When it comes to buying a home, the majority of buyers agree they need a Realtor® to negotiate for good prices and better terms of sale.

Did you know 88% of home buyers have used a Realtor® in 2014?

Here’s what else a Realtor® can do for you:

• 79% of home buyers used a Realtor® to find the right home for them.
• 75% of home buyers used a Realtor® to negotiate the price for them.
• 60% of home buyers used a Realtor® to negotiate the terms of the sale for them.
• 56% of home buyers used a Realtor® to determine the comparable sales for them.
• 30% of home buyers used a Realtor® to determine the affordability of the home they could buy.

Source: California Association of Realtors® “One Cool Thing” from the 2014 Survey of California Home Buyers.

The Lawhead Team would like to share the latest key points from the North San Diego County Association of Realtors’ HomeDex Report:

• The median price for all North County home sales – attached and detached – remained at $475,000 in February 2014.
• Detached homes in North County decreased 0.88 percent to $564,500 in February 2014 compared to $569,500 in January 2014. Year-over median price for SFD homes in North San Diego County increased 19.47 percent, compared to $472,500 in February 2013, continuing a 19-month trend of sustained year-over median price increases.
• Detached home prices OUTSIDE North County decreased 0.46 percent to $429,000 in February 2014 compared to $431,000 reported in January 2014. Year-over non-North County median price increased 14.40 percent compared to $375,000 in February 2013, continuing a 23-month trend of year-over median price increases.
• Attached home prices in North County decreased 4.72  percent to $321,083 in February 2014 compared to $337,000 in January 2014. Year-over SFA North San Diego County median price increased 11.10 percent, compared to $289,000 in February 2013, the 26 straight month of year over price increases.
• Non-North County attached home prices increased 3.51 percent to $295,000 in February 2014 compared to $285,000 in January 2014. Year-over non-North County SFA median price increased 31.70 percent, compared to 224,000 in February 2013.
• The number of North San Diego SFD listings (active and contingent) increased 2.97 percent in February 2014 compared to January 2014, and increased 0.46 percent year-over compared to February 2013.
• The number of sold North San Diego County SFD units increased 7.72 percent in February 2014 compared to January 2014. Year-over sold SFD units declined 9.71 percent compared to February 2013.
• Median days-on-market for single-family detached homes sold in North County decreased to 33 days in February 2014 compared to 41 days in January 2014.
• The HomeDex affordability percentage for all homes in North San Diego County – attached and detached – remained at 33 percent in February 2014.

Information from North San Diego County Association of Realtors HomeDex Report.

The Lawhead Team is proud to be a REALTOR®, which sets us apart from those agents or brokers who are not.

We would like to share a valuable article from REALTOR® about choosing a Realtor for your home buying and selling needs:

How to Choose a REALTOR®

Not all agents or brokers are REALTORS® — there is a difference.

As a prerequisite to selling real estate, a person must be licensed by the state in which they work, either as an agent/salesperson or as a broker. Before a license is issued, minimum standards for education, examinations and experience, which are determined on a state by state basis, must be met. After receiving a real estate license, most agents go on to join their local board or association of REALTORS® and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, the world’s largest professional trade association. They can then call themselves REALTORS®.

The term “REALTOR®” is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics (which in many cases goes beyond state law). In most areas, it is the REALTOR® who shares information on the homes they are marketing, through a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Working with a REALTOR® who belongs to an MLS will give you access to the greatest number of homes.

Using an agent and the obligations that are owed to you – An agent is bound by certain legal obligations. Traditionally, these common-law obligations are to: Put the client’s interests above anyone else’s; Keep the client’s information confidential; Obey the client’s lawful instructions; Report to the client anything that would be useful; and Account to the client for any money involved.

NOTE: A REALTOR® is held to an even higher standard of conduct under the NAR’s Code of Ethics. In recent years, state laws have been passed setting up various duties for different types of agents. As you start working with a REALTOR®, ask for a clear explanation of your state’s current regulations, so that you will know where you stand on these important matters.

The difference between a buyer’s and a seller’s broker – Suppose you sign an offer to buy a home for $150,000. You really want the property and there’s a chance other offers are coming in, so you tell the broker that “We’ll go up to $160,000 if we have to. But of course don’t tell that to the seller.” If you’re dealing with a seller’s agent, he or she may be duty-bound to tell the seller that important fact. In most states, the seller’s agent doesn’t have any duty of confidentiality toward you. Honest treatment might require that the agent warn you that “I must convey to the seller anything that would be useful so don’t tell me anything you wouldn’t tell the seller.”

TIP: If you’re dealing with seller’s agents, it’s a good idea to keep confidential information to yourself. These days many home buyers prefer instead to hire a buyer’s broker, one who owes the full range of duties, including confidentiality and obedience, to the buyer. A buyer’s broker is often paid by the seller, regardless of the agency relationship.

How to evaluate an agent – In making your decision to work with an agent, there are certain questions you should ask when evaluating a potential agent. The first question you should ask is whether the agent is a REALTOR® . You should then ask:

• Does the agent have an active real estate license in good standing? To find this information, you can check with your state’s governing agency.
• Does the agent belong to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and/or a reliable online home buyer’s search service? Multiple Listing Services are cooperative information networks of REALTORS® that provide descriptions of most of the houses for sale in a particular region.
• Is real estate their full-time career?

Read the entire article at REALTORS website: http://www.realtor.com/basics/buy/looking/realtor.asp?source=web

The California Association of Realtors provides their One Cool Thing which shares valuable information pertinent buying a home.

Here are the Top Questions To Ask When Buying a Home:

1. Where is the seller’s disclosure? Even if you are in love with the home, be aware of all its flaws.
2. What is the home’s zoning guidelines? This is especially important if you want to make any structural changes to the house.
3. What home inspections are available? To avoid costly problems down the line, get as many types of inspections as you can.
4. Why is this house for sale? This simple question may provide useful insight when writing your offer.
5. Has the property been tested for radon? This is another question that can be a life saver, literally.
6. Are smoke detectors properly installed and located? Make sure you account for this crucial detail.
7. Has this home ever had a mold inspection? If so, looking at the inspection may provide important details about the home’s history.
8. What is the neighborhood’s crime rate? This can be easily looked up online, but getting a local’s take may be even better.
9. What is the neighborhood noise level? It is important to learn, before you buy, if you live next door to a nightmare drummer.
10. Are there many kids or dogs in the neighborhood? This will either be a positive or a negative, depending on your home buying desires.

Click Here to view this info in your browser. Source: California Association Of Realtors.

Only about one third of all licensed real estate agents in California are Realtors, which means they are active members of the National Association of Realtors (“NAR”).

To become a member of the NAR, the licensed agent must join a local real estate board or association. Real estate associations are often organized by county or region, such as the North San Diego County Association of Realtors (“NSDCAR”) which The Lawhead Team are members of.  Once a licensed agent becomes a member of a local board, they are automatically extended membership into the national organization.

New NAR members must take an online course on the ethics code and pass an exam. Current members are required to take an online ethics refresher course every four years. Membership in a local real estate board or association requires an annual fee that covers membership dues for the NAR and any state-level real estate associations.

To qualify for membership, the agent must agree to adhere to NAR’s strict code of ethics and standards of practice. The official ethics code is revised yearly to reflect the latest issues in real estate law and practice, and its core message is to “treat all parties honestly” [source: National Association of Realtors]. Although the primary responsibility of a buying or selling agent is to his or her client, Realtors take an oath and promise never to mislead or withhold information from anyone involved in the real estate transaction — including the other real estate agent and his or her clients.

The NAR ethics code is what separates Realtors from non-member real estate agents. Although the study of ethical principles is included in many state education and licensing programs, the NAR code obligates Realtors to follow the code of ethics and standards of practice discussed earlier. Part of the incentive for becoming a Realtor is to capitalize on the good reputation of NAR members. The idea is that consumers will opt to work with a real estate agent who has sworn to treat all parties fairly and honestly.

We bring this to your attention because two thirds of all the licensed real estate agents in California are not bound by a strict code of ethics and standards of practice.  As Realtors and active members of the NSDCAR and the NAR, The Lawhead Team believes that you should demand and receive professional, ethical representation without exception and we would be honored to assist you or someone you know with your residential real estate needs.