Lynnwood Home Values, Analysis and News - United Appraisal & Inspection, LLC

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June 15th, 2007 11:05 PM

For us, the first blooms of spring, are a sign that business will be picking up soon. This year, with the collapse of the "hard money" lenders, spring was late in coming. It's the middle of June now, with the first day of summer just around the corner, and we are finally starting to see activity in the market that indicates movement. We have had lenders with clients that have been waiting months for there to finally be some sales that would support a refinance. On the inspection side, our real estate agents are starting to keep us busy too. If this is the extent of the hard money collapse on our market, then I will take it and be happy. I talked to an appraiser in Chicago the other day (looking for work in our area), and he said that there are 30,000 bank owned properties in his area right now. These were caused by hard money lenders coupled with dishonest appraisers getting people into houses they couldn't afford. All to make a quick buck. Sometimes we complain about the latest regulations that are being imposed upon us, but if these mean that it will keep people from losing their houses, and keep the rest of us working, then by all means, bring it on! As hard as it has been the last few months, having no market would be far worse.

Posted by Tami Tuck on June 15th, 2007 11:05 PMPost a Comment (0)

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What is a "Combo" Appraisal and Inspection?

May 17th, 2007 3:08 PM

A "Combo" combines both a full appraisal and home inspection. Since our company has this unique ability, we offer a discount to those clients purchasing a home that need both. When we receive a "combo" order, we work with the real estate agent to arrange for an inspection time. While we are doing the work for the inspection, we also do the field work for the appraisal. Since we only have to be at the house once, we can then pass on the savings to the buyer. If, for any reason, the inspection reveals issues that keep the buyer from purchasing the subject, there is no charge for the work done on the appraisal.

The "Combos" are done by Jeff and Tami Tuck, the owners of United A&I. They typically take about 3 hours, the same as a regular home inspection. Working as a team, Tami does the appraisal and Jeff does the inspection. The inspection report is e-mailed, usually the next morning, to both the real estate agent and buyer. Jeff is a high quality inspector and you can see a sample of his report by visiting the inspections section of our web site.

Because Tami is still a fully licensed real estate agent, we have the unique ability to be in the house without the real estate agent having to be there the whole time. With current laws being strick on the point of an agent being present at the time of a home inspection, this can be a real bonus to busy agents.

Buyers love the "Combo" deal because it saves them about $150 and they can pay for both at time of closing. And if the seller is paying closing costs, it may cost them nothing!

Sellers appreciate the fact that we can take care of both at the same time, reducing the intrusion to their house and family.

Agents love being able to come and go without "babysitting" their inspector for hours. They also like the easy to understand reports with pictures and a summary page. Best of all, they appreciate the way both Jeff and Tami treat their clients. Jeff is very easygoing. Some buyers have lots of questions and want to follow him into every corner of the house. Jeff's ready with extra gear and even an extra suit, should they want to travel into the crawl space! Other buyers choose not to even be at the inspection, and just want the report sent to them. This typically leads to a question or two by phone, which he is happy to take the time with. He is very knowledgeable and can honestly explain the extent of an issue in a way that doesn't panic the buyers. (Well most, anyways!) Tami makes an extra effort to treat the clients like they were her own, while making sure they know they have a great agent in the one they are working with. (We work with the BEST agents!) Our real estate agents trust us, and in this business, there truly is no higher compliment!

Posted by Tami Tuck on May 17th, 2007 3:08 PMPost a Comment (1)

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Broker/Agent Question of the Month

May 15th, 2007 6:53 PM

This section will be where we answer some common questions that we have chosen to be represented as our "Question of the Month" for the Broker/Agent magazine. If you are not familiar with the magazine, it focuses each month on a top producer in the local real estate market for it's cover story. We have an ad in the magazine at the premium "table of contents" page. If you are a real estate agent or a loan officer, show your clients our ad, and send them to our web site, where we strive to make you look good!

Posted by Tami Tuck on May 15th, 2007 6:53 PMPost a Comment (0)

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