Realtor's help is free, so why not hire one?
First-time buyers can benefit from realtors' knowledge Buying a house can be emotional and stressfulBuyer gets the benefit but seller pays the fee`She pointed out things I'd never notice'
DONNA JEAN MACKINNON
STAFF REPORTER

At 26, Margaret Fury came to a crossroads in her life. The upshot was she ended up buying a house.
Her grandfather was ill and she had planned to move in with her grandmother. But it wasn't to be.
"My grandmother advised me to go out on my own and live my own life — as long as I didn't move far away," says Fury, who was living with her parents, rent-free, in Brampton and whose car was paid for.
The first step was finding a real estate agent, which immediately begs the question: Why do you need an agent?
Kim Campbell, a Brampton realtor, who specializes in first-time buyers, answers: Why not?
"As a buyer, you don't pay the agent anything. The seller pays the commissions," she says. "It's basically a free service for buyers, so why not take advantage of the agent's expertise?"
First-time buyers are going into unknown territory, she adds, and a savvy agent can guide them through the intricacies of house hunting and the offer process.
Also, agents do the legwork for their clients. They may check out 15 houses and decide only two are suitable, thus saving clients endless hours of driving around and poring over MLS listings.
Fury's mother was on Campbell's email list and spotted the perfect house on it.
Fury loved the four-bedroom, semi-detached house. It was not a fixer-upper and was close to family. Located in Peel Village (Highway 10 and Steeles Ave.), the house was built in the 1960s. It had a large lot with gardens and mature trees, which were alive with blue jays and cardinals.
"The older couple selling were so nice," Fury says. "They were the original owners."
There was already an offer on the house, but the deal fell through over a washer and fridge. Fury made an offer of $320,000 and a month later she was ensconced in the house.
After 18 months, she looks back and says the first year was the hardest financially. Fury forked out a 25-per-cent down payment, so she didn't have to pay mortgage insurance, which is added automatically if the upfront sum is less than 25 per cent.
"But I felt house-poor — no more free-and-easy shopping and spending," she says. "Living on a budget was scary."
Fury became a homebody, entertaining friends with style, thanks to a "mammoth" barbecue that was a housewarming gift.
`As a buyer, you don't pay the agent anything. The seller pays the commissions. It's basically a free service for buyers, so why not take advantage of the agent's expertise?'
Kim Campbell, Brampton realtor
Then Fury made another change. She left her downtown sales job and found more lucrative work in Etobicoke, a 20-minute commute away.
"Now I can still afford a vacation, and the plush white carpets in the house will be replaced," she says.
Fury listened to experienced people such as Campbell who believe in making money on your first house.
"Now I tell everyone to buy, not rent," Fury says. "In one year, I've made money. My house is worth at least $400,000."
Campbell says Fury is among the growing number of single women buying homes as an investment — sort of a forced savings plan.
She advises first-time buyers to focus on location, and is convinced there is more value in the suburbs than the city.
"Being in a good neighbourhood is No. 1," she says. "I advise being picky about the location and foregoing an extra ensuite and double-car garage to pay for the best location they can afford."
Campbell also worked for Jean and James Rowlandson, a couple with a baby. They rented in Mississauga for two years to save for a down payment and then contacted Campbell.
"We hit it off. We were so pleased with Kim. I knew about financing, but she pointed out things I'd never notice," says Jean, a 34-year-old banker now on maternity leave.
The couple looked at about 20 houses in the $250,000 to $270,000 range. When they walked into a five-year-old house in a subdivision at Sandalwood and McLaughlin, north of Brampton, they knew this was it. The price tag was $268,000.
"I was always on the other side of the desk," Jean says. "It was just numbers then. Suddenly, buying a house became emotional and stressful."
The house had been upgraded and had custom work, so they didn't worry about major improvements. James did finish the basement and they figure the house is now worth about $339,000.
But Jean is not happy about the pie-shaped lot, since it has a minuscule backyard and a "non-existent" front yard, taken up by two garages.
The couple now plans to move somewhere like Midland, where they can get a lot more house for less money. Jean is sure she can get a transfer and James, a self-employed distributor, can work anywhere with high-speed Internet.