Tips for getting a house in the current market. (for buyers in North-East Bakersfield)

Finding a home in North East Bakersfield is extremely difficult at the moment. There are not many choices, which means that houses are disappearing quickly. Once you have determined that your bank will give you enough money to buy a house in North East Bakersfield, follow these tips to stay on top of the deals.

Use the MLS App

Even before Zillow and Trulia learn about a new property, the agents put them into the MLS. This is the first place that a property hits the market, and all members of the Bakersfield Association of REALTORS have the ability to give you access to the app through the old GEMLS system or the new MLS Touch system for cell phones.

Ask for daily alerts

Once you have the app, ask your agent to send you updates every morning. These updates will come to your email, and they will tell you about new properties. Check every property and either “SAVE” or “REJECT” the property immediately.

Schedule Showings Immediately

Over the last week, 50% of the listings that I have notified my buyers about have accepted a contract within the first 24 hours. This means that if you are not seeing the properties the day they hit the market, you are not seeing the good properties. Everything else is sticking around because the bulk of the market finds them to be less than perfect for some reason.

Get a commitment from your agent.

Sadly for agents, this means that a buyer’s agent can only really work with one serious buyer at a time. Ask your agent to commit to showing you properties every day or every night, and then make sure you are fair to your agent by going to see properties every day or night until you find one that is right for you.

This is a win-win relationship for you as a buyer and the agent. It helps the agent serve more people by focusing on your needs until you find the perfect house. It helps you buy assuring that you have the agent’s full attention when you need it most.

The Key to finding Your House

In summary, here is the key:

  • Use the MLS App for detailed listing data.
  • Get daily automatic updates on new listings and “save” or “reject” them as soon as possible.
  • Ask your agent to schedule your two or three favorite new listings for a showing each day (give the agent time to schedule the showing).
  • Ask for commitment from your agent.

Go out there and find a house you love. Home ownership is the key to growing wealth. You deserve to be wealthy. You deserve to be happy. Now go make it happen!