Ask O: Can I Contact a Listing Agent if I’m a Buyer?

Ask O: Can I contact a Listing Agent if I'm a Buyer?

Dear Olivia,

I always see that for sale signs say to contact the listing agent for the home to get more information. But shouldn’t my Realtor get details on my behalf? What gives?!

Sincerely,
A Very Confused Buyer

What a great question! I’ve actually been asked this a lot by casual buyers who simply don’t know how to proceed with the home-buying process. And the answer to this question is that it just depends.Read more

Vlog: Don’t Be Afraid to Buy a Foreclosed Home

don't be afraid to buy a foreclosed home

As many of you already know, a foreclosure starts with late payments, then the bank repossesses the home, and the property is offered for sale, usually in an auction at the county courthouse.

Typically, though, the bank that owns the property will list it for sale through a local brokerage.

As Katie and I discuss in this week’s Let’s Get Real With Real Estate, though foreclosures are certainly a bad thing for the previous owners that didn’t make their house payments, for buyers, a foreclosure can represent an excellent opportunity.Read more

Vlog: How the Government Shutdown is Affecting Real Estate

How the government shutdown

As the partial government shutdown continues on, you’ve no doubt heard how many federal workers are furloughed or working without pay.

Government shutdowns like this can have a number of impacts on the real estate market too, and on you as a homeowner or prospective homeowner as well.

In this week’s vlog, Katie Vroman and I take a look at some ways that the government shutdown is impacting the real estate market in Fremont County, as well as take a look at a number of real estate-related programs that are still up-and-running.Read more

Wind River Realty Asks “What’s Up Wyoming?” With Its New Alexa Skill

what's up Wyoming Alexa skillPhoto by Andres Urena on Unsplash

It’s been forty years since Wind River Realty was founded. A lot has changed since 1979 – both in the housing market and in the way we use technology.

It seems like it wasn’t all that long ago that the internet wasn’t a thing and that hardly anyone had a cell phone. Now we have voice-activated robot assistants to do our bidding. Crazy!

If you have an Amazon Echo, you know how incredibly helpful they can be.Read more

Vlog: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Zillow

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Zillow

Though there are plenty of tools out there to help you find the home of your dreams, it seems as though Zillow is the primary choice of many prospective buyers in this area.

It makes sense, too – Zillow is easy to use whether you’re on a computer or if you’re using their app on your phone. When using the app, you can turn on notifications so you’re made aware of when properties come on the market that meet your criteria. You can even draw on a map to signify the area you’d like to live, and Zillow will let you know about properties within that area that you might be interested in.Read more

Vlog: 6 Things Every Homebuyer Should Do Right Now

6 Things Every homebuyer should do right now

Buying a new home is definitely one of the most stressful events you’ll undertake in your life. In fact, according to University Hospitals, moving ranks in the top five most stressful events, right up there with the death of a loved one, divorce, losing your job, and a major illness or injury.

However, there are a variety of things you can do right now to help minimize the stress of buying a new home!Read more

Vlog: You Might Qualify for a $5,000 Grant to Help You Buy a Home

you might qualify for a $5,000 grant to buy a home

To buy a home is probably the biggest financial undertaking of your life. It’s no wonder, then, that some prospective homebuyers feel a little panicked about their investment.

But there are plenty of ways to help defray some of the costs of purchasing a home, from no-money-down home loans that help you keep more money in your pocket up front to grant programs that help reduce your closing costs.Read more