The quotes you get from an upfront mortgage broker will be an accurate reflection of what you're really going to pay. Just because a conventional mortgage broker promises you moon, does not mean that he can actually deliver it. There are other reasons that have conscious consumers choosing upfront mortgage brokers over traditional conventional brokers.

While conventional mortgage brokers don't always have best interests of their customers in mind, upfront mortgage brokers gain nothing by providing their borrowers with anything other than mortgage that best suits their needs. There are also times when mortgage brokers are given rebates by third parties.While a conventional broker may keep this rebate as a part of their profit, an upfront mortgage broker will always pass this rebate on to borrower.

With consumers appreciating honesty and no-nonsense approaches when dealing with their lending needs, upfront broker methods may just change face of mortgage lending forever.

Discover how to quickly build a minimum of $40,000 worth of home equity and pay your mortgage off in 10 years or less without making biweekly mortgage payments. Visit: www.wisemortgageinfo.com

The value of trust in a negotiation cannot be overstated. Most people are fair minded and reasonable. They respond well to respectful treatment and to having their concerns heard. If seller feels that buyer and agent are acting with integrity, their attitude will be much more cooperative. Contract negotiation is a sensitive area, and anxiety can be high. The buyers may have had an unpleasant past experience with buying a home. The seller may be under pressure, with future plans at stake. Acting with integrity does not mean that all "cards have to be put on table." It is not proper to discuss personal issues that affect buyer, such as your financial ability or urgency to move in. It is valuable to develop rapport because trust increases your leverage. Here are ways:

Listen and understand what seller has to say.

Express appreciation for seller's home, gardens, decorating.

Respond within a reasonable time to counter offers.

Reassure seller of your ability to close.

Reveal some personal information about yourselves.

Finding common ground with seller can be a very powerful tool in event of multiple offers. I can think of several instances in which sellers selected their contract for very personal reasons. (The family reminded them of themselves when they moved in with young children years before. Or, they were both of same religion. Or, new owners would care for their gardens.)

Understanding your leverage

The more we can find out about seller's needs, better chance we have to find solutions to negotiation hurdles. We will be able to offer information or concessions that appeal to seller's deepest concerns. Obviously, if house has been on market for 300 days, you have a lot more leverage than you would with a brand new listing. If their time frame is immediate, and you can meet it, you have some leverage. If they have multiple offers, you have very little leverage!

How much under list price should you offer?

Buyers usually offer less than list price, unless it is a strong sellers market. There is no standard percentage "under list price" that can be used. A market analysis will show recent sales for neighborhood, which is best way to establish offer price.

It is usually counter-productive to offer so low that seller will automatically reject offer. This will set a negative tone, and may result in an emotional response from seller.

What if we have a multiple offer situation?

Occasionally seller receives more than one offer on their property. The Austin Board of REALTORS® has a policy that allows two options: disclosure to all parties that multiple offers have been received, or disclosure to no one that there are multiple offers. We prefer disclosure to all parties. However, listing agent and seller will make decision as to how they will handle offers. By simply disclosing that there are multiple offers, they are not "shopping" your contract. Shopping occurs when seller discloses terms of an offer to induce a buyer to submit a better offer. This can result in major distrust of process by parties, and likelihood of loss of buyers.

Usually procedure is to notify each party that multiple offers have been received. Each party is then given opportunity to raise or adjust his offer by a certain time. After that time, seller is free to review all offers and choose one to work with. They are not obligated to choose "first" offer that came in. The selected offer may be countered, or accepted as is.

By: Roselind Hejl www.weloveaustin.com