Atlanta Communities
is a local brokerage whose agents get charged a very low office
fee. Other agents with national brands give up 50% of their
commissions to their brokers which makes it impossible for them to
offer rebates.
Serious Buyers
I interview all my
buyers upfront to make sure that they are serious and are qualified
to buy what they want.
If we aren't a
good fit, I'll tell you and we'll both save time.
Higher Priced Homes
My average
price point is higher which makes the numbers work.
Referral Based Marketing
No
advertising. Just a great offer with an inexpensive website. I
rely on happy clients to refer me to their friends and family.
Here's How Much Your
Rebate Will Be
Home Purchase Price
Rebate
$2,000,0000
$30,000
$1,000,000
$15,000
$800,000
$12,000
$600,000
$9,000
$500,000
$7,500
$400,000
$6,000
$333,333
$5000
$300,000
$4,000
$250,000
$2,500
$200,000
$1,000
less
than
$166,667
$0
Based on 3% commission. Rebate
for homes less than $333,333 is whatever is left after
minimum agent commission of $5000
Dear Home Buyer,
My rebate offer is very simple.
When you buy, I'll get a commission from the listing agent and you
and I will split that 50/50. On a $500,000 home with a 3%
commission, you'll get $7,500 and I'll get the other $7,500.
It's like getting paid a referral fee for finding me on the
Internet.
I love being a buyers agent. I love showing homes and negotiating
deals. I've been doing it successfully for 23 years.
But I don't like spending half of my time trying to find and attract
new clients.
So, instead of the traditional marketing and networking that real
estate agents spend their time and money on, I decided to just give
people a really good deal and to let the good deal attract the new
business.
Instead of me spending money on billboards, newspaper ads and radio
ads, I give it to my buyers in the form of a rebate. I just consider it a different type of
marketing expense. In business lingo they call it customer
acquisition costs.
You find me on the Internet, use me as your buyers agent and I'll
share half my commission with you.
Other agents gladly pay referral fees of 25% to 45 % to fellow agents
or relocation companies.
I've decided to give referral fees directly to my clients.
There's no upfront fees and no long term contracts.
If I don't live up to your expectations, you can cancel at any time.
No questions asked.
If that sounds reasonable and fair, give me a call and let's get
started.
You get my full time
and attention. I show you as many homes as you need to
make a good decision. I help you every step of the way.
Call Me Today and
Let's Get Started
Cell Phone 404-216-0472
or
email TimMaitski@gmail.com
Let's Meet at Either Our East Cobb
Office
or Our Dunwoody Office to Get
Started
Let's Meet and Go
Over What to Expect
Allow me 60 minutes to show you how I look out for your interests at
every step.
My rebate offer is
really good but my expertise and service are much more important.
Buying a home isn't rocket science but unless you buy homes often,
you might not be aware of some very important items.
Will the Builder Reduce the Sales
Price if You Don't Use a Buyer's Agent?Before you sign in and register
with a new home sales office, ask them if they will reduce
the sales price if you weren't represented by a buyer's agent.
When they say no, make sure you register me as your buyer's
agent so you can get my 50% buyers agent rebate. It's a
no-brainer way to save 1.5%.
Be aware that the
standard Realtor contract is in favor of the agent, not you.What if something happens, such as
a job transfer, and you can't complete the purchase of a
$500,000 home? You'll not only lose your earnest money when you
default on the contract, you'll be on the hook for a $30,000
commission on a home you didn't buy. We'll show you some special
stipulations you might want to include in your offer in order to
protect yourself from a worse case scenario.
Submit
simultaneous offers and let sellers compete.
The ultimate position for a buyer to be in is to have two great
homes to choose from. Then they can feel good about walking away
from one if they don't get their terms accepted.
In a fast moving market, we have had success in submitting
simultaneous offers and letting sellers compete. Investors do it
every day but for some reason most agents are very reluctant to
do this. Success in negotiations is all about positioning and
having options.
Don't Rely on a Home Inspector to Figure Out if the HVAC System
is OK
A home inspector will tell you how old the HVAC system is and
whether or not it is working but he won't be able to tell you if
it's low on freon or if there is a slow freon leak in the coils.
You really need to get a good HVAC company to come out and do an
HVAC inspection.
Zestimates
Can Be Off by Quite a Bit
About 40% of the time, Zestimates in Atlanta will be off by more
than 10%. Think about that range. A Zestimate for a
$400,000 home will be within $360,000 to $440,000 only 60% of
the time. This is direct from Zillow website.
So please don't try to negotiate on price using a Zestimate as
your supporting argument. You'll embarrass yourself.
Atlas
Chalet Roofing Shingles Could be Bad News
Many buyers have heard of defective housing products like
Georgia Pacific siding or polybutylene pipes but have you heard
of defective roofing shingles made here in Atlanta by Owens
Corning?
Murders and
suicides at a home don't have to be disclosed. You have to ask
upfront. Would you have a
huge problem living in a house where there had been a murder or
suicide? In Georgia, sellers don't have to disclose those
stigmas. But if you ask them upfront, they are then required to
tell you. Don't wait until after the closing for a neighbor to
tell you a grizzly tale. Find out at least during the due
diligence period.
I Help You Save Money at Every
Step
50%
Commission Rebate Getting $7,500 back on a
purchase of a $500,000 is a pretty big deal
How to Shop
for a Mortgage and Save Learn what tricks to be
aware of when shopping for a mortgage. How to compare
apples to apples. Save $1000 in closing costs just by
using a specific type of lender.
Smart Buyer
Insurance Double Check Our preferred insurance
brokers will shop the market to make sure you aren't paying more
than you have to not only for homeowners insurance but also
automobile, life and disability insurance. 15 minutes can
save you a lot on insurance.
How to Shop
for Natural Gas Learn where to compare
natural gas prices so you can get the best rate available
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this legal?
Yes. Georgia is one of 40 states
that allow home buyer rebates.
United States Department of
Justice is all for rebates and is trying to make them legal in
all states.
"Offering rebates and incentives is one way that real estate
brokers can compete for consumers' business, leading to lower
prices to consumers."
"real estate agents may rebate a portion of the agent's
commission to the borrower in a real estate transaction. The
rebate must be listed as a credit on page 1 of the HUD-1 in
Lines 204-209 ....rebates to borrowers do not violate Section 8
of RESPA as long as no part of the commission rebate is tied to
a referral of business"
Do I have to use
your preferred lender?
No. You can use anyone you want.
But you must get pre-approved with one of my trusted lenders up
front. Being in the business for so many years, we know all too
well that many lenders' pre-approval letters are worthless.
Therefore, we want a letter from someone who we trust so that we
know you are well qualified before we commit time showing you
homes. We can't waste time on buyer's who only wish that
they can buy.
We'll show you how to shop for a mortgage and how to compare
competing quotes.
In a multiple offer situation, having a strong pre-approval
letter from a trusted local lender can make the difference in
your offer getting accepted over others.
Do I have to pay
taxes on this rebate?
Will it be reported as income?
In our opinion, No and No.
A national real estate company that also offers rebates
requested and received an
IRS ruling on their rebates back in
2007.
"...a payment or credit at closing represents an adjustment
to the purchase price of the home and generally is not
includible in a purchaser's gross income. Nor does Taxpayer have
an information reporting obligation for those amounts under any
other section of the Code."
An IRS letter is technically only applicable to that one
specific taxpayer but the ruling gives pretty good guidance. In
the IRS analysis, they compare it to a rebate on an automobile
which isn't considered income. We are not tax experts so please
consult your tax advisor just to be safe. Give them the link to
the ruling and see what they say.
Do I have to sign
an Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement? If so, for how long?
No.
Most traditional agents require their clients to sign a long
term Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement. If they do a really bad
job you are still stuck with them to the end of the Agreement
period.
Instead, we need you to sign a
Non-Exclusive Buyer Agency
Agreement that spells out the details and responsibilities
for both of us. If we aren't a good fit, you can cancel at
any time.
By offering such a great deal to my buyers
(terms and
conditions) I know that you will be committed. I'm confident that you aren't going to
find a better package of expertise and savings.
Can I get the 50%
rebate on any home?
No. For the full rebate, the home
has to be purchased for at least $333,333 . We offer a smaller
rebate for homes between $166,666 and $333,333. Our minimum
commission is $5000 so therefore there usually isn't any rebate
offered for homes under $166,666. Use the rebate calculator
above to
see how much your rebate might be.
You need to use us as your buyer's agent and therefore the home
needs to be in an area that we are competent in. We work from
intown Atlanta up through the northern suburbs. Midtown,
Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Roswell, Alpharetta, Cumming,
Marietta, Woodstock, Kennesaw, Acworth, Smyrna, Vinings,
Norcross, Duluth, Decatur and areas fairly close to those towns.
Are there other
companies that offer rebates?
Redfin,
a national company, has been offering rebates for 10 years. They
have a very nice website but they don't offer as much of a
rebate as we do. For example, their rebate on a $300,000 home is
only $1,310 vs. our
$4,500 rebate. They need to pay back
investors who have given
them over $50 million . I don't have an investor who needs a big
cut of my profits so therefore there is more money left to
provide a bigger rebate.
Other companies make you do some work. They might limit the
number of homes that they will show you. We cut our expenses,
not our services.
Other agents seem
to really bad mouth the idea of rebates.
They sure do. But here's a simple
question to ask them to explain. Ask them if they have any
problem with referral fees between agents. Almost all agents
have no problem at all paying 25% of their commission to another
agent that brings them a buyer referral. Some will pay a
relocation company 35% or more as a referral fee. Why is a buyer
rebate any different than a referral fee to another agent?
They might incorrectly say something about it being illegal for
an unlicensed person to receive any part of a real estate
commission. They might say that you need to be a trained
professional like them to receive any part of a commission.
Here's an idea. Receive a
"referral" fee for referring yourself directly to us. It's not
only legal, the
Department of Justice encourages it.
I thought sellers
pay the commission and buyer agents were free
When sellers put their home on the
market or evaluate offers that they receive on their home, they
consider what they will net after commissions. The reality is
that buyers actually end up paying for commissions by way of a
higher sales price. Smart buyers realize that the buyer actually
ends up paying for everything in the entire process.
Buyers are the only ones bringing money to the table from which
everyone involved in the transaction gets paid. Rebates are a
way to share in the savings that a frugal and efficient buyer's
agent creates. It's unfortunate that the real estate industry
payment structure is so convoluted but fortunately rebates are a
way to end up with a more competitive market.
What if I'm
already working with another agent?
Sorry, if you have signed an
Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement with another agent we can't
work with you until that Agreement expires or is terminated.
If you terminate, make sure that it's a mutual termination so
you aren't on the hook for paying them a commission. You might
have to negotiate some kind of termination fee to make it worth
their while..
What's the catch?
There is none. This is a real
deal. You work with an experienced, full time, savvy negotiating
agent who was smart enough to create a profitable business model
that not only makes him a lot of money but allows you to receive
a 50% rebate reward.
No upfront fees. Absolutely no cost to you.
It doesn't get any better than this.
Selling Higher Priced
Homes Makes the Numbers Work
A $500,000 home sale
generates a $15,000 commission where as a $100,000 home sale only
generates a $3,000 commission. Having a higher average sales price
means more time and attention can be given to each buyer.
Our Clients Say the
Nicest Things!
Please click on the Zillow button above and
go read all of my 5 star reviews.
Here are a few:
Rosemary
and Stephen Wachtel: We recently
purchased a home and one of the best decisions we made was choosing
Tim Maitski as our agent. He was very knowledgeable about the
market, accommodated our schedule, and had great suggestions
throughout the entire process. We appreciated how hard he worked to
negotiate the best possible deal for us. On top of all these great
things, he provided a generous rebate that most other agents
wouldn't even consider. We HIGHLY recommend him !
Jeannie
Blom MD, Physician/Medical Director:
I'm a physician and
Medical Director and I had the privilege of obtaining Tim Maitski as
my buyers agent. Tim worked with me for 5 months making sure I got
my dream home at a dream price. We consider Tim family. His honesty
and integrity are legendary. The level of service he provides is
beyond compare. Tim is the Clark Howard of real estate and I would
not do business with anyone else. Tim's advocacy skills exceed top
attorneys. He truly has your best interest at heart at all times.
Once you work with Tim, no one else will ever suffice. Like the
iconic lyrics of Tina Turner, he is "Simply the Best".
Ned Mulligan, Head Chaplain at
Holy Innocents' Episcopal School
We moved from Rhode Island and we
had four days to buy a home. We saw 22 homes in a day, made two
offers, and had a contract on the home we bought two days later. He
is the best, most professional, and thoughtful realtor with whom I
have ever worked and I have owned quite a few homes.
Art Linton, Study Abroad
Advisor Emory University
Tim Maitski was a pleasure to
work with in helping my wife and I find our first home. Tim knew the
market inside and out and was easy to work with, flexible,
knowledgeable and a straight shooter who tells it like it is. He is
very confident and low pressure on clients. Trustworthy,
consistently very reliable and a great guy too! He is very
experienced as a real estate agent and I give him my highest
recommendations. If you are looking for a home in Atlanta, Tim is
your man!
What You Can Expect vs. a Traditional Agent
Tim Maitski Rebate Deal
Traditional Real Estate Agent
Big Rebate for 50% of Buyer Agent's Commission
($7500 on average for a $500,000 home)
YES
NO
See as many homes as you want
YES
Hopefully
Experience and Expertise (23 years and hundreds
of transactions)
YES
Hopefully
Expertise in Contract Negotiations
YES
Hopefully
Custom New Listing Alerts sent ASAP
YES
Hopefully
Negotiate Inspection Amendment
YES
Probably
Recommend Good Lenders and Services
YES
Probably
Attend Closing
YES
Probably
A Website Loaded with Information and Powerful Search Tools
YES
Probably Not
National Brand Name Recognition
NO
Probably
See Agent's Face Advertised in Newspaper
NO
Maybe
National Advertising that generates a Nice Feeling
NO
Maybe
See Agent's Face on Billboard
NO
Maybe
Unsolicited Phone Calls from Agent
NO
Maybe
Unexpected Agent Visits to Your Home Trying to
Force a Friendship to Promote Future Business Deals
NO
Maybe
Telephone calls for Networking and Referral
Requests
NO
Maybe
Junk mail that's sent to everyone in your neighborhood
(farming)
This offer has nothing to do with any other
agent at Atlanta Communities other than Tim Maitski.
Each agent is an independent contractor who can choose to do
business as they so desire.
Our market area is in the
north metro Atlanta area.
We service Cobb County,
north Fulton County, Dekalb
County, Forsyth County and
Gwinnett County. We
are very familiar with Sandy
Springs, Dunwoody, Marietta,
Roswell, Alpharetta,
Buckhead, and Midtown.
We have sold homes inside
the perimeter and outside
the perimeter. We
can't know everything so for
clients who want to look for
property in Peachtree City,
Newnan, Stone Mountain,
Douglasville, Macon and
areas further out we will
gladly recommend a good
agent who specializes in
those areas.
We help buyers negotiate
with builders for
residential new construction
houses. New houses in
Atlanta are hot right now.
We can represent you in the
purchase of your new house
built by any of the
following builders: Torrey
Homes, MDC Homes, Centex
Homes, Pulte Homes, Morrison
Homes, Ryland Homes, John
Wieland Homes, Winmark
Homes, Meridian Homes, John
Willis Homes, Benchmark
Homes and many more home
builders.
We can help clients find
short term apartments for
rent but normally we don't
work with clients who are
just looking for rentals.
We do help clients find
Atlanta condos. We can
also help you purchase HUD
homes in Atlanta. We
are an authorized agent with
them and have the HUD key to
get into HUD homes. We
have access to foreclosure
homes that banks want to
sell.
We love showing executive
homes and luxury homes. We
always like to know how
people find our site.
Send us an email and tell us
which search term you used.
Some terms that we might be
found by are realty Atlanta,
Ga homes, Atlanta realty,
condos Atlanta, Atlanta
realestate, Atlanta
property, houses Atlanta,
Atlanta realtors, Ga houses,
or realtors Atlanta.
Maybe you found us by typing
in Atlanta MLS listings, or
Atlanta MLS search, or MLS
Atlanta GA. Hopefully we
don't come up under nursing
homes or funeral homes.
It is always amazing to me
how the Internet can allow
total strangers to find each
other and build new business
relationships. It
truly is becoming a small,
interconnected world.
