The Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection would like to share a video from Keller Williams for the real estate outlook for October 2009.

This video is about the Federal Reserve’s report on homeowner’s equity … and is actually some really good news!

For more information on Colorado Springs home values, please contact us at 719.434.7525 or send an email to team@wagneriteam.com

Thanks for reading our Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog!
Posted By: Mariana Wagner - Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent - Wagner iTeam
The Wagner iTeam is a power team of Keller Williams Realty,
specializing in Colorado Springs Real Estate and Monument Real Estate
Pictures of Colorado Springs
(719) 434-7525

In the Colorado Springs real estate market, we were just notified that someone is pretending to be a real estate agent, calling real estate companies and getting lock box codes to gain access to homes for sale. Although no criminal activity has been reported, this is a potentially GREAT risk to home sellers security.

If you are selling your home and have a blue GE infrared Supra iBox lockbox on your home, then this will not apply to you – as only licensed real estate agents have the ability to gain access to the keys inside the lock box.

However, if you have a lockbox that requires someone to punch in a code or combo directly into the lockbox, then you may want to ask your agent a few questions:

• What type of verification do they (your agent) require before giving someone the code to your home? Do they verify that the caller is, in fact, a licensed real estate agent?
• Why did they choose to install a combo box instead of the more secure electronic GE Supra iBox?
• Would they consider switching the combo lockbox out for an electronic one?
• If they cannot replace it, would they consider re-coding the lockbox on a regular basis, to prevent unauthorized re-entry?

The Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection (Wagner iTeam) uses the GE infrared Supra iBox lockbox on almost every home that we list. We ALWAYS use this lockbox on homes where people are living, and in the rare instances that we use a combo box, it is always on an unoccupied home and we (and our office) are VERY strict about who gets the code … NEVER giving access to an unlicensed person.*

Read More: Colorado Springs Real Estate: The Benefits of Using an Electronic Lockbox

*Only the homeowner will get the code, if they should want it.

The sale of your home can already be a hectic time - Don’t let security EVER become an issue.

Looking to sell your Colorado Springs home? Contact us for a free, no-obligation home value report: 719.434.7525 or team@wagneriteam.com

Thanks for reading our Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog!
Posted By: Mariana Wagner - Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent - Wagner iTeam
The Wagner iTeam is a power team of Keller Williams Realty,
specializing in Colorado Springs Real Estate and Monument Real Estate
Pictures of Colorado Springs
(719) 434-7525

As a licensed Colorado Springs Realtor®, I ALWAYS recommend that potential home buyers and sellers interview several different agents before deciding who they will work with. This gives them the security of knowing that they made the right choice when working with an agent.

Read Also: What is a Realtor®?

However, there some times when the line is fuzzy … Some times when a home buyer or seller may want to work with more than one agent. Here are some guidelines for figuring out when and HOW to work with more than one Colorado Springs real estate agent.

Home Sellers

In most cases, if you are looking to sell your home, you will interview several agents and then choose the agent who is a best fit for you and your needs. In most cases, you will sign “An Exclusive Right to Sell” and only work with ONE agent for the duration of the contract or until the home sells.
Read Also: The Difference Between Exclusive Right to Sell and Exclusive Agency [Colorado]

Home Buyers

Many first time home buyers (and several “seasoned” home buyers) will call on signs and advertisements and talk with MANY real estate agents until they find a home that they want to buy … and then just work with the listing agent to buy the home. Honestly, this is not a good idea, as the home buyer will NEVER get a “better deal” than if they had their own representation (Buyer Agent). Remember … the listing agent is only looking out for the best interest of the seller … not the buyer.

Sometimes, a home buyer understands this and decides to “work” with several different Buyer Agents to see who will find them the best deal. This is ALSO not a very good idea for a couple reasons …

1. All Buyer Agents have the exact same access to the exact same homes for sale via the local MLS. No one has “special” knowledge or access to homes that others do not, so they all have the potential of finding the “best deal”.
2. Buyer Agents only get paid when they successfully find a home for a home buyer … and it closes. All the up front work of finding the home is done without pay and in good faith that the home buyer that they are working with is using them to represent them. If a home buyer is not disclosing that they are potentially working with other agents, then the Buyer Agent does not have the ability to fairly weigh out the situation and determine whether or not they want to work with that home buyer.
3. If a home buyer has signed a “Buyer Agency Agreement” with ONE agent, then they are breaching a contract to work with another agent. This can get ugly … and no one wants “ugly” …

Read Also:

• Top 5 Ways to Choose the BEST Real Estate Agent When Buying a Home in Colorado Springs
• 3 Easy Ways to Find a Buyers Agent to Represent You
• Top 7 Questions to Ask Your Buyer’s Agent

However, there ARE some exceptions.

1. If a home buyer wants to work with more than one agent (for whatever reason), the proper etiquette is to NOT sign a Buyer Agency Agreement and to notify each agent of this decision.
2. If a home buyer is considering buying different types of property or different areas, they may consider hiring an “expert” for each area. Example: Sally and Sam don’t know if they want a downtown condo or horse property, so they hire a “ranch” expert to help them find horse property and a “condo” expert to help them find a condo. This is actually a GREAT idea, as it ensures the home buyers that they are getting the best possible representation in their home search and purchase.
3. This is kind of an exception, but more of an FYI … Some people work with more than one agent because they don’t know if they are going to “like” being “married” to just one agent. In this case, a home buyer should consider just signing a week long Buyer Agency agreement – If after that week, the agent is not a good fit, then the home buyer can move on and find a new agent.

Realtors® are professionals and should be always looking out for a home buyer and seller’s best interests. Finding ONE agent to work with is generally going to be your best bet.

Thanks for reading our Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog!
Posted By: Mariana Wagner - Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent - Wagner iTeam
The Wagner iTeam is a power team of Keller Williams Realty,
specializing in Colorado Springs Real Estate and Monument Real Estate
Pictures of Colorado Springs
(719) 434-7525

In the latter part of September 2001, Derek came home from an afternoon showing homes to his very first buyer client, as a Realtor® in Colorado Springs (we’ll call her Ms. P) and sits at the computer in obvious bewilderment. He logged onto the local MLS and then paused for a few minutes.

“Honey. What’s up? How did your day go?” I was excited about his first time out showing homes, as well as interested in why he was so bewildered.

“Well, it went ok. But I need to narrow down her search to homes on streets with no mature trees and a lot of street lamps.”

“Huh?” I now joined him in his bewilderment. There are not search-able fields for either of those requests. How were we going to search for homes in Colorado Springs with those guidelines?

This was going to be interesting.

We decided to pull up all homes that fit her previous requests and then we spent the better part of 2 days driving around each street in each neighborhood making notes about the trees, foliage and street lamp placement. We found some great, well-lit homes. Man! Ms. P was going to be proud when they met up the next weekend!

Well, the next weekend arrived, and after several hours of showing homes, Derek came home quite irritated. What was wrong? How could she NOT like any of the homes that Derek picked out! They were perfect! Derek then called his managing broker. Maybe he could help him figure this out.

After a few seconds on the phone, Derek’s face fell. He got off the phone and let me know what the “problem” was.

Let’s just say that we learned the hard way what “I don’t want to live in a dark neighborhood” means. Yeah, Ms. P didn’t care about trees and street lamps.

Derek got on the phone immediately and called her. First, he let her know that he had no idea that her requests were discriminatory in nature. He told her that it made no sense and that he did not understand why she would think in those terms.

Second, he educated her on how there is NO WAY that he can or would ever narrow down a home search based on discrimination. Finally, he said that she can either a.) Find a new agent to represent her, or b.) Narrow down the search herself. He would have no part in a discrimination-based home search.

After a brief silence and a short good-bye, Derek hung up the phone.

We waited a couple days, not knowing what Ms. P was going to decide on. Those were a tough couple of days, as Ms. P was Derek’s first client … ever. And, we never thought that we would actually have to deal with the discrimination that we learned about in real estate school. Well, she called back, and for reasons that we will never really know she decided to buy one of the homes that Derek had shown her originally.

We do not make decisions based on discrimination and I guess it never occurred to us that others still do. It is a sad thing. Our ignorance of the presence of existing discrimination clashed with her ignorance of the absence of discrimination.

… At least we now know where all the well-lit streets in Colorado Springs are.

*Originally Posted By Mariana Wagner on Active Rain on 1/24/07  Two Sides of Ignorance *

Thanks for reading our Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog!
Posted By: Mariana Wagner - Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent - Wagner iTeam
The Wagner iTeam is a power team of Keller Williams Realty,
specializing in Colorado Springs Real Estate and Monument Real Estate
Pictures of Colorado Springs
(719) 434-7525

We here at the Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection take fair housing laws VERY seriously and refuse to work with anyone who practices ANY level of discrimination – to include home sellers, lenders, landlords, other real estate agents, etc.

It is illegal to discriminate in housing on basis of race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, family status or disability.

http://www.vimeo.com/5806932

Per the HUD website:

“Housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability is illegal by federal law. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint.”

If you feel as though you were a victim of discrimination when trying to rent or buy a home, you can file a complaint with the Housing and Urban Development Housing Discrimination Department.

Read More About Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

Read Also:

• Two Sides of Ignorance in the Colorado Springs Real Estate Market
• Understanding the Realtor® Code of Ethics: Article 10 – Don’t Be An Ignorant Fool (Discrimination)

*Thanks to New Hampshire Association of Realtors® – Monika McGillicuddy and Matthew Rathbun for sharing the video.*

Posted By: Mariana Wagner | 719.434.7525
Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection

Thanks for reading our Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog!
Posted By: Mariana Wagner - Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent - Wagner iTeam
The Wagner iTeam is a power team of Keller Williams Realty,
specializing in Colorado Springs Real Estate and Monument Real Estate
Pictures of Colorado Springs
(719) 434-7525