The first thing you need to do is pick a real estate professional to represent your best interests. About 20 years ago Alaska State Law said that all real estate agents represented the seller, regardless of relationship to the buyer. Now that the law has changed, and thank goodness it has, you want to make certain that you hire a professional that is going to take care of you and not the interests of the other party. The seller usually pays the brokerage fees for the agents involved.

Look at how well you can communicate with the person you choose. Look at his or her level of business understanding, education, credentials, creativity and commitment. Is he or she a professional Realtor? Does he have additional professional designations? Does that person work full-time in real estate or just part-time? Is she a member of the Multiple Listing Service? How much experience does that person have in the real estate business? Is he or she able to explain the process to you and keep you fully informed? Does he or she have a core of professionals to surround you with to insure a smooth, professional & timely transaction? Is that person proficient and timely in getting the right information to you at the right time? Do you trust that person and the company he or she works with?

You’ll need to establish a relationship with a Loan Officer that understands your circumstances and what your goals are. By giving more than one referral to you, your Realtor is allowing you to ask your Loan Officer questions, see who has the right financing package for you, and determine which one you feel most comfortable working with. You’ll need to set up a "pre-qualification" meeting, usually around an hour long, where you take in the basic financial information they’ll need to process your loan.

Once it has been determined what dollar amount you borrow to buy a home, then I will begin searching for a home that most closely fits what you’re looking for and what you can afford.

Please remember that I will be helping you find the best "overall package" and not just the best price or just a good interest rate or just a low cost per square foot. Current market conditions favor the seller in homes under $250,000. This doesn’t mean they can gouge on pricing but it does mean that if a home is in good condition and is priced "intuitively right" it will sell with few concessions and in a short period of time. By keeping in close touch with me, your Realtor, you’ll see the listings first and be in a position to get your offer accepted faster.

Our current market has been in favor of the seller for several years now. It is believed that this trend will continue because of the low inventory of good homes for sale under $250,000. Remember that, as a seller, you’ll most likely get your asking price or close to it as long as your home is in good condition and is priced "intuitively right". And while everyone deserves to be able to sell their house, nobody is buying junky or trashy homes without a major price reduction for the "fixer-upper" condition some homes are in.

One of the biggest mistakes a seller makes is to believe that one agent can sell your home for $10,000 more than all other agents in town just because she said so. It is intoxicating to hear an agent say that you’ve hit the jackpot and will put a pile of cash in the bank after closing. More often than not, your agent will list your overpriced home just to get your business. Then knowing that after a couple of weeks of no responses you’ll lower the price and stick with the same sneaky agent.

By hiring me as your professional Realtor, I’ll need to meet with you for about an hour or so in my office to get through the paperwork necessary to hire me and list your property. In that meeting I’ll walk you through a Competitive Market Analysis to determine three pricing strategies. You’ll choose the one that fits best what you’re trying to accomplish.

Then I’ll order a "Listing Package" from a title company and talk with your bank as well as other lenders to determine all of the financing packages available to buyers interested in your property. Signage, showing instructions, and marketing plans will be determined to maximize your home’s exposure to the marketplace. Following is a generic list that I use to sell your house to maximize price, minimize selling time, and best fit your goals.

• Property walk-through & review, market analysis, pricing, photos, & strategies.
• M.L.S. - full description, fax-back, photos, directions, instructions, & contracts
• Documents - disclosures, resale certificates, appraisals, surveys, maps, taxes
• Presentation
• Signage
• Flyers
• Lock box, showing
• Tour
• Advertising
• Internet & email
• Open houses
• Luncheon
• Military
• Relocation
• Information Binder
• Do the secret "bring a buyer dance" around the campfire J
• Calls, showings, offer, & counter offers
• Earnest money, agency, financing, inspections, appraisal, survey,
• Keep owner informed & tweak plans as necessary

The key for a renter to remember here in Anchorage is that if you can afford to rent a place you like living in, then you can, more often than not, afford to buy. Why do I say this? Because most landlords or property managers that know what they’re doing will make it "hurt" for a renter to skip out or take advantage. This means they will require good credit, first month’s rent, and a security deposit equal to a month’s rent — and the monthly rent usually covers the landlord’s principal, interest, taxes, insurance, utilities, and homeowner dues if there are any. The good landlords usually have no problem finding the more qualified, problem-free renters. Once again I say, if you can afford to rent a place you actually like, then you can probably afford to buy a comparable place.

If you must rent then the following tips will help you find a good rental.

1. Long before you need to move, write out little about yourself and what you’re looking for and fax it to 10 or 20 property managers from the yellow pages and follow up with periodic phone calls. They will know what they have available long before they advertise it and would welcome having a "pre-qualified" renter ready.
   
   
2. Save enough money for the first month’s rent, a security deposit equal to one month’s rent, and any additional utility deposits without having to rely on your old security deposit. Timing is everything and the easier you make it for the landlord or the property manager to rent to you, the more likely he or she will rent to you.
   
   
3. If you have a pet or if you smoke you’ll often need some sort of reference and/or a pet deposit from previous landlords. And why hide it, right?
   
   
4. Viewing the rental classifieds over the Internet are much easier to see, track, and "cut and paste" than dealing with the newspaper. Keep in mind, however, most of those rental listings are looking for renters immediately.
   
   
5. Do not be afraid to leave messages on people’s machines and give them a chance to call you back. Keep track of those numbers you’ve called and the responses you’ve received.