Real Estate Advice: Seeking Wisdom From A Professional
“Sir, is that a bomb in your bag?”
“No, it’s my cheese.”
I’m sure the conversation wouldn’t be as cordial, but that’s a situation I potentially faced at the airport. I was carrying different types of gourmet cheese from Oahu to Kauai and wasn’t sure I could fit it in my carry-on. I read numerous forums online about how TSA won’t allow it because the blocks of cheese look like explosives and some people have had their cheese confiscated. Other people said they had no problems. I didn’t want to pack the cheese in my luggage because I could imagine my luggage sitting in the hot sun on the runway and my cheese melting in my bag. I emailed the TSA thinking they would have the most accurate information, but they got back to me and said it would take about three weeks to get a response. I was leaving in three days. Finally, when I got to the airport, I approached a TSA agent before I checked in and asked if I could put cheese in my carry-on. She said as long as it’s hard cheese, it’s fine. No problem.
Isn’t that how life is sometimes? We look far and wide for answers, when we should have gone straight to the source. The Internet is a great tool, but with so much information, how do you know what’s right? Anyone with access to a computer can post her ideas and advice, sometimes masquerading as the truth, when in fact they are not the best source for the answer.
The same can be true with real estate. You can look for tips and information in online forums, but how do you know it’s accurate? Every market is different. Just because something is true in one town, does not mean that it is valid in another. Why would you trust an anonymous person with possibly your largest investment?
When looking for answers to your real estate questions, go straight to the source. Find a real estate agent who is knowledgeable about your city of interest. Make sure they know the real estate laws and market conditions of the area you are looking for because even neighboring communities can have different factors that affect home values. You can look for tips and ideas online, but you should seek out an expert in your area to get the best and most accurate information to help you make an informed decision.
