real estate | q & a

Mimi Lohm, of Remax	Karen Marshall, of Keller Williams	Janet Nassif, of Keller Williams	Anne Guidos Opachick, of Howard Hanna	Diane Paul, of Prudential Preferred Realty	Betsy West, of Northwood Realty

Local Real Estate Insider

Six agents talk about buying and selling homes in the Washington area.

Q. WHAT’S BEEN DRAWING PEOPLE TO THE AREA?

Mimi Lohm: It’s all the new construction, all the new developments. Southpointe is a huge draw as well. Many of the people moving to this area work in Southpointe. The taxes help too.

Janet Nassif: The reason that people are moving to places like Cecil and North Strabane is their proximity to the airport, Interstate 79, and also because of the tax situation in Allegheny County.

Diane Paul: The larger lots, the rolling hills, the greenery and, of course, the lower taxes.

Karen Marshall: The picturesque setting, the tax structure, the convenience and the great access to major highways and shopping.

Q. WHO’S MOVING INTO THE TOWNSHIP?

Janet: I’m seeing a lot of out-of-towners who are transferred, but also a good amount of people moving from Allegheny County.

Diane: A lot of professionals and business owners. It has become a very upscale area.

Karen: A number of people from local areas like Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park and South Park, as well as a lot of out-of-towners. They're coming from larger estate lots, and looking for something similar here.

Anne Guidos Opachick: People with children. These are people who moved away for jobs, got married and now have small children. That’s a huge reason they came back, their family is here.

Q. WHAT’S THE AREA’S MOST DIFFICULT SELLING POINT?

Diane: We have a lot of higher priced property, and it’s hard to find properties under $200,000.

Betsy West: One issue is the lack of larger parcels. Sometimes people will want a two-acre parcel, and that's difficult to find unless it's an old home that needs work.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO BEING AN AGENT IN THIS AREA?

Mimi: The biggest challenge is that there’s so much to pick from.

Janet: I would say that it’s the same challenge that you find anywhere is this business. You’re working with a very sensitive issue – buying a home and finding the right area.

Karen: Having all the new construction sites in your head so you know where to take people. There’s so much that’s not in the computer.

Q. WHAT’S THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTION OUTSIDERS HAVE ABOUT THIS AREA?

Mimi: People think that it’s so far away from the city. They don’t realize that it’s much closer than they think. They think you have to pack a suitcase to get into the city. From my door in Cecil, it’s 19 miles on the highway.

Janet: They think it’s in the middle of nowhere, but it’s not.

Diane: They don’t recognize how much growth there is here and the amount of shopping and services we have. People still think that we're in the sticks, but we're not.

Anne: Many people sometimes believe that Washington is the last county before West Virginia.

Q. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING FOR A HOUSE IN THIS AREA?

Mimi: Find a good realtor.

Janet: Do your homework online. There’s a lot of information available. Make your decisions educated decisions.

Karen: Get an agent who really knows the area, the schools, the facilities, the local builders and the location of what’s coming; someone who is in tune with what’s going on.

Betsy: Find a real estate agent skilled as a buyer’s agent, and develop a relationship and work with one agent instead of going it alone.

Anne: I would tell them that it’s a very fast market right now and that they should be prequalified before they even start looking. Most sellers and seller’s agents don’t want to waste time if you’re not ready to buy.

Q. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUYING OR SELLING A HOUSE?

Janet: Probably buying for resale. If you’re buying a house that’s been on the market for a year and a half, how long do you think it’s going to take you to re-sell it? And if it’s on a busy street, you may be knocking out 80 percent of possible buyers. Don’t forget the three most important words, location, location, location.

Diane: Over-reacting to home inspections and being alarmed in what they discover. For example, if mold is discovered, and they are able to separate their emotions and listen to the experts, they may learn that not all molds are toxic and they can proceed with the transaction.

Karen: It’s a mistake to waive home inspections and not have all the proper inspections done on the property. You might find mold, or a shift in the foundation because of mine subsidence that could affect the structural integrity of the home.

Betsy: One of the most common is a buyer who is not aware that they have the opportunity to work with a single agent. A lot of buyers feel that there's an expense to working with a buyer’s agent.  The process of finding a home can be quite stressful.  The best advice is to find a realtor who you are comfortable with, develop a friendly working relationship, and let them organize a systematic search for the home that fits your wish list.

Anne: The most common mistake is they attempt to buy or sell on their own. The value of an agent is very important, especially if your try to buy a home “for sale by owner.” Today there is so much involved when it comes to the negotiation, inspections, title issues and many other things where an agent can help you save money. You will save yourself thousands of dollars by using a qualified agent. •