Take the couple who flew to Atlanta for a weekend house-hunting trip. After two full days, they had found only one that was worth a return visit. But he wasn't impressed and wanted to find temporary quarters until they found a house they loved. She, on the other hand, wanted to make the one house work.
"The ride home from the second day of looking was very quiet," recalls agent, Jeromy Trask of Harry Norman Realtors.
When Trask dropped them off at the hotel, the plan was for him to pick them up at 9:30 a.m. the next day. But when the agent arrived, only she was there, ready and refreshed. "She indicated [her husband] was going to meet us at my office.
As Trask pulled into the office parking lot, the hubby was there -- dressed in the clothes he had worn the previous day, unshaven "and obviously lacking sleep," the agent says.
"Not a word was said by anyone on the 20-minute ride to the house. The wife and I walked through as the husband fumed on the porch. He finally came in and moped around."
When the unhappy couple and their uneasy agent returned to the office, they wrote up an offer and ended up buying the house. Only later did Trask find out the husband had spent the night in the rental car in front of his.
The moral, says Trask, is simple: "When relocating to a new city, rent a comfortable car."
Or follow the advice of Beverly Hills, Calif., agent Connie De Groot, who has seen so many couples all but come to blows she created a steps they should take to have a successful shopping experience.
*Find out what you can afford: Visiting a lender is a "good starting point," she says. Not just because it lets the couple know how high they can go but it takes the pressure off.
*Agree beforehand: Sit down, discuss and agree upon your top price, the three "must haves" for both of you, the areas where both are open to living and a plan of action, such as what days you will go on your safari or whether one partner will preview properties.
Also agree that if one spouse finds a home he or she likes, no offer will be written until the other person has seen it and liked it, too.
*No fighting: It may seem obvious not to bicker in front of your agent or any involved third party. One or both buyers may be so humiliated that they will not feel comfortable working with the agent or the seller.
It's also important to be "as neutral as possible" for negotiating purposes. You don't want to give away any information that can be used against you when haggling on the price.
*Take a break: Establish a time and place where both of you can meet to discuss the homes you've seen, which you favor, terms of an offer and countless other matters.
*Show some respect: Be kind when you dislike some of the things your mate likes. Otherwise, no one will share feelings.
*Consider the fixes: If some repairs or remodeling will be necessary to make the house "work" for you, find out what it will cost and how long it will take before you make an offer.
*Pick your agent carefully: Choose an agent you trust and feel can best represent both your interests. If one person has doubts, it could lead to second-guessing and problems.
*Stay focused: The process is intense, so keep your eye on the prize. If a third-party inspection reveals some flaws, remember that the inspector is hired to find what's bad about the house, not what's good. So weigh the good points against the bad.
*There's no "I" in team: It's worth repeating; everything needs to be mutual. It's what "we" want, not what "I" want.
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source: chicagotribune.com
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