Summertime is coming and that means lots of new residents will be moving to Guam. So I thought we'd talk a little about how to get started in the house hunting process.
When Should I Start:
Whenever you want. But be realistic. If you're not arriving for months, chances are property you're interested in won't be around when you get here, but it doesn't hurt to look. Make sure you send us any question you have on properties that look appealing. Even if you find it on someone else's website, send us the info and we can give you some feedback. Ideally, we can track the types of property you're interested in up until the time you arrive, then have a "short list" of places we're sure you like to show you when you get here.
The Multiple Listing Service More commonly known as the "MLS", its a search engine that allows you to personally search what's available for sale or rent. Real estate agents use the MLS as a tool to advertise properties, so that other real estate agents have a place to go and search for a property that fits their tenant. There's no real magic, it's just a data base. And there's only one MLS. So if you ask one agent "what do you have for rent in Tamuning" and ask another the same thing, you'll probably get the same answer.
What this means is that if you are on "Company A's" website the properties you see in the MLS will be the same as "Company B's". It may look different depending on the design of the site, but the properties are the same. Just because you see something on Company A's site, Company B can still help you with it.
The other thing about the MLS is that you can see the same information as your agent, with the exception of a map to the property, and the listing agents contact information. you can see the same things we can, with the exception of private remarks, which is generally information about how to show the property to clients, usually nothing material about the particular home.
Stay tuned for our next installment when we'll talk a little about some of the things you want to consider when you're shopping for homes on Guam.
