looking for Real Estate Agent in Wantagh/Belmore/Seaford

Finally got my DH to agree to start seriously looking - can anyone reccomend a buyers agent in these areas?

Thanks!

You can go to any Real Estate agent, because most of the houses are on Multiple Listings

Try calling Sydney at Cross Roads Realty in Lynbrook 516-256-0500

Tom Miller at Century 21 AA on Sunrise Hwy! He is a buyers broker (seller pays his commission) and he is wonderful. Tell him Matt and Maureen sent you!

Good Luck

ets: He is in Seaford and does all the surrounding areas

Thanks for the advice - wish me luck!

Just an FYI

Seller's agents (which most agents usually act as), work for and are paid by the seller. When you go out to look at a house, and an agent shows you around, they, by law, are supposed to have you sign a disclosure form acknowledging that they work for the seller. They are out to get the seller the best price for their home. They are Not looking out for the buyer's best interest. (Hence the phrase, Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware!)

Since buying a home is such a big decision, some people are now choosing to hire a Buyers Broker. A Buyers Broker works solely for the homebuyer. They will work to get the lowest price for the buyer, and will make sure that every step of the deal goes smoothly for the buyer. Sometimes, a multiple listing home will have a buyers broker commission, in which case the buyer will be paid by the seller (they will get the selling commission). Other times, the buyers broker can be paid by the buyer at a price that they agree upon.

(I'm a new real estate agent, which is why I know about this. My father, a broker, acted as our buyer's broker when my FI and I bought our home. In my opinion, having a buyers broker is terrific b/c you have someone looking out for your best interest on the biggest purchase of your life!)

Some places to start looking for a home:
1) http://www.mlsli.com/
(This is Long Island's Multiple Listing website, a great place to search for homes! You can choose to search in particular towns, choose the number of rooms and bathrooms, etc. However, please know that the info is not always up to date. The agencies don't always update their listings as quickly as they should. A home listed as available may already be sold.)
2) www.foxtons.com - they aren't terribly popular yet (and I'm not personally fond of their service), but they do get Exclusive listings, so it's good to look. The home of your dreams may be on there! (An Exclusive listing means that only the agency that listed the home can sell it to you. If you have a Buyers Broker who is with a different agency, they can act as your broker in the deal, and fight to get you the best price, but they will not receive commission from the seller.)
3) Newspapers! I like to use Newsday. Go to Open houses on weekends, that way you'll start to learn areas and learn what you like and don't like. The newspaper will have both Multiple Listings (one agency will list the home, but many agencies can sell it - these houses get much more exposure, which is why many sellers insist on having their house on Multiple Listing. Since more buyers know about these homes, they usually sell for a higher price) and exclusive listings.

Best of luck to you in your house search! (I hope I explained this all okay! It is a lot to take in!)

Liz - you're not alone! Most people have never heard of a buyers broker. (The first time I learned about it was when I was looking for a home and my father gave me all the details. Then I learned more about it when I took a real estate class to get my license.) It scares me when homebuyers think that the Sellers Agent is looking out for them. (I thought that too before my father told me differently. I was floored!)

Here's a scary story: When my FI's brother was out shopping for a home he fell in love with one and got an accepted offer. We were all thrilled! Then the engineer comes in and finds loads of problems with the house - extensive water and termite damage that was undectable to the untrained eye that would have cost TONS to fix!!! Needless to say, he didn't buy the house. When we approached the Selling Agent about the problems that the house had to inform her - she didn't want to hear a word of it!! B/c if she knew, she would have to disclose to future buyers! She said, 'I don't want to know! I work for the Seller!' Can you believe it!? I was shocked. I feel so awful for the person who buys that home without getting an Engineer in there.

Which brings up another point of advice - Always, Always, ALWAYS get an Engineer's Report done! No matter how perfect the house looks, there can be problems that only an engineer can detect! It is well worth paying a few hundred dollars to know that the home that you're buying is in good condition (or to save you from making a Huge Mistake!)

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now!