The Roanoker - Sept/October 2021 - 116

Ask the Experts
A SPONSORED CONTENT SECTION
What's the difference between a
seller's agent and buyer's agent?
That's a great question and in earlier
years it wasn't a question often asked;
however, in today's market it is asked quite
frequently and should be. In most cases
the seller pays the listing agent an agreed
upon commission to sell their home. The
listing agent then in most cases enters
the home into a multiple listing service
giving other local Realtors access to be
able to show and sell the home. The listing
agents offers a specified percentage of
the commission being paid by the seller
to them as compensation for bringing the
buyer. The fact that the seller is paying both
agents does not dictate however that the
agent working with the buyer represents
them. In fact, more often than not, the
buyer's agent represents the buyer even
though the seller is essentially paying them.
This is something that must be disclosed in
writing of course to all parties involved and
there are other various agency relationships
that can be developed as well. The key point
being make sure you as a consumer know
who's representing you.
Christy Crouch, REALTOR
The Crouch Team
Team Leader
REMAX All Points
Associate Broker
540-312-0085 (call or text)
www.thecrouchteam.com
What is a home worth?
Studying the market and analyzing
comparable properties is a great way to
educate yourself on what a home is worth.
Do not expect to come to an exact price,
but look for a range. Every home is unique
and when it comes to narrowing the price
down, it is up to the buyer to decide what
a home is worth. Buyers should not get
hung up on a price, either. As a buyer, you
are not living with the price of the home,
but rather the monthly payment of a
mortgage. When it comes to negotiating,
don't lose out on a great opportunity when
in the end, it would amount to a small
offset to the monthly budget.
Susan Bailey
CRS, GRI, ABR, e-PRO SFR
Long & Foster Realtors
540-525-1844
Susanbailey.lnf.com
In the Home
How can I be sure I have enough
coverage to rebuild my home?
Supply chain shortages, reduced work
force and other factors have dramatically
increased costs to repair and rebuild homes.
Make sure you have the right coverage
to protect your home by answering these
questions: (1) Is the cost per square foot
adequate in today's market? Check your
policy for the Dwelling limit and divide it by
the square feet of your home. (2) Have you
notified your carrier of any improvements
or additions you've made? Most policies
have a clause that can remove Replacement
Cost settlement if you fail to notify carriers
of improvements of $5,000 or more.
(3) Does your policy include Extended
Replacement Cost? This adds an extra 10%
to 50% coverage in a total loss situation.
For example, if your home is insured for
$250,000 with 25% Extended Replacement
Cost, you would have up to $312,500
to rebuild. (4) Does your policy provide
Guaranteed Replacement Cost? This is
better than Extended Replacement Cost
because there's no dollar limit to rebuild in
a total loss. Very few companies offer this
feature, but we represent several carriers
that do. Contact your insurance agent for a
review.
Mary Brogan Wilson, Owner
Brogan Insurance
broganinsurance.com
540-366-8264
powerful trading platforms to help them
navigate the market, and extensive
research, tools, education and expert
insights to help them make confident
investment decisions. We also offer digital
investing and financial advice. We recently
launched Schwab Plan, a complimentary
personalized financial plan that can be
completed online in minutes, helping keep
investors on track towards their retirement
goals. Schwab Plan is available to clients at
no cost, but any investments you ultimately
make may incur costs such as advisory fees.
Kevin D. McFarland
Branch Leader and Financial Consultant
Tel 540-682-7850
2219 Colonial Avenue SW, #107
Roanoke, VA 24015
(0921-1PA5)
My home wifi is slow - websites
aren't loading quickly and when I
steam my shows I notice it's a lowquality.
What could be happening
and how can I fix it?
What do you think is your
competitive advantage?
Chuck Schwab's vision is to be the
champion of all investors. This continues
to be at the heart of everything we
do. For more than 45 years, Schwab
has been challenging the status quo
to deliver investors more value and a
better experience. We strive to help
people achieve better financial outcomes
for themselves and their families. We
continue to innovate with a goal of
demystifying the process of investing
and driving down costs, so investors have
more money to invest.
Schwab's suite of tools and products for
our customers also help set us apart. Our
clients appreciate that we have some of
the lowest-cost products in the industry,
116 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Great question ... as a field technician, it's
my job to make sure our customers are
getting the best experience from their
services. When it comes to wifi speed, a
good place to start is to check your router
location and age. The ideal location for your
router is in the center of your home. But if
you're working at home alone, try moving
the router closer to your workspace. As
for the age of your router, while your older
router may work, it's likely not connecting
you to the fastest speeds. Finally, check the
number of devices connected to your wifi
and turn off laptops, tablets, computers and
TVs when not in use.
Most importantly, if you're still running into
issues with speed, contact your provider. At
Cox, we want to you be getting the speeds
you pay for. My team and I are here to help.
Emily Wright
Field Technician , Cox
1-540-776-3848
Cox.com
What are the warning signs
that your home has foundation
problems?
There are several warning signs to look
for in your home that indicate foundation
issues. Do you see stair step cracks on
the exterior of your foundation or on the
interior walls? Does your drywall have nails
TheRoanoker.com
http://www.thecrouchteam.com http://www.broganinsurance.com http://www.Cox.com https://www.longandfoster.com/SusanBailey http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker - Sept/October 2021

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