Which comes first - finding the house you think you like and want to preview or finding the real estate agent you like and want to work with?  Unfortunately, too many people search on line for properties, drive my neighborhoods and then call the number on the sign they are looking at.  This is how many people “choose” a real estate person.  I can’t stress enough that the best approach to shopping for just the right home or property is to first shop for the real estate professional you are going to work with and who is going to help you with maybe the largest financial purchase in your life thus far.  Not all real estate sales people are the same.  What do you need in a real estate professional?  Here are just a few questions you should be asking the real estate person you are interviewing:  1)Are you a REALTOR and member of the National Association of REALTORS? 2) Are you a member of the local Multiple Listing Service? 3) How much education do you have? 4) Do you have your GRI designation?  5) Do you work as a buyer’s representative? 6) Are you knowledgeable of the area I am interested in? 7) Why should I choose you as my real estate professional? 

If you put some time into choosing your REALTOR and then let her/him work for you to search and find you the properties that meet your criteria.  You will be glad you did.

We had a good turn out for our House Talk program last night at Eufaula Lakeshore Realty.  Madonna Rolens did a good job presenting an overview about credit scores and talking about what we can do to increase our scores.  Thanks, Madonna for a good evening.jj

Some points to remember from the discussion:

1)  Take advantage of the opportunity once a year and check out your credit report by going to www.annualcreditreport.com.  Your credit report is only as good as what shows up on it.  Check it out once a year and make sure the information is accurate.  If there is a mistake, take steps to get it corrected and remember, it could take up to 90 days to get it fixed.

2) Make sure you  pay your bills on time.  Two late bills on your credit report can severely hurt your score. 

3) Lower your credit card balances.  Try and keep your balance below 25% of your credit line limit.

 4) Limit the number of credit cards you have to two if at all possible.  Too little or too much credit hurts your credit score.  So, if you don’t have a credit card, get one.  If you have a bunch of credit cards, close out all except two.

5) Pay off your debt instead of transferring it around to other credit sources.  Remember, keep your debt ration below 25% of credit limit if at all possible.

6)  Be patient.  There are no quick fixes.  Pay your bills on time. 

For those of you who have not spent much time lookiing around www.EufaulaLakeshoreRealty.com- check it out!  There is a lot of information there that is helpful to buyers and sellers and for those who have already purchased land or a home at Lake Eufaula.  There is daily real estate news on the home page; always as active survey or poll to participate in; you can find the local weather and the conditions of Lake Eufaula.  There is a whole list of vendors if you are looking for real estate related vendors and a list of emergency numbers and utility companies for those who are moving in the near future.  You an search for properties, get - and figure out what your payment will be on a mortgage.  So, go ahead and look around and explore the wealth of resources and information.  If you still have a question, give us a call or send us an email with your question and we will get it answered.  Happy exploring!

Wednesday, January 21st @ 5:30 p.m.  Madonna Rolens, a Mortgage Banker for Bank of Oklahoma will speak on “How To Raise Your Credit Score”  at the next House Talk seminar scheduled for Wednesday, January 21st at the Eufaula Lakeshore Realty office located 4 miles east of Eufaula on Highway 9..

“Raising your credit score may be the key for many people to be able to borrow money to buy their dream home,” said Karen Weldin. “Lenders look at your credit score all the time.  Having a good credit score makes your financial dealings a lot easier and can save you money in the lower interest rates.  That’s why having a good credit score is vital to your financial picture.Rolens will be prepared to answer such questions as:  Why do credit scores matter? What is a good credit score?  How many scores are there? How is my score determined? What can I do to raise my score?This one hour seminar is part of the monthly “House Talk” program sponsored by Eufaula Lakeshore Realty.  Each month an educational program is offered free of charge related to buying and/or selling real estate.  For a schedule of programs visit www.EufaulaLakeshoreRealty.com.

It was exciting news today when an interest rate sheet came in on my email.  I opened it up and it said 4.5% on a 30 year fixed rate loan.  This is great news for both buyers and sellers.  If you are sitting on the sidelines or fence and trying to figure out when to buy or sell - now is the time to do it.  Buyers, take advantage of this interest rate.  For the few thousand dollars you are trying to wait on for property prices to fall - you will more than make up for it in the long run with the low interest rates right now.  Sellers, get your property out there on the market to give buyers more of a selection as they shop to take advantage of the low interest rates.  It is a great time to buy real estate at Lake Eufaula! 

Eufaula Lakeshore Realty welcomes Susie Campbell, REALTOR-Associate!  Susie is a long time resident of the Lake Eufaula area, brings nine years of real estate experience with her and a great personality.  We are delighted Susie has joined our team/family and look forward to working with her.  If you are looking for a REALTOR, give Susiie a call:  918-452-3184.

No sooner had the sun gone down on Christmas Day and my phone started ringing inquiring about property at Lake Eufaula.  I or someone in my office has shown property everyday since then!  2009 started with quite the gusto!  Our niche is unique in that not only are we in a great area of the country that has been shelter for the most part from the real estate drop but we also have been blessed with the oil/gas boom.  I believe 2009 is going to be a good year here at Lake Eufaula in real estate.  What do you think?  Go to our home page on our website at www.EufaulaLakeshoreRealty.com and participate in our survey by answering the question, “Do you think 2009 will be a good year to buy a house at Lake Eufaula?”  Happy New Year everyone!