Who works for whom
The listing agent works for the seller. You should have someone too.
A buyer’s agent negotiates for you, points out what is wrong with the house, keeps your confidences, and has no stake in the seller getting their price. In Pennsylvania you receive the State Real Estate Commission’s Consumer Notice at the first real conversation, so you know whose side every person is on before you say anything private.
Our fee is written into a buyer agency agreement before you commit to anything: what we do, what it costs, and what happens if the seller pays part of it. Fees are negotiable and not set by law. Nothing appears at settlement that was not in that agreement.
- LoyaltyYour interest, including when ours points the other way.
- CandorDon’t buy this one, if that is the honest answer.
- ConfidenceWhat you can afford and what you would pay stay with us.
- One advisorFrom the first showing to the keys. The same person.
How it goes
Five steps. We are there for all of them.
- Pre-approval first.A lender tells you what you can shop for, and when the right house comes up you can write an offer that day. We can introduce you to local lenders; any relationship we have with one is disclosed in writing before you call.
- The right streets.Not every listing. The ones that fit the number, the commute, the school district and the way you actually live. We tell you what we know about each street, including the things the listing does not say.
- A strong offer.Price is one part. Deposit, financing, dates and contingencies are the rest, and sellers read all of them. We write the offer so it wins without giving away what it did not need to.
- Inspection, appraisal, title.The report comes back and we read it with you: what is ordinary for a house of that age, what is not, and what to ask for. The appraisal and the title search get the same attention.
- Walkthrough and keys.The final walkthrough, the settlement statement checked line by line, and the keys. Then the questions that come after: the contractor, the tax bill, the refinance. Still the same advisor.
The neighborhood
You are not buying a house. You are buying a street.
The things that decide whether you are happy in five years rarely appear in the photographs.
- Taxes and the assessmentWhat the bill is, whether it is right, and what the sale will do to it.
- Schools and the commuteThe district line, the bus route, the drive at 7:40 on a Tuesday.
- Water, zoning, permitsThe flood map, the township’s rules, and whether the finished basement was ever permitted.
- What it will cost to ownHeat, the roof’s age, the sewer lateral, the things an inspector flags and a neighbor would have told you.
See what is for sale
Three things buyers ask first.
Do I need my own agent to buy a home?
Not legally. But the listing agent owes the seller their loyalty, not you. A buyer’s agent owes it to you. Pennsylvania requires every licensee to hand you the Consumer Notice at the first substantive conversation, so you know whose side each person is on.
What does a buyer’s agent cost?
It is written into your buyer agency agreement before you commit, as a clear figure. Sellers often pay part or all of it; when they do not, you know in advance. Commissions are negotiable and not set by law or by any multiple listing service.
Should I talk to a lender before I start looking?
Yes, and early. A pre-approval tells you what you can shop for, and in a market where good houses go in a weekend, it lets you write an offer the day you see the one.
Start with the street.
Pick an advisor who knows it and book a time. Or call 610-345-NEST.