For nearly 25 years, Lauren Comerford, of Oswego, has been helping homeowners realize their dream of owning their own home and now she is bringing the expertise of Keller Williams® Realty to the Oswego area. As a marketing specialist and consultant with Keller Williams, Comerford is currently studying trends and strategies to assist in resurrecting the Central New York real estate market along with assisting home buyers in receiving lender's mortgage approval. She is very confident about the current housing market, especially in the Oswego area, and wants to encourage potential home buyers to not be discouraged.
According to Comerford, getting a mortgage, even with a precarious credit score of lower than 700, is not out of the question and should not impede potential home owners from trying to get into a home.
"There is hope for the housing market and with the incredibly low interest rates, I want potential buyers to know there is hope of receiving a mortgage even with a not-so-great credit score," she said, encouraging prospective home owners to not give up when turned down for a mortgage.
"Just because they said 'no' does not mean forever; it simply means 'not now,'" she emphasized.
It also means, she said, that now is the time to start doing what needs to be done to get approved in the future.
Comerford said she works closely with hopeful home buyers to take the steps necessary to get them qualified, which could take as little as a few months.
"I also don't want people to give up on listing their home and not moving up into the home they really want."
For homeowners looking to remodel their current home for possible marketing, Comerford offers a free market analysis, which, if desired, can include a free study comparing the cost of a remodel to what they will get out of the remodel, in other words, their return on investment (ROI).
"A market analysis will tell you what your house is worth in today's market," she explained. "If a current homeowner is not planning to stay in that particular home for life, the money they are putting into their remodel may not give them the necessary ROI."
Keller Williams Realty International is one of the fastest growing businesses worldwide. Keller Williams Realty announced in 2011 they just overtook Century 21 to become the second largest real estate franchise in the U.S., bringing them one step closer to becoming the #1 real estate firm in the United States.
Along with her extensive real estate experience, Comerford has owned and operated a professional photography studio for three years. She pointed out that because a large portion of buyers start their searches for homes online, photos are a crucial part of enticing buyers.
"My professional photography background allows for high-end images of homes online when marketing listings, giving listings the edge they deserve," Comerford said.
"One of the main reasons I chose to work with Keller Williams is that the company designed their model to work for their agents and not their brokers," Comerford explained. "The agents are the stockholders in the business, making all the choices and decisions. Keller Williams Realty's state-of-the-art technology and training is to support the growth of the agent's/team's businesses."
Comerford also pointed out that Keller Williams Realty is prevalent throughout the U.S., hitting the New York area last.
"Out of 34 regions nationwide, the New York market is number 34," she said. "All agents in our area climbing aboard the Keller Williams Realty model will be well compensated by coming in on the ground floor in New York State. I am very excited to have experienced growth in the short amount of time I have been with Keller Williams Realty. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to welcome the Keller Williams name into the Central New York area."
For more information or to inquire about a career with Keller Williams Realty, call Comerford at 402-9887 or visit cnypropertiesforsale.kwrealty.com. For daily tips and advice, go to www.facebook.com/LaurenComerfordKellerWilliamsAssociateBroker.
About Keller Williams
Keller Williams® Realty, Inc. is an Austin, Texas-based, real estate franchise company with more than 80,000 real estate agents, operating in approximately 690 market centers (offices) across the United States and Canada. Keller Williams Realty is currently the second-largest residential real estate company in the United States. The company has received many prestigious awards and in 2012 was ranked highest in customer satisfaction among home buyer and seller among national full service real estate firms by J.D. Power and Associates.
