Why Use A Buyers Agent When Buying Real Esate in and around Burlington VT

Burlington VT - March 1st, 2011

To answer this question, let me begin by asking a question. When you are in a legal proceeding, would you have the lawyer representing the person sitting across the table from you represent you as well? The answer is so simple. Of course not.

Why then when buying a house or property which for many people represents one of the largest financial decisions of their lives would you utilize the Realtor who represents the Seller(s) to safeguard your best interests as the Buyer(s)?

In Vermont, we do not have “dual agency.” Some states do allow this (where one Realtor represents both sides of the transaction while maintaining “neutrality”) but for the life of me I do not understand why. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. There are simply too many places for conflicts of interest to rear their head.

In Vermont, Realtors must represent only one side of the transaction - either the Buyer(s) or the Seller(s). Often, Buyers aren’t clear on this point. They see a sign in front of a house for sale or a listing online. Call that Realtor and utilize that Realtor to facilitate the negotiations of price, terms and conditions when that Realtor represents the Seller(s). Do you see where this is completely problematic? Be sure to ask if the Realtor you are speaking to is the Listing Agent. If so, thank the Agent and tell them you want representaion, hang up and find another Realtor who can represent you and your interests. Keep in mind, good listing agents are experts in finding out information from prospective buyers without you even being aware of it. They can ask questions that ultimately compromise your negotiating position. Thank them politely. Hang up and find a Realtor to be your Buyer’s Agent.

When Sellers agree to list their property they agree to a commission which is paid to both the Realtor who lists the Seller’s property and the Realtor who brings the Buyers to the table. A typical Realtor commission these days is either 5 or 6%. Thus, this commission is split in half (i.e. with either 3 or 2.5% going to the buy side Realtor). Buyers should not think because I am represented by a Buyer’s Agent I am incurring an additional expense to pay their commisssion. The commission is already taken into account by the Seller(s) in their Listing Agreement with their Listing Agent. All Sellers are willing to split the commission between the Realtor representing them and the Buyers Agent representing the Buyer(s). Sellers do this to facilitate the transaction and in this market they are happy as can be to have buyers brought to them.

Let me further clarify. If there is no Buyer’s Realtor involved, the Listing Agent consumes the entire commission of 6 or 5% with no split whatsoever. Now do you see why listing agents so love it when buyers call them directly? On a house that costs say $300,000 with a 6% commission, the Listing Agent would receive an $18,000 commission. If there is a Realtor representing the buyer(s), the listing agent would have to split their commissions.

There are many other reasons why you would want to utilize a Buyer’s Agent when buying real estate in Vermont. Here they are:

• Full Access To Our Regional MLS - Until you have made it clear to your Realtor you want to be represented by a Buyer’s Agent and entered into that Agreement in writing the realtor you are communicating with is ALWAYS representing the Seller(s). They cannot give you information that otherwise comprimises the Sellers ability to get the most money for the sale of their home or property. This could include the number of days on the market as a great example. These days this is a critical number to know. Further, listing agents have this game they play when the “re-list” thier listings it sets the odometer back to zero for “days on the market” accuracy. Only a Buyer’s Agent representing your interest will research the history of the property you are interested in buying to let you know exactly how many days that property has been on the market and with whom.


• Negotiating Power - As your Buyer’s Agent, I will run a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to determine a prospective home’s Fair Market Value (FMV). In simpler terms, as your Realtor I will look at similar homes in the same neighborhood that have sold recently. This way, you will know whether or not the seller has their home priced fairly. If the home is priced over Fair Market Value, your Buyer’s Agent can present your “under asking price” offer with plenty of firepower – and a greater chance that the offer will be accepted. In addition, the terms and conditions of your offer are important as well.


• Representation - As your Buyer’s Agent, I am there to make sure YOUR best interests are accounted for. With your Buyer’s Agent in your corner, you can rest assured that you’re on, at least, even ground with the home seller. Similarly, Listing Agents enter into a legally binding agreement that require them to ALWAYS act in the best interest of their seller(s). They are the seller’s “coach” and will make sure that their clients’ best interests are looked after.


• Industry Contacts - It takes a lot of people to close a real estate transaction – Buyer’s Agent, Listing Agent, Loan Officer, Home Inspector, Property Appraiser, Insurance Agent, General and Sub-Contractors, and sometimes more! A good agent will come with a strong, professional closing team that has performed in the past, and will continue to perform. A transaction is only as strong as its weakest link – with your Buyer’s Agent & their closing team, you can rest assured that you will have plenty of support to make the buying process as smooth as possible.


• Maximize Your Time - While driving neighborhoods is an excellent idea to help you decide which locations you prefer, it’s not a very efficient way to find your new home. Gas is expensive, and your time is valuable. Your Buyer’s Agent will listen to your needs, make fantastic suggestions based on your likes & dislikes, and provide you with a list of homes and communities that ALL match your wants & needs. Your Buyer’s Agent has helped MANY new homebuyers through MANY purchases, and will help you better organize your search & decision making process – saving you valuable time.

If you are considering buying a home or condominium in or near Burlington Vermont, please visit my website: Burlington Vermont Real Estate, give me a call on my direct line at 802.238.5256 or email me to discuss representing you, our current market conditions and your needs/wants in a new home and community. I would be delighted to assist you.

As always, please feel free to post any thoughts and comments about downsizing right here below.

Armed with solid numbers, buyers and sellers alike can manage their expectations and the current realities of our local market.

Record Monthly Snowfall Set at Burlington Vermont

Burlington VT - February 28th, 2011

It’s official!

A new record snowfall of 42.8 inches for the month of February has
been set at Burlington VT. This breaks the old record of 42.3
inches set in 2008.

Time to either go sledding or head south for Spring break depending on your perspective.

If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying a home or condominium in or near Burlington Vermont Real Estate or Chittenden County, please give me a call or email me to discuss the market and your options. I would be delighted to assist you. Feel free to visit my website at ChrisHurdVT. I can also be reached on my direct line at 802.238.5256 or email me at Chris@ChrisHurdVT.com

As always, please feel free to post any thoughts and comments here below.

Armed with solid numbers, buyers and sellers alike can manage their expectations and the current realities of our local market.

So Vermont, Spread The Web

Burlington VT
February 28th, 2011

What do the startling changes in the Middle East have to do with Vermont? Think globally for a moment. Think access to the web, democracy and prosperity.

Please bear with me as I lay out my dots while attempting to reconnect them at the end.

I’ve been pondering these thoughts over the weekend as we approach a unique institution in our state - Town Meeting Day. For those of you who don’t know or need to be reminded, Town Meeting Day in Vermont is in two days - Tuesday, March 1st!

Vermont Town Meeting Day is a tradition dating back to before there was a Vermont. The first town meeting was held in Bennington in 1762, 15 years before Vermont was created and way before the internet.

In the late 1700s, as today, town citizens in Vermont held meetings so that they could address the problems and issues they faced collectively. Popular matters of legislation in earlier town meetings included whether or not to let pigs run free or whether smallpox vaccinations should be allowed in the town (some thought vaccinations were dangerous). Voters also decided what goods or labor could be used as payment for taxes.

Town meeting also served a social function (as it does today.) It brings people together who might not otherwise know each other. This can strengthen social ties within a town and help people work together to tackle community problems in the practice of direct democracy.

In a parallel but related story on the front page of this morning’s New York Times an article proposes what does Al Qaeda and the Obama Administration have in common? Now, in country after country across the Middle East as people have risen to topple their leaders, Al Qaeda and the United States have played absolutely no role. For nearly two decades, the leaders of AL Qaeda have denounced the Arab world’s dictators as heretics and puppets of the West and called for their downfall. In this NYT article, Brian Fishman, a terrorism expert at the New America Foundation said, “Knocking off Mubarak has been Zawahri’s goal for more than 20 years, and he was unable to achieve it,” “Now a nonviolent, nonreligious, pro-democracy movement got rid of him in a matter of weeks. It’s a major problem for Al Qaeda.”

Meanwhile, U.S. policies have largely supported these dictators for between 30-40 years in order to “keep the peace” while as Tom Friedman recently pointed out, treating these countries like “gas stations” for our (US) consumption. The US has conveniently look passed all the indecencies, corruption, mis-appropriation of US taxpayer’s money funding these crooks and resulting lack of democracy to keep oil flowing. A very dirty business indeed.

As events unfolded in Egypt, Obama stood like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming freedom train unable to stand up decisively for the cherished principles of democracy against tyranny and oppression. Hypocrisy at her finest!

This was a revolution for Heaven’s sakes hatched via communication on the internet through, in this case, Facebook! Not terrorism, not drone attacks, suicide bombers, “Mission Accomplished” and all that crap.

What Al Qaeda, Obama, Bush and the US military can’t solve in country after country it attempts to impose its will upon, ordinary citizens were able to do originating in the grass roots, through the internet and through protest.

Yesterday, in Sunday’s Burlington Free Press, an editorial entitled, “Vermont is Vermont north as well as south” says many things about the nature of Vermont’s people. The article attempts to prettify how we are all one from north to south - from Burlington to Bennington. And I submit, we have many shared values.

However, the lack of broadband web access by thousands and thousands in our state remains our greatest divide from each other (as Vermonters) and from the ever increasing pace of the outside world. The Vermont Department of Public Service painfully points out the glaring discrepancies on their web page. “In Rutland, Washington, Grand Isle and Chittenden Counties almost 95% of the population or more has access to some type of broadband service. In Essex and Orange Counties, on the other hand, DSL, cable, and fixed wireless broadband services are available to half and two thirds of the population respectively. In Windham, Franklin and Lamoille Counties almost a quarter or more of residents do not have access to one of these broadband services.”

Simply put, in 2007 The Vermont Department of Public Service concluded in its article entitled,Access for All: Meeting Vermont’s Broadband and Wireless Goals “that broadband service is not expanding fast enough. That the achievement of these goals is challenging but necessary to the future of Vermont” and Vermonters from north to south.

So Vermont, Spread The Web!

If we want to safe guard freedom, independence, prosperity and the open flow of ideas through global communication, Spread The Web!

If we want to be “one state from north to south” as the Burlington Free Press editorial suggests “we should want to understand what’s at stake for quality of life in those communities, how this affects the rest, and as a state we should commit ourselves in the Legislature and among the socially responsible business community to find ways to keep each part of us whole.”

So Vermont, Spread The Web!

If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying a home or condominium in or near Burlington Vermont Real Estate or Chittenden County, please give me a call or email me to discuss the market, schools and your options. I would be delighted to assist you. I can be reached on my direct line at 802.238.5256 or email me at Chris@ChrisHurdVT.com

As always, please feel free to post any thoughts and comments here below.

Armed with solid numbers, buyers and sellers alike can manage their expectations and the current realities of our local market.

South Burlington VT Schools Earn Superior Ratings

South Burlington VT
February 26th, 2011

One of the barometers many real estate buyers look towards before buying a new home is the quality of public education within a specific town/community. The quality and performance of public schools helps drive home values and in this economy certainly helps maintain them.

Several school rating services can help you in determing the health of public education wherever you live currently or are contemplating moving to.

In South Burlington VT, residents there already know they have outstanding schools. To back that up, take a look at this link at GreatSchools.org and this one at NeighborhoodScout.com which offer FREE top rated school reports. These reports validate what is common knowledge amongst S Burlington Vermont residents in the know. At NeighborhoodScout, they rate South Burlington schools as better than 97.7% of all school districts in the entire United States. They cite the average pupil to teacher ratio at 12:1. Proficiency scores in reading and math far outpace averages for the state of Vermont.

Of course, there are additional towns within Chittenden County that also possess excellent schools systems as well. Please feel free to call or email me with your questions or explore the two links I provided above to acquire third party information to help you in your decision making process.

Additionally, last summer, an article in the Wall Street Journal detailed several key points connected to this topic. Michael Sklarz, president of Collateral Analytics, a Honolulu based firm that specializes in real estate data analysis stated that “areas with good schools tend to be more affluent and were less susceptible to the sub-prime mortgage debacle so saw fewer foreclosures. What’s more, homes associated with great schools generally sell faster, in good markets and bad”.

If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying a home or condominium in or near Burlington Vermont Real Estate or Chittenden County, please give me a call or email me to discuss the market, schools and your options. I would be delighted to assist you. I can be reached on my direct line at 802.238.5256 or email me at Chris@ChrisHurdVT.com

As always, please feel free to post any thoughts and comments here below.

Armed with solid numbers, buyers and sellers alike can manage their expectations and the current realities of our local market.

My Top Ten Fun List of Things To Do in and around Burlington VT Late Winter 2011

Burlington VT

February 25th, 2011

Here is my highly subjective Top Ten List of Fun Ideas if you’re in serious need of a lift as this snowy winter shows no signs of losing her grip on our weary, hunched-over, snow shoveled backs.

10. Vermont Maple Open House Weekend at Shelburne Farms March 19th and 20th,

9. Vermont Flower Show at the Champlain Valley Exposition March 4,5,6,

8. Dinner at the ‘Trat and don’t forget to try the profiterole for dessert,

7. Visit the Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont,

6. 25th Anniversary of Arts Alive March 21st downtown Burlington,

5. Sweeten your day at Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory,

4. Go Sledding at one of Hammerhead Sleds recommended hills across the entire Northeast,

3. 16th Annual Mardi Gras Parade in downtown Burlington VT Saturday March 5th at 3pm,

2. Take Someone You Love to The Flynn Theater

1. Splurge For A Day of Downhill Skiing at Jay Peak Resort for $49!

If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying a home or condominium in or near Burlington Vermont Real Estate or Chittenden County, please give me a call or email me to discuss the market and your options. I would be delighted to assist you. I can be reached on my direct line at 802.238.5256 or email me at Chris@ChrisHurdVT.com

As always, please feel free to post any thoughts and comments here below. Share your ideas of what would be on your fun list!

Armed with solid numbers, buyers and sellers alike can manage their expectations and the current realities of our local market.

Efficiency Vermont helps all Vermonters

Burlington VT -
February 24th, 2011

There is an organization you may know of or not. And if you are new to Vermont, you most assuredly need to be aware that Efficiency Vermont exists.

To sumarize, Efficiency Vermont was created in 1999 when the Vermont legislature passed a law creating the nation’s first ratepayer-funded energy efficiency utility providing energy efficiency services to business owners, homeowners and renters to reduce their energy costs.

Since its inception, Efficiency Vermont has been working diligently to help Vermonters reduce their annual energy costs which results in utilities not having to buy as much power from power plants. The net affect being ratepayers’ electric bills are likely to be less than they would be without energy efficient practices.

If you go to their website on the home page you can find information related to compact fluorescent bulbs (currently a .99 limited time offer is available on their energy-star cfl’s), home improvement and conservation advice, information on efficient appliances and electronics and current rebates and incentives from the government.

I urge you to take a look.

If you prefer speaking to a human, they have a team of helpful staff who can answer your questions. Call them on their toll free number at 888.921.5990 or, if you are local in the Burlington VT area, try 802.860.4095

If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying a home or condominium in or near Burlington Vermont Real Estate or Chittenden County, please give me a call or email me to discuss the market and your options. I would be delighted to assist you. I can be reached on my direct line at 802.238.5256 or email me at Chris@ChrisHurdVT.com

As always, please feel free to post any thoughts and comments here below.

Armed with solid numbers, buyers and sellers alike can manage their expectations and the current realities of our local market.

There’s Life On The Corner

South Burlington VT
February 23rd, 2011

Remember the old song “Down On The Corner” by Creedence Clearwater Revival? Well, it just might be we’re heading Back to the Future.

There is a shift in Vermont real estate trends that is now underway.

An article this week in the Burlington Free Press by Matt Sutkoski entitled, “Data Shows Vermonters Moving Back Towards The City”, in which the author made several interesting conclusions. Mr. Sutkoski writes there is “evidence that policy, planning tools, economic realities and people’s housing choices are beginning to shift the focus of growth toward Vermont’s village centers and downtowns”.

Sally Dames, a resident of South Burlington VT and co-founder ofWhat’s Alive Inside Productions, an organization focused on what makes life more wonderful and rich via community productions at The Flynn Theater in downtown Burlington VT, refers affectionately to “life on the corner” often in her reflections about her ‘hood. Ms. Dames calls them them “her C’s. Community, Collaboration, Convenience and Connection”. She indicated she moved with her two daughters in recent years from living in the “boonies of Charlotte and Monkton” as she puts it into a neighborhood where she can walk, ride her bike, have access to employment, mass transit, goods and services.

I, too, admit that in the past 8 months I made a decision to move from Charlotte to South Burlington for many of the same reasons cited by Ms. Dames. Yet, to carry it one step further, I felt a driving inner force to reduce my carbon footprint. Instead of climbing in my car to drive everywhere now I can bike or walk to the grocery store, the pharmacy, the bank, the post office, doctors, bookstore, restaurants, coffee shop, restaurants, music, a short hop to the airport and the list goes on and on… In addition, with my children moving on in their lives, I wanted to be closer to the “action”.

Organizations like SmartGrowthVermont believe that for “Vermont to grow and thrive we need to carefully integrate growth, environmental protection and economic opportunities into our local planning framework. This will require the participation of citizens, local and state officials, developers, business leaders and non-profit organizations. Our future depends on careful analysis, dialogue, cooperation, and leadership”. In the Free Press article, John Ewing, a founder and board member of Smart Growth Vermont says “there has been a very definite trend in people’s attitudes favoring compact development and a willingness to live there”.

Websites like WalkScore allow you to type in an address to get its walkability score rated from 1-100 with 100 being the best score for walking to amenities. Here’s what they say makes a neighborhood walkable:

“A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a center, whether it’s a main street or a public space.

People: Enough people for businesses to flourish and for public transit to run frequently.

Mixed income, mixed use: Affordable housing located near businesses.

Parks and public space: Plenty of public places to gather and play.

Pedestrian design: Buildings are close to the street, parking lots are relegated to the back.

Schools and workplaces: Close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.

Complete streets: Streets designed for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.”

Walkscore cites these four areas that offer surprising benefits to the environment, our health, our finances, and our communities:

“Environment: Cars are a leading cause of climate change. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.

Health: The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.

Finances: One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,000 of value for your property.

Communities: Studies show that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.”

You can, of course, come up with many more reasons why this trend makes sense and why these trends are pointing in a refreshing new direction.

If you are considering listing your home for sale or buying a home or condominium in or near Burlington Vermont Vermont Estate or Chittenden County Real Estate, please give me a call or email me to discuss the market and your options. I would be delighted to assist you. I can be reached on my direct line at 802.238.5256 or email me atChris@ChrisHurdVT.com

As always, please feel free to post any thoughts and comments here below.

Armed with solid numbers, buyers and sellers alike can manage their expectations and the current realities of our local market.