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ERA offers exclusive services that can make selling your house faster and easier and unparalleled expertise in local, national, and international markets. Our services and our experience are just two of the reasons why no one can sell your house more effectively than ERA Southbelt. ERA Southbelt and its Sales Associates are sincerely committed to making the experience of selling your home as smooth and easy as possible.
Home
Warranty Plans Offer Security to No homeowner welcomes the cost and frustration of repairs on a faulty furnace, a defective dishwasher or a leaky pipe. But for home buyers and sellers, the breakdown of a home's mechanical system or major appliance can be an even bigger headache. "An expensive home repair bill is a major concern for both new owners, who have already committed a great deal of money toward purchasing their home, and sellers, who are eager to reassure purchasers that they have a sound deal," said Claudine Huckabay, General Manager for ERA Southbelt in Pearland. "Sellers also want to avoid major repair expenses while their home is on the market." The ERA Buyer Protection Plan and Seller Protection Plan safeguard the buyer or seller from unexpected expenses when covered mechanical items break down. The plans cover repairs or replacement of major components such as air conditioning, heating and electrical systems, interior plumbing, built-in appliances, water heaters and accessible duct work. The ERA home warranty plans provide coverage for the seller after the home is listed until the day of the sale, or for a maximum of 180 days. The buyer is generally covered for a year after the date of the purchase on resale homes and, on a new home, the second through the fifth year of ownership. (First year protection is generally provided through a builder's warranty. The extended new home plan is not available in some states.) Both plans are subject to a deductible per service call. Homes covered under the ERA Buyer and Seller Protection Plans are inspected to make sure the major components covered are in working order. Then if a breakdown occurs, the homeowner makes a toll-free telephone call to ERA Real Estate, which contacts a service contractor in the homeowner's area. "The primary benefit provided by home warranty plans is peace of mind," Huckabay said. "Buyers are protected against repair expenses when they can least afford it -- during the first year of home ownership -- and sellers are protected at a time they'd rather not make major investments in the property."
Relocation Made Easier Through
With every transfer comes anticipation, excitement, and even anxiety. By its very nature, a transfer involves many unknowns for the family that is moving. "Across the country, about 40 percent of all home buyers are relocating from another community," said Debi Trahan, Broker/Manager of ERA Southbelt in Pearland. "Such moves can be traumatic. But, they don't have to be. Relocation counseling and access to a comprehensive referral and relocation system can prevent many potential problems." ERA Real Estate has introduced a variety of relocation tools that can make the experience more bearable and offer peace of mind. Many ERA members receive special training to help people relocate, Waters said. The home buyer’s special needs and preferences, including a housing price range, proximity to the new job, children’s needs and neighborhood qualities, are noted at an initial relocation meeting between an ERA Sales Associate and a customer. Now it is possible for transferring families to view full-color pictures of homes listed with ERA Member Brokers across the country -- without ever leaving town -- through an ERA state-of-the-art computer network. To tap into the ERA Electronic Home Selling NetworkSM, an ERA Sales Associate merely types features, price range or locale desired, and within moments a picture appears on the computer screen. "The process helps people narrow their options, but more importantly, it saves the individual or family time and money that otherwise might be spent making unnecessary and fruitless trips to the new city," Trahan said. Another ERA product that can help consumers make a smooth transition to a new community is the Sellers Security Plan, which offers the seller a combination equity advance and guaranteed sale. If the seller’s home qualifies and does not sell within 210 days from the application date, ERA will buy it at a price ERA and the seller agree upon in advance. Through the SSP, the seller may receive up to $100,000 in equity on their old home to use as a down payment on a new home, eliminating the worry about making an endless amount of double house payments. The SSP is limited to owner-occupied, single-family resale homes appraised at more than $35,000. In most cases, no offer will exceed $175,000. But in metropolitan areas with proven markets, according to the National Association of REALTORS statistics, ERA may make an offer as high as $275,000. In addition, a new home must be purchased through a broker designated by ERA Real Estate. Certain conditions and limitations apply, including a program participation fee. The house must meet certain qualifications and purchase price will be determined solely by ERA. Persons interested should contact ERA Southbelt to receive a copy of the SSP contract and to review details. ERA also offers the added reassurance of the ERA Buyer Protection Plan, which protects buyers from unexpected expenses related to mechanical breakdowns of covered items, including heating, cooling and electrical systems as well as major appliances. The buyer is generally covered for a year after the date of the purchase on resale homes and, on a new home, the second through the fifth year of ownership. "In addition, after the move, our Member Brokers continue to offer assistance to families to help them get settled," Trahan said. "We try to do everything possible to help them feel comfortable in their new neighborhood." Home | Profile | Agents | Buyers | Sellers |
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