My wife and I are in the midst of a great adventure that had us sell a house in one state, rent for a couple of years in another state, then buy a home in a third state. While people buy and sell real estate without the help of a realtor, I, as a real estate novice, could not imagine doing so without the help of experts.
Devin told us to price the house low and that interest in it would create a bidding war. My wife did a great job decorating and our professional photographer created stunning pictures for the online listings. We listed on Thursday. Between Friday and Sunday, we had 25 showings and 12 offers, all over asking price. We accepted the highest offer, which was far more than we expected, and were under contract by Monday evening.
The purchase of our new home was a more drawn-out process. We started by giving Brooke a list of must-haves and another list of dreams. Several times a week Brooke would send us possibilities which we would research online. In frequent trips to where our new home would be, we looked a multiple developments and neighborhoods. We toured new construction and existing homes. We found many houses that we could make work, but were sometimes disappointed as good houses were swept up by other buyers. One Friday morning, a house Brooke sent met all the needs and many of the dreams. We put in an offer and were under contract by Monday evening. We are thrilled with our new home!
Both real estate professionals knew their markets intimately and details about the buying and selling process that I was ignorant of. I suppose, with research and effort, I could have sold our first house and bought a second one, but not with the same success. In both instances hiring a professional was our best move. We sold a house for far more than we expected and bought more house than we thought we could afford.
The internet, public libraries, and bookstores are filled with financial planning advice. Much of it helpful and worthwhile, but some of the information available could be financially catastrophic. How does one decide what advice to follow and what to avoid? This is where a financial professional who is a fiduciary is an asset. A fiduciary is morally, ethically, and legally committed to your best interest in the advice he/she provides. At JGUA, these are the only kind of advisors we have. Sure, you can go it alone with your financial future, but wouldn’t you be better off with an expert?
This past spring I did the tax return for a client who had purchased an Electric Vehicle. He assumed, because of his income, he would not be eligible for the EV credit. But after researching the particulars of his situation and the IRS code, I found he was, indeed, eligible for the tax credit. His refund grew by $7500. None of the advisors here at JGUA can guarantee finding an extra $7500 for each client, but this is the type of work we do for clients on a daily basis. Perhaps there is something about your financial future we can help you with.
