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We rebate buyers 20% of our commission. See the advantages we offer sellers. |
Why Buyers Choose Us |
| OahuRE Advantages | Typical Agent |
| The OahuRE Bonus: We rebate you 20% of our commission | No rebates |
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Represented more Buyers in 2008 than any other agent. Many times we recommend a home the buyer did not know about and they buy it. Our experience also helps with contract negotiation. |
Represented 1 or 2 buyers last year, or perhaps none. |
| Because of the large volume of sales we understand most issues that come up during escrow so these issues can be prevented. | Not so much escrow experience so it is a learning process and the issues can make escrow challenging or worse your purchase falls out of escrow. |
| Use digital signatures for a clean contract that is easy to sign and Email. | Contract has to be printed, signed, faxed, or scanned and many times it is hard to read after faxing or the file size is too large to Email after scanning. |
| Submit fully signed offers within 20 minutes no matter where in the world you are. | Take several hours or sometimes days to submit your offer thereby not being the first offer submitted and possibly losing the sale to a previous offer. |
| Detailed information about the Purchase Contract online going over all contingencies so you can take your time to understand it before signing | Breeze through the contract and then you sign |
| Detailed comparable analysis using OahuRE | Do the best comparables they can do with the tools they have available |
We rebate you 20% of our commission. Over $100,000 was rebated in 2008. You do not have to fill out any paperwork. The rebate is put on your settlement statement as a credit towards your closing costs. This allows you to keep more of your money at closing. A sample rebate amount is shown with each property but the exact amount is based on the actual purchase price and the commission the seller is paying. Sellers normally pay us a commission of 2.5% to 3% of the purchase price and you receive 20% of that amount.
| Cost of Home | Rebate | Cost of Home | Rebate |
| $500,000 | $3,000 | $1,500,000 | $9,000 |
| $750,000 | $4,500 | $3,500,000 | $21,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $6,000 | $5,000,000 | $30,000 |
Download the OahuRE signed rebate agreement
In 2008 we sold more Single Family Homes to buyers than any other agent on Oahu, and we were the #2 seller for Condos. As one of the top Buyer's Agents on Oahu we show hundreds of properties per year so we have more market knowledge than most Realtors. This market knowledge is critical as we can suggest properties that might interest you after we understand what your needs are. We have lost count of the number of times buyers end up buying a property they did not notice but we suggested they see it based on our market knowledge and our understanding of their needs. This experience also helps us to better negotiate price and terms with the seller's agent.
We use digital signatures for all our offers. This presents a much easier to read offer vs. scanning or faxing. If you have ever tried to read an offer that has been faxed several times you know exactly what we mean. Also you don't have to find a fax machine every time there is a new document to sign. Everything is signed with just a few mouse clicks online. No matter if you are located here in Hawaii, traveling, or on the mainland, digital signatures make signing a breeze. You can even sign from your iPhone.
We have a Flash Presentation covering the Purchase Contract contingencies that allow you to cancel along with a very detailed explanation of the Purchase Contract online that you can take your time to review to make sure you understand it completely. Each paragraph has our notes on what it means in plain English plus we send a link to a document we wrote up that details the contingencies that let you cancel the contract without a penalty. This information is extremely important and having it in writing ahead of time gives you the time you need to really understand the contract before you sign it. Most agents choose to give this information to you verbally but it does not give you the same amount of time to process it and it is not nearly as in depth as the information we provide in writing.
As developer of the #1 Website for Oahu Real Estate, we really understand how to use our Website to analyze the comparables. Analyzing comparables is a critical process to make sure you get the best value for your money and do not over pay for a property.
Track Record - Buyers we represent consistently purchase homes at a lower percentage of asking price than the Oahu average. For 2008 the average was 95.25% and our average was 94.91%. We will help you negotiate the best price on your future home.
There is no charge or obligation for our Buyer's Services. The Seller pays for our services, and the Seller is contracted to pay the same amount to their Listing Broker whether you use us or do not use us. So our services are free to you and the Seller does not pay anything additional.
We help you save tens of thousands on your mortgage. There are several techniques you can use to save tens of thousands, maybe even over $100,000 on your mortgage. We have used and continue to use these techniques and they work. They are not magic, just common sense things you can do once you understand the lending game. We provide you with a free link to the online book that highlights in detail each technique so you have the option of saving this money too.
Every Buyer needs representation. If you use the Seller's agent to put the contract together and suggest prices, are they really going to be looking out for your best interest and working to get you the best price? Use our free services to make sure you get the best price and a contract that has favorable terms for you.
Negotiating with sellers can be stressful. We will help you negotiate, so that the final contract includes your best possible terms and conditions.
Have confidence when signing documents. Contracts are full of complicated terms and clauses that can greatly affect your future life in your new home. We will give you the full benefit of our real estate knowledge and experience.
Our Website is a big advantage to Buyers. Market knowledge is one of the most important factors for finding the right property for you. Our Website gives you this market knowledge.
Please call or email us for more information.
Questions & Answers
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Could you detail the home buying process?
Step 1 - Use our Website to really understand the market and start focusing in on some homes and areas that you like.
Step 2 - Talk to a lender (our recommend lenders) to verify you are comfortable with the monthly payments on the loan and to understand the price range you should be looking at. You will also get Pre-Qualified or Pre-Approved through the lender and a Pre-Qualified or Pre-Approval Letter (see the difference) will be needed when submitting an offer. Note that you are not locked in to using this lender because once the offer is accepted we recommend you still shop for the best rate.
Step 3 - We show you the properties that you have found that interest you the most.
Step 4 - Once you find the property you want to make an offer on we discuss the comparables and what to offer. We also discuss some of the offer terms and then we write up an offer and Email it to you. Please see our bullet point above on the detailed written explanation we provide with all offers.
Step 5 - The offer normally goes through a negotiation process on both price and terms. Sometimes it is accepted without negotiation. After any negotiation hopefully an agreement on price and terms is reached and the offer is accepted by the seller.
Step 6 - Once the offer is accepted we open escrow, an inspection is done of the property, and we start going through all the steps of escrow. A written timeline will be provided by escrow showing you what escrow steps need to be done by what date.
Step 7 - As escrow winds to a close you will sign all the escrow documents and lender documents and then 2 to 3 days later the property is yours. Congratulations!
Will getting my credit checked reduce my credit score?
Usually several inquiries are okay, but more than that can really hurt. The closer your score is to a critical is to a critical threshold can also be a factor.
Scores bands are typically set at
- >720 = excellent credit
- 680 – 720 good credit
- 640 – 679 okay credit
- 600 – 639 non-prime credit
- 560 – 599 sub-prime credit
- 500 – 559 B/C credit
- < 500 = very hard money
If your middle score is near the bottom of a score band, say 682, then pulling additional reports would be more risky than someone whose score was 755.
What is the difference between a Pre-Approval vs. a Pre-Qualification, and do I need one?
Yes, you should have one when submitting an offer because it will help to get your offer accepted by showing the Seller you are a serious buyer and that you can afford their property. It is also good to get at least a Pre-Qualification early on to make sure you are shopping for homes in a price range that is comfortable for you.
A Pre-Approval is definitely better because a lender will check your credit and verify other information where there is no verification done for a Pre-Qualification. Because Pre-Approvals have verified your information they make a much stronger impression on a Seller.
Will a VA Loan change my chances of having my offer accepted?
Not if you submit the offer correctly and let the Seller know that they will incur no additional expenses from a VA Loan. If you don't do this when you submit the offer the Seller might feel there could be additional expenses with the VA Loan and this could cause them to take a different view point of about your offer.
What programs are available for First Time Home Buyers?
There are various programs available to give first time home Buyers a special rate. Some are offers from Credit Unions or banks here in Hawaii, and the state also has some programs you can participate in.
Please call or email us for more information.