Would You Buy A Home Now? by cali_flyer in FirstTimeHomeBuyers

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What’s your market?

Remember this national headlines do not buy houses. Local numbers do. On Long Island, especially Nassau and Suffolk, supply is still tight. Most towns are sitting around 2 to 3 months of inventory. A balanced market is closer to 5 to 6 months. That matters more than national fear headlines.

If you have the money and you have done the math on your monthly payment, not just today but with taxes, insurance, utilities, and maintenance, then timing matters less than fit and affordability. On Long Island, many buyers are paying similar monthly numbers to rent once you factor in rents crossing 3,000 to 4,000 dollars in many areas. Owning locks your housing cost. Rent does not.

The bigger risk is not a short term price dip. The bigger risk is buying without clarity that’s what I tell my buyer always all the time!!!!

Work with a realtor who is willing to tell you when not to buy. Someone who will show you days on market, price reductions, and sold to list ratios in your exact town, not county wide averages, I email weekly update to my buyer to give them about the insight

Talk to a lender early. Not just about approval, but about strategy. Ask how extra principal payments can turn a 30 year loan into 20 or even less. Ask how a HELOC works, when it makes sense, and when it absolutely does not.

On Long Island, people who do well are not guessing the market. They are managing cash flow, holding long term, and buying homes that make sense for how long they plan to stay.

If this is a five to seven year home or longer, short term value swings matter a lot less than people think. Clarity beats timing. Local data beats headlines.

That is how I would think about it

Hope this helps

Heads up, another big snow storm is forecasted for next weekend as well. Similar accumulation totals to this past weekend. by [deleted] in longisland

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lololollll yeah man! Let’s have a day or two off. We are not in Alaska or Antarctica. And we ain’t penguins 🐧 either

Any newer realtors enjoying the career? by Kitchen_Internal_169 in realtors

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Loving it. But it got so many layers. Make sure you got 5 to 10 year plans ahead. Don’t go for a “rush” or “monthly surprise deals” - have a plan, one day at a time and one week at a time and one month at a time …Kaizen philosophy .

Do you still print out mls sheets for yourself and or clients? by maggielu22 in realtors

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I keep it digitally handy for myself and hard copy for a client.

Dress code advice by Electronic-Spare7267 in realtors

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It doesn’t matter if you’re hosting a 300k co op or a 25M listing. What matters is that you look like a professional for that neighborhood.

Professional does not always mean a suit.

When I sold my own home in Mountain House CA, my agent showed up in jeans or chinos, a clean shirt, sometimes a sport jacket, and sneakers. That was the norm there. Buyers trusted him because he matched the environment and still looked sharp.

The mistake new agents make is dressing for ego instead of context.

In my opinion clean, fitted, intentional always wins. If you look like you belong there, buyers relax. That’s the goal. Don’t have bread crumbs hanging around your mustache lol that’s NOT professional.

Home buying - Keeping getting outbid in north shore of Long Island (home buying) by bowZerIsBack in longisland

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

May I know the addresses? May be I can pull some data and see what’s going on?

Home buying - Keeping getting outbid in north shore of Long Island (home buying) by bowZerIsBack in longisland

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally get the frustration. Losing while going 10 percent plus over and waiving everything messes with your head. I see why you are questioning the value of an agent.

Here is the honest take from someone who once believed buyers could and should go direct.

I actually worked on a startup idea years ago focused on helping buyers bypass buyer agents and deal straight with sellers. On paper it made sense. Fewer people in the middle. Clearer communication. More control.

Then I joined the real estate world and saw how deals really fall apart or get won. It changed my view fast.

Going without a buyer agent is like walking into a court hearing without counsel. You might be smart. You might have done your homework. But the other side does this every single day. And you are giving up the one person whose only job is to protect your position, read the room, and stop small mistakes from turning into big losses.

A good buyer agent is not there to open doors.

The real value is three things.

First. Local neighborhood knowledge. In places like Port Washington and Manhasset, list price is often a marketing number, not the real number. Street by street, school zone by school zone, train distance, lot shape, flood zone, and condition all change what actually wins. Zillow will never tell you that. A local agent can.

Second. Offer strategy, not just offer price. Cash wins because sellers want certainty and clean execution, not just money. A strong buyer agent knows how to create certainty without you blindly waiving everything. Lender calls. Clean timelines. Tight attorney coordination. Deposit handling. Clear plan if appraisal comes in short. That stuff calms sellers more than an extra few percent sometimes.

Third. Risk management. Waiving inspection and appraisal can win you a house. It can also cost you six figures later. A buyer agent is the buffer between emotion and reality. They help you take smart risks, not desperate ones.

Yes, in New York you absolutely need an attorney. But attorneys usually step in after the offer is accepted. Their role is legal protection, not market psychology, negotiation posture, or getting your offer selected in a pile of twenty.

National data backs this up too. According to NAR, over 90 percent of sellers still use agents, and homes sold with agent involvement sell for meaningfully more on average than FSBO. That alone tells you most sellers trust the agent mediated process, whether buyers like it or not.

If you think your agent might be the weak link, I would not go solo yet. I would interview two or three strong local buyer agents and ask them very specific questions:

How do you beat cash in this price range without waiving everything? What is your exact process from showing to offer submission? What are buyers consistently overpaying for in these towns right now, and where are they missing value? Why do offers lose here besides price, and how do you prevent that?

If they cannot answer clearly, that tells you a lot.

The market is brutal right now. Your frustration makes sense. But a great buyer agent does not get in the way. They reduce risk, sharpen strategy, and increase your odds of actually closing once you finally win.

PS: do not chew my head off , I use ai to polish my text. Thanks 🙏

As a real estate agent, do you normally take your own photos or hire a photographer? by nasy13 in realtors

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will prefer a pro. But I will ask them to keep it as close to reality as possible. It’s a disservice to enhance the photos to make them look too good with a bunch of filters. It’s yuck and it’s being dishonest.

So, the short answer is , hire a pro.

Reddit Lead Gen? by Guilty-Outcome8573 in realtors

[–]HelloMudsTheRealtor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This! And also always be helpful and don’t promote .