Real Estate Agent (Centreville, Fairfax, Gainesville: appointed, short sale, foreclosure)

[Morrigkan]

I was wondering if anyone had a good reccomendation for a real estate agent in the area. My husband I are thinking of looking in and around Centreville as well as maybe further out west towards Gainesville/Haymarket. I currently work in Haymarket and my husband is working out of Sterling for the time being. His work location can change though so its hard to narrow down a certain area to look in.

I had contacted the sales office of Long and Foster in Fairfax and wasn't really impressed by the way the woman spoke to me over the phone. She didn't even ask me if I wanted to set up an appointment to come in, she just took my name, phone number, and email address and told me she would email me some listings to look at.

As a first time home buyer I have no experience with real estate agents, but is this normal? I mean, I've spent quite a while looking at listings online, if thats what I wanted to keep on doing I wouldn't have called a real estate office. She only asked me my budget and how many bedrooms/bathrooms we were looking for. Needless to say I'm a little disappointed.

That being said, we have a pre approval letter from our bank and a general idea of what we are looking for. Most likely a TH maybe a SFH if its within our $350k budget (which would probably be a short sale or foreclosure). So, does anyone have any suggestions of someone to call? I'd really appreciate it.

Moderator's Note: Please send specific recommendations to the OP via Direct Message as opposed to posting on the forum. Thank you.

[Morrigkan]

Thanks for the tip! I'll give him a call.

[corgiloveTN]

I was going to suggest www.realtor.com
Good luck.

[ShannonMilligan]

There are good agent and bad agents out there. And the right agent for you depends on your personality and the realtors. When I sold one of my homes I interviewed agents and thought I had the best agent ever. Well, turns out our personalities didn't mix well. I expected constant communication and I hardly ever got a phone call back. (This was years ago) I fired that agent and found one who I loved. But I was very upfront about what I expected: I told her I wanted at least a weekly update and wanted to be as involved in the process as possible. She was wonderful with that.

Anyway, call some local agents and see if they jive with you on the phone. The women I work for return ALL calls the same day. That's how they do business. Others I have met only return calls every few days.

Good luck! It's a very fun and exciting time when buying a home! I just sold another home this past week and am currently buying a new one and although it can be stressful it is also a lot of fun!

[Margery]

Call an office in the area of interest, ask to speak with the managing broker and tell her/him that you are prequalified and ready to buy. I guarantee you'll get a call back from an agent who is ready to work with you. Also, be sure you tell the agent you will not agree to dual agency (which is when the agent represents both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction). Attorneys don't represent both sides, neither should a real estate agent.

[Morrigkan]

Thanks for the tips everyone. This whole home buying process is exciting and a bit scary all at the same time. Especially for a first time buyer. Watching House Hunters on HGTV will only get you so far! lol

[pseudo]

My first realtor was a bear. He kept taking me to places I was not interested in and also repeated the same thing at every house. He was all about image. He would not take me to the places I wanted to go, and I canceled the contract after he refused to take me to this one house I was really interested in seeing. I immediately canceled our contract and called the listing agent for that house. It was the house I ended up buying - I only had to look at it once. The realtor did not have to do much to earn her commission. Just remember the realtor is working for you and serve your best interests so do not be ashamed to cancel the contract. My first place was in Montana.

The realtor I used in VA was brand new. It was a great experience. She checked everything with the broker, it was kind of like I had two agents. She also allowed me to select the places and ask questions. Her other job experience as a warranty agent gave me great insight into the condo market - things to look for and things to think about. It was a great experience. I am an easy buyer -know exactly what I want and was willing to go with the flow of the purchasing process. It is scary, especially in a different state. You are always wondering if you have covered all your bases. Word to the wise (well, the anal wise) - go through the final walk-through for a new condo purchase with a fine-tooth comb. Don't feel hurried. I missed several things. *Sigh*

Good luck!

[Morrigkan]

Thanks for the info everyone. I placed a few calls today but I have not heard back from any of them. Which I don't know if that is normal or not. We're going to be financing with USAA and they have a program called Movers Assistance, (which I didn't know about until later this evening) they help set you up with an agent, so I'm going to see what they have to say and who they recommend also. I'm just hoping we can find the right person the first time.

[Denton56]

Are you military? If so, you love the person I just referred you to in a DM. Her dad is a retired General and her son is a Ranger! You'll love her. She also knows the area well where you are looking, it's very near her house and she sells lots of houses there.

Best of luck!

[Morrigkan]

Thanks for all the help everyone. We have found an agent that we're going with right now. We're excited to start the home search.