LeTip Chester County East met on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Exton, PA. We were joined by a guest representing the category of Event Facility.

Our showboater was Dave Kozak, our Property and Casualty Insurance specialist (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Dave reminded us of the importance of checking insurance coverage regularly, especially after life changes, to make sure that we have the appropriate coverage. The plan that served you well several years ago may now be inadequate.

Our speaker was our realtor, Scott Darling from ReMax (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Scott spoke about what he offers to home buyers. First, he educates them about the whole process with what he calls his "Buyer 101" class, and he makes sure that they have financing (mortgage pre-approval) prior to looking at any houses. Next, he helps each buyer (or buyer couple) to list their criteria for a home in terms of "must-haves" and "like-to-haves." Scott will take these criteria to a computer program and search for houses that meet as many of the criteria as possible while still offering a reasonable selection of houses. The the buyer can drive by the houses to get a feel for the area, the driving conditions, and the overall properties. Scott will usually take a buyer to see about five houses. He may also target potential sellers in an area where his buyers would like to purchase; someone may decide to sell their home if they know that there is an interested and motivated buyer. The final step is drawing up the contract. A home inspection (plus Scott's previous home-building experience) can uncover potential problems with the house. Scott will also find out more about the seller's motivation and time frame for wanting to close the sale. Scott closed by reminding us that there is currently not enough inventory, and he would appreciate leads for people who would be interested in selling their home. (Of course, he is always happy to help buyers, too.)