Need a "good" real estate agent in Columbia, MD (Ellicott City: real estate market, insurance)

[rexian]

Hello All,

Can you please refer me to a good real estate agent in Columbia, MD? PM me if you think that will be wise.

About me:
1. First time homebuyer.
2. Credit rating 780+ (last checked 1 month ago.)

What I am looking for in an agent:
1. Local Area knowledge
2. Patience
3. Aggressiveness
4. Competence
5. Competitive Commission.

Simply, looking for an "Honest Barracuda" who will find me a good home to live.

Thanks for help!

- Rex

[ML09]

There are a few realtors on here so it's going to be like a dog seeing fresh meat. Be prepared to be swamped.

[Gabrielle]

We sold our townhome in Ellicott City in a DEAD real estate market in 2 1/2 weeks and found our perfect home in Eldersburg. We had an awesome experience with our realtor and would unhesitatingly recommend her to anyone interested. Moderator cut: use PM for recommendations, please I am attaching a link to their website. removed

[uni4jake]

The above post is right. You should contact Missi Hamet. She's a wonderful agent with ReMax 100 in Columbia and very well respected. Also, you should call Ben Bannister for your loan. He's with Bank of America and offers the Community Commitment loan. It's amazing! No strings attached, nothing hidden at all. I shopped for months looking for a loan. Finally our realtor advised us to call his preferred loan officer at Bank of America, and we were shocked when he told us the details of this mortgage. Fixed rate loans, below market rates, up to 100% financing and no mortgage insurance!! Plus, the 30 year fixed rate using the Community Commitment loan was even lower than the 5/1 ARMS!! Anyone who is getting a loan amount at $417,000 or lower should use this loan. The bank branches don't offer this type of a loan so you have to call an independent Loan Officer like Ben. He was wonderful to work with, very informative, and got us to closing on time. He was also always available to talk or respond to emails. His numer is 410-964-8290 Good luck with your house hunt!

[ChosenGSR]

Rex if possible I would like an update on this as things develop. We have identical stats/requirements, but I am not entering the market until year end. I would love to learn from your experiences.

[rexian]

I am still awaiting a few PMs before I select a realtor. Please continue to PM me good realtor & loan officer names in columbia/Ellicott City area.

Thanks,

Rex

[LookingBook]

Hi,

I used Ben for my HELOC and had a good experience. As for a Realtor, I used Sherri Rich 410-715-3258, also with ReMax 100. Her cell is410-978-9532. She works very hard and will make sure you have all comprables before making a decision. She is all that you asked for, but you shoud know that buyers do not pay commission. Al Realtor's service is free to them, even as a buyer broker, which you will want to do. The seller pays commission. Good luck.

With your credit rating, some banks will hand you a loan of just about any amount, so really thinking about how you can work a budget. If you buy in Columbia, add CPRA to your monthly cost.