FAQS
Local Professional Advice
Welcome to our Help Center. We’ve pulled some of the most frequently asked questions from our clients and compiled them all into one place. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
WHY THE CRYSTAL COAST?
The South’s Best Small Town 2019 — Beaufort — voted #1 by Southern Living magazine
The Carteret County Public School System — among the best performing schools in North Carolina, ranked 2nd in 2020 for SAT and ACT scores
Carteret Health Care — recognized as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital in the U.S. and the only North Carolina hospital that is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network
The Best Beach in NC 2018 — Emerald Isle — voted #1 by USA Today
One of the South’s Best Pubs 2019 — The Backstreet Pub in Beaufort — voted #3 by Southern Living Magazine
North Carolina's lowest county property tax rate ($.33/$100 valuation, 2020-21)
Pine Knoll Shores developed by the Roosevelt Family including preserving 292 Acres as a Nature Preserve housing the NC Aquarium.
Atlantic Beach has the wonderfully preserved Fort Macon State Park.
Easily accessible from the Triangle and projections of a 2 hour and 15 minute drive time with I-42 improvements and bypass construction underway.
WHAT IS DUAL AGENCY?
Dual agency will occur if your listing firm has a buyer-client who wants to purchase your property. If you agree in a written agency agreement, the real estate firm, and any agent with the same firm (company), would be permitted to represent you and the buyer at the same time. A dual agent’s loyalty would be divided between you and the buyer, but the firm and its agents must treat you and the buyer fairly and equally and cannot help you gain an advantage over the other party.
Cox Distinctive Properties, LLC does not practice Dual Agency because we work hard to gain an advantage for our clients. Ask yourself....why am I paying someone that has as much loyalty to the opposite party as they do me?
HOW IS COX DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES, LLC COMPENSATED?
A buyer client pays nothing for my services. I am paid by the seller or listing agency based upon what is communicated in a Cooperative Compensation Agreement. It will be transparent/disclosed in the buyer agency agreement signed by the buyer. If the property is a for sale by owner, I will negotiate a fee to be paid by the seller and disclosed to my buyer client.
A seller client is not obligated to pay commission to a buyer's agent; however, I will not work for those sellers. Sellers I work with will pay my negotiated agency fee and I will pay the buyer agent's fee.as a percentage of my agency fee. I pay for all photographs and marketing as well as home measurements. Call to see how my commission structure can save you money.
CAN YOU GUARANTEE ME A SUCCESSFUL SALE?
I can guarantee that I will work harder than any other agent in the sale of your home. I will use my experience and knowledge to market your home to a wide range of clients and markets. I will reach out to buyers' agents in both the Triangle and the Crystal Coast to find potential buyers. I will make the process as simple as the process allows. I will be there every step of the way. You will only be dealing with me, so your communication will not be misinterpreted or missed.
WHAT IS DUE DILIGENCE VERSUS EARNEST MONEY?
Due Diligence money is money paid by the buyer directly to the seller for the seller taking the home off the market for a negotiated period of time (Due Diligence Period). This allows the buyer to exercise their due diligence in inspecting the property to ensure they want to continue with the purchase of the home under contract. The check is to be made out to the seller and delivered to the seller by the effective date of the contract. Due Diligence money also allows the buyer to terminate the contract for any or no reason within the due diligence period. The buyer forfeits due diligence money to the seller once the contract is executed and due diligence money is paid. The money is credited to the purchase of the home, but lost if the buyer does not close on the house. In this hot real estate market, the expectation by sellers is for Due Diligence money to be high on desirable properties.
Earnest money is also "good will" money that may be offered to the seller to show sincerity of the offeror. Earnest money is credited to the buyer for purchase of the home if closing occurs. The money is to be made out to and held by an escrow agent (typically the closing attorney). Earnest money typically will be returned to the Buyer if the buyer terminates the contract prior to the end of the due diligence period. For this reason earnest money does not have much significance in a hot market.
HOW MANY HOMES SHOULD I LOOK AT BEFORE I MAKE A PURCHASING DECISION?
There is no right answer for this question. We will look at as many homes as it takes until we find you your right home and one that I am comfortable recommending you make an offer. To help you determine this, I will look at crawl spaces, electrical panels, cracks in walls, windows for broken seals, HVAC age, Water Heater age, Roof age, and overall maintenance and condition of the property.