics, you can determine whether or not the property is in a neighborhood where you and your family can feel safe.

Remember, your main purpose is to find a home where you can enjoy living for the next several years and where you can feel comfortable with raising a family if you so desire. Similarly, you want to make a good investment, so take advantage of the knowledge the Realtor possesses so you can get the best of both worlds.

When you deal with realtors, it is important to identify the good, the bad, and the indifferent. Good means the realtor has the qualities described in this article. Bad means they do not. Indifferent means the realtor may have a few and you like them, but overall, you can take them…or leave them. This article was written over a period of months. Many work hours went into the creation of this article. The main goal was to condense these qualities into a select few in order to keep it simple.

The number one quality a realtor must have is confidence. With confidence, all things become possible. Confidence enables the realtor to do all the things necessary to get you the best deal, while at the same time, make them some money. I do not want a realtor who is timid about money. I want a realtor who is comfortable in their own skin. You might say that knowledge is the number one quality. Certainly, you don’t want a realtor who is not knowledgeable about real estate. Certainly you don’t want a realtor who is not knowledgeable about real estate investing. However, confidence requires knowledge. Without it, you’ve got someone most like many car salesman, they’re winging it and exuding a completely false sense of confidence. No good. Confidence requires knowledge. Try talking to a timid realtor about calling another realtor to get information on the seller. Pay close attention to their reaction. Let’s say that you are attempting to gain valuable information regarding a seller’s mortgage. If the realtor starts to give you reasons why you can’t assume a mortgage, that’s a red flag. A realtor should be like an intelligent robot. It should give advice when needed and then just do exactly as it’s told. If it does not, it is dysfunctional. Terminate your relationship with it. And that goes for the robot too!

Real estate is about money. Money is not about being nice or timid. Money is greenbacks; the more you can save or earn, the better! A realtor with confidence will recognize this important element to purchasing real estate. It’s not about their feelings, it’s about money. You will find many of the things mentioned in this article revolve around confidence. If a realtor is willing to learn about a new way to purchase real estate, he/she has confidence. If a realtor can tell you something is not legal, they’re smart, which brings us to our next quality.

A good real estate agent is smart. Smart is not the same as being knowledgeable. Smart has many characteristics. Smart includes quickness on one’s feet. Smart includes their organizational skills and follow up practices. Smart involves their marketability or salesmanship. A smart realtor is a salesman. A good salesman sells themselves along with whatever it is they want the buyer to purchase. The ABC’s of closing are simple and if you ever watched the movie “Glen Gary, Glen Ross”, you would know that a salesman, like a realtor, must ALWAYS BE CLOSING. If they are not, they will not sell your properties. Smart realtors know their business and have an answer for any question and that doesn’t necessarily mean the actual answer to someone’s specific question.

A smart realtor will always have a song and dance. Saying to someone, “I don’t know the answer to that off the top of my head. I’ll get back to you on that,” will decrease saleability by about 50% (that’s just a guesstimate). A smart realtor remembers ALWAYS BE CLOSING. “Well from my experience, I know that…,” or some variation is absolutely the better approach to sell yourself and the property! A smart realtor must avoid seeming disingenuous or like he/she is “pouring the BS on”. That would be the opposite of smart. Smart does not mean being untruthful. Smart means projecting confidence and knowledge that helps to assuage any fears in the buyer that might keep him or her from closing. A smart realtor will always attack an opportunity proactively to establish trust with buyers and sellers. If you’re trying to sell an investment property or your personal home, you might consider looking for the realtor who wins your confidence personally. Forget about names of realty companies. Reputation does carry great weight, but there’s nothing like a realtor who carries a big old stick of confidence, brains and our next characteristic, tenacity!

Tenacity. This word means resolve. A realtor must be tenacious in their approach toward helping you, the investor, make the best deal possible. For example, we were considering a property to purchase subject to mortgage assumption. The savings on closing costs alone would be over $9000. When we asked our realtor, Joe, to obtain information from the sellers agent regarding current mortgages held by the seller, Joe responded, “Most mortgages these days are not assumable.” At this point, it would have been a good time to start shopping for a new realtor. In our attempt to work with this particular realtor, we explained that we were aware of this likelihood, but still preferred this information. Joe called us back, informing us the sellers agent told him the current mortgage was unassumable. We told Joe this was unacceptable. After a day of trying to convince Joe of our preferences, we went to the local public records office and obtained the information we wanted. Joe did manage to also provide us with the same information from his resources online. End result, someone else purchased this property.

Now while we do not know for sure what Joe actually said to the sellers agent to acquire needed information, our personal opinion is the conversation went something like this, “I’ve got an interested party for the property but they’re talking about assuming the mortgage. Can you give me any information?” Rather than, “I’ve got an investor with cash interested in the property who can probably close in a week. They like the property and I’m thinking they’ll make a generous offer. They want to know who the current lender is, the interest rate and terms of the loan.” You can see the difference in approaches. The former will get Joe exactly where he thinks he’ll end up – nowhere. The latter will maybe at least get some information so that Joe can work towards…CLOSING THE DEAL.

A tenacious realtor will look at every challenge as an opportunity for the advancement of closing the deal. A tenacious realtor will not sit back on their toes and lose control of the flow and continuity of conversations, missing one opportunity after the other to close the deal. A tenacious realtor will not whine about a slow market, but will be on the cutting edge of ways to sell his listings and earn more listings all at the same time. A tenacious realtor will keep his/her ears open for new opportunities to pounce on. Tenacity is important if a realtor wants to Always Be Closing.

Finally, if a realtor is to be successful, he/she must have an imagination. Imagination is the key to creativity. The bigger the imagination, the less road blocks to creativity. If a realtor has a good sense of the possibilities for real estate investment, the more willing they will be to follow up and not hold back when they should be moving forward. And we’re not just talking about “creative financing techniques”. We are referring to the their personal approach to life in general. If a realtor uses words like “can’t”, “no”, “not”, “won’t”, “forget it”, etc., then it might be prudent to look elsewhere for another realtor. We say “might” because if the realtor is telling you something “can’t” be done because it violates state law, then obviously, this is an entirely different usage of the word. However, if they use them often to describe investment ideas that you know to be quality approaches to investment, they’re showing a lack of imagination.

Sure there are other qualities we could list here, but many will fall under the ones spelled out in this article. Remember, this is our opinion of what counts. Confidence, smarts, tenacity, and imagination encompass many areas including: genuineness because a smart realtor knows they must not only market themselves as being genuine, but must actually be the genuine item; faith because without it, how truly confident can you be?; communication skills because a smart realtor knows when to listen for information and has the confidence to let others speak; integrity because if they’re not honest, how confident can they be?

© 2006 noobdogs.com

Finding and selecting a home will probably be the biggest financial decision you’ll ever make. As a corollary, the importance of selecting the right realtor goes right along with the overall home buying decision. Here are some simple steps you can take to help you find a realtor that will help you make the correct home buying decision.

First you need to find at least three realtors. Talk to friends, co-workers, acquaintances or neighbors that recently bought or sold a home. What were they happy with, what problems did they have? What would they do differently next time? Did the realtor follow through on their promises? Now with your short list make appointments to interview the three or more of the best candidates.

Prepare you list of questions. Based on your conversations with others compare what they thought was important to your needs in buying a home. In the interview with the candidates approach the meeting the same way you would as if you were hiring someone. Of course that’s exactly what you are doing. They will be working on the real estate buying or selling project for you.

What to look for in a realtor? They should have a reasonable level of experience. Find out what plans they have to market your home. It is advisable to find a someone with broad experience. Inquire about whether or not the realtor is a full time agent, or if he or she has limited hours to spend on the purchase or sale of your home. Ask them about plans for an open house or if you will be able to reach the realtor before or after normal business hours.

Recently in talking with a friend who told me his son had moved into a home about three years ago and used a local realtor to help him find the home. He was now being transferred and without going through a reasonable selection process elected to give the listing to the former realtor. It was a big mistake. Even in a relatively hot real estate market the home was not marketed properly. The realtor was “resting on his laurels” and did not have nearly the sense of urgency his son had. Consequently when the listing ran out the son properly researched and found another realtor who helped sell the house in three weeks at the asking price.

A part time agent and those who work less than full-time are going to be usually less familiar with the market and the secrets of the trade. Also, it is important to have an agent who is able to show the home on the schedule of potential buyers. Do not hire an agent that will make you and other buyers work on his or her schedule because there are agents who will work with your schedule? This can significantly improve the chances of a faster, more lucrative sale. Find a realtor who will work for you. You should also consider the fee that they will charge.

You are also not just hiring a realtor. You are also hiring an agency. You should ask certain questions about the agency to decide which one is ideal for you. The agency that you hire needs to have enough financial power to be able to properly market your home. Bigger agencies will be able to pay for bigger and better ads.

Overall, the selection of the realtor many times is critical in marketing and selling your house or in helping you find exactly the home you want at the right price. Do your homework and you’ll get the best results.