Name: Benita Wessinger

Company: Prudential Carruthers Realtors®

Address: 4 E. Colonial Hwy, Hamilton, VA  20158

Office: 1-800-266-3910 or 540-338-4171 X153

Cell: 1-571-259-5948 / Fax: 1-540-338-3443 or 1-540-338-4174

Email: mailto:benita.wessinger@prudentialcarruthers.com

Website: http://www.benitawessinger.com

Year Started: 2004

Licensed in:  Virginia and Maryland

What got you into Real Estate?
It's an exciting business! After working as an  IT Consultant for 15 years and traveling most of the time, I decided it was time to do something closer to home and actually have a life.  Real estate has been a nice career change for me and  I have really enjoyed the new challenges I face everyday. My main goal is to help people find their dream homes.  I have lived in Loudoun County for eight years and know the area very well.  I know that choosing a home is one of the most important decisions a person makes in their lifetime. This is why I will do my best to give you all the information you need on the properties you plan to buy or sell.

What I did before entering the Real Estate profession?
I did extensive e-Business and e-Commerce consulting while working for IBM and CSC.

Licenses,  Affiliations and Certifications:

Dulles Area Association of Realtors® (DAAR)
Virginia Association of Realtors® (VAR)
National Association of Realtors® (NAR)
Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS)
Trade Show Committee, Dulles Area Assoc of Realtors® (DAAR)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) Candidate - Ongoing
REALTORS® Institute (GRI) – Ongoing

Where is your "Sphere Of Influence" ?
Loudoun, Clarke, Frederick and  Fairfax Counties - Virginia
Maryland as required

Why should a potential customer choose your company?

Here are just a few reasons why I think customers choose Prudential Carruthers Realtors over other agencies:

•  Prudential Agents can personally create a marketing plan for you that maximizes your home's potential. In addition, there isn't a preset advertising system that restricts how often your property can be promoted!
•  Prudential Agents spend much of their own hard earned money to sell your home. Therefore, they have a vested interest in selling it for the highest price, best terms, and within the shortest period of time.
•  Prudential Agents have a wide array of exclusive marketing tools and technology available to them.
•  Prudential has one stop shopping under its umbrella – mortgage brokers, settlement companies, home inspectors, homeowners warranties, etc.
•  Prudential Agents are using laptops and cellular technology to remain “ahead of the pack”
•  Prudential is ON-LINE 24/7. Your home will be marketed to millions of potential buyers on the Internet and it only takes one buyer to put a sold sign on your front yard!
                                      ___________ 
Where do you see the housing market going?
I think it depends on two things -  1.  consumer confidence and 2. consumer spending and disposable income.  Based on current indicators, I think the market will remain strong for the next few years.

Topic Of Discussion: Why Buyers Should Use a Real Estate Professional
 
Technology has definitely changed the way we live and work. And it's no different for real estate. Twenty years ago, only real estate professionals had access to home listings. Today, there are multiple resources at consumers' disposal. The Internet has become a popular tool for homebuyers to peruse the listings in any city or state. According to the 2003 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 71 percent of homebuyers used the Internet in their search for a home during the first quarter of 2003.

Besides home searches, consumers can find information about communities, schools, mortgage options, and even property appraisals. With this wealth of information, should you still have a real estate professional represent you during your home buying process? Absolutely.

Given the sizeable monetary outlay (possibly the single largest financial transaction in a person's lifetime) it seems reasonable, even smart, to call in a specialist.

While in the past, consumers may have seen real estate professionals as simply a person who drives you around from property to property, our role is definitely greater than that. That's only the tip of the iceberg.

Ask yourself, who better to know the exact whereabouts of that 50-mile view, 100-foot waterfall, charming pied-?-terre or new in-town condominium project? A sales professional can be a great resource, especially to homebuyers relocating from other communities. He or she knows the local area including home values, taxes, utility costs, and school data, and may even be knowledgeable about resources pertaining to your special interests or needs. For instance, should you require help relocating an aging parent with you, your real estate professional may be able to direct you to local services or organizations for the elderly.

A sales professional can familiarize you with the processes involved in buying a home, alert you to potential risks, help you determine how much house you can afford, explain alternative financing strategies, as well as provide tremendous moral support.

Another benefit is having a strong advocate during the negotiating process. A sales professional can help you objectively evaluate an offer then work to negotiate a favorable contract. During the process, he or she will review the contract and obligations before you sign, explain how contingencies and release clauses work, and so on.

And something easy to overlook is our familiarity with the complexity and risks inherent in the process. In the years I have been practicing I have been continually amazed at how quickly a seemingly simple transaction can grow legally complex and risky. For example there may not be a legal right-of-way to the property, or just as bad, others may have an easement over the land you're contemplating acquiring. When such questions arise, we will quickly advise you to consult an attorney and other licensed professionals whose services you may require, such as home inspectors, engineers, surveyors and lenders.

As your single point of contact, a sales professional can manage the entire transaction including coordinating inspections, keeping in touch with the other real estate professionals, managing the documentation for the loan process, monitoring deadlines associated with contingencies, providing applicable paperwork, estimating closing costs, and helping prepare for a smooth and uneventful closing.

If you're about to begin the process of buying or selling a home, consider involving a real estate professional. When the stakes are high, it's comforting to have a specialist by your side.
 
Should you decide to use the services of  Benita Wessinger of Prudential Carruthers Realtors®, tell them you found them on the website created for the people of America, and designed for ALL of America's Home Service Needs, no matter which county you call home!   www.AmericasHomeServices.com   

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