Relocation Real Estate Specialist Shares Top 10 Questions

Relocation Real Estate Specialist Shares Top 10 Questions, by Des Moines Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts is your resource for Des Moines Homes

It is particularly hard for out of town buyers moving to the Des Moines area to find a suitable house in a new unfamiliar neighborhood.  This task can be difficult because real estate agents and brokers are bound by law not to “steer” clients in any way.  “Steering” is the term used for using subtle ways to influence a buyer’s decision based upon certain characteristics of a neighborhood.

The purpose of prohibiting “steering” is to eliminate prejudice based upon race, religion, color, age, country of origin, sex, or disability.

So then, you might ask, with so many houses for sale, how can I narrow down the choices?  The answer is simple; a professional real estate agent.  A professional real estate agent is able to deliver factual information to help you with your decision making process as long as it is done without using steering tactics.

Brokers can offer factual data and a professional real estate agent will have these facts on hand.  Many companies such as RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts have agents who specialize in out of town buyers.  A good agent keeps up to date with statistics and data pertaining to the neighborhoods they represent.  Having this information at the ready saves time when a buyer asks for information.  Often out of town buyers have a very limited amount of time to locate a house before the big transfer.  Many real estate agents who specialize in serving out of town clients will offer special services.  Some of these services include meeting the buyer at the airport and taking them for a neighborhood tour, arranging several appointments to view houses for sale, and even help with hotel reservations if needed.

During the neighborhood tour a buyer should ask the agent as many factual questions as possible.  Some questions to ask include:

1.  How many schools are in the school system?

2.  What is the student/teacher ratio?

3.  What is the per pupil expenditure for the school systems of each district where you are considering purchasing a house?  Even if this information is unfamiliar to you, simply compare the numbers between the different districts to come to your own conclusion

4.  What is the percent of students that graduate high school in the district (what is the drop out rate)?

5.  What is the percent of high school graduates in the district going on to a four year college?

6.  What social organizations are available to join?

7.  What forms of organized recreation are available?

8.  What churches are in the neighborhood?

9.  What are the names of the local newspapers

10. Are there any special points of interest in the area?  (Note – ask for any information provided by the local Chamber of Commerce)

Finally, a great tip  is to subscribe to the local newspaper prior to the transfer.  Alternately, go on the website of the local newspaper on a regular basis.  This will familiarize you with the local flavor.  Ask your real estate agent for a listing of local newspapers.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Des Moines real estate.

For complete information about the Des Moines real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete online website dedicated to everything Des Moines has to offer and your complete resource for Iowa Homes. Please feel free to contact us with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and we will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-708-5890 or email us at dsm@realestateconcepts.net. 

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