Home tours · Columbus, Phenix City & the Fort Benning area
Tour homes with us, in person or from wherever you are now
Most of the families we help can’t just drive over on a Saturday. Some are still at their current duty station, some are finishing a job somewhere else, and some have a report date that leaves almost no time to look. So we tour the way your schedule allows: in person, on live video, or a mix of both.
Four ways to tour
Pick the one that fits your timeline
You can switch between them as you go. Most families who can’t be here start on video and save in-person visits for the finalists.
In person
You’re local or can visit
We meet you at the house, walk it with you and drive the neighborhood afterward. We can line up several homes in one afternoon.
Live video walkthrough
You can’t be here yet
We walk the house on FaceTime or Zoom while you direct the camera. Open the closets, look under the sink, check the view from the back porch, and ask anything as we go.
Hybrid shortlist
Most popular for tight timelines
We tour your long list on video, narrow it to two or three, and plan an in-person trip for just those. One short visit instead of a week of house-hunting.
Recorded walkthrough
Time zones don’t line up
We film an unedited walkthrough the same day and send it with our notes, so you can watch it after work or after the kids are asleep, wherever you are.
On every tour
What you get that listing photos won’t show you
The things we check
- Roof, HVAC and water heater age
- Signs of water, moisture or foundation trouble
- Flood zone
- Items a VA appraiser tends to flag, like peeling paint and safety repairs, before they hold up your closing
Commute and schools
For every home, the drive time to the Fort Benning gate you’d actually use and the schools the address is zoned for. Not just “close to post.”
The street, not just the house
We show you the block: neighbors’ yards, road noise, what’s behind the back fence and where the nearest grocery store is. That’s the part you can’t fix after you buy.
A straight answer after
After each home you get our honest read: buy it, skip it, or what we’d offer and why. We’d rather tell you to keep looking than have you regret it.
Before the first tour
Two things we’ll have in place before we tour
1. A pre-approval (or proof of funds)
We need a lender pre-approval letter, or proof of funds if you’re paying cash, before any tour, in person or on video. It tells you what you can comfortably spend, and it means you can write an offer the day you find the right house instead of losing it while the paperwork catches up. Not pre-approved yet? Tell us on the form and we’ll connect you with a lender first.
2. A buyer agreement
Georgia law requires a written agreement before an agent can represent you as a buyer, and the rules we work under require it before we tour any home together. A live video tour counts as a tour. It’s what lets us represent you fully: negotiate for you, advise you, and keep your budget and your plans confidential. Here’s what’s in it, in plain English.
Our fee: 3%
Our fee is 3% of the purchase price, paid at closing. Nothing upfront, and nothing if you don’t buy. Agent compensation is negotiable and isn’t set by law.
We ask the seller to pay it
In your offer, we ask the seller to cover our fee, and sellers often do. Whatever they pay comes off your share dollar for dollar. If any part isn’t covered, it’s yours, and we’ll go over that with you before you sign any offer, so there’s no surprise at closing.
How long it runs
We set the dates together, usually about 90 days. If you’re under contract when it ends, it runs through your closing.
We work for you
It’s exclusive: we represent you, and you tour homes with us rather than with other agents. If you’ve already toured or made an offer on a home with someone else, tell us at the start.
If it isn’t working
If we both agree to end it, it ends with no strings attached. After it ends or expires there’s a short 14-day window: if you buy a home we showed you, in person or on video, our fee still applies.
Signed on your phone
We send it electronically, so you can sign from anywhere. We’ll walk you through it on a quick call first and answer every question.
This is a plain-language summary, not the agreement itself. The signed agreement controls.
Selling a home too? Our listing fee is also 3%, and it covers all of the marketing: professional photos, open houses, a social media push and paid advertising to reach buyers. Selling here before you buy? Choose that on the form and we’ll plan both moves together.
See what yours is worth on our home value page, or read the Military Seller’s Playbook if you’re selling on orders.
Request a tour
Tell us what you want to see
Send the homes you have in mind (or describe what you’re looking for) and when you’re free. We’ll text you within a day to set it up.
Questions
Common questions about touring
Can I really buy a home without seeing it in person?
Yes, and plenty of families moving to Fort Benning do. It works best with live video tours, a thorough home inspection and our honest read on each house. Buying sight unseen does carry real risk, so if you can make even one short trip for your finalists, the hybrid approach is the safer route.
Does it cost anything to tour?
No. You don’t pay anything to tour. Our fee is paid at closing, and we ask the seller to cover it.
Why do I need a pre-approval before a video tour?
Because good homes here can go under contract fast. A pre-approval means that when you find the right one, on video or in person, you can make an offer that day, and sellers take it seriously.
Can I tour a home I found on Zillow or Realtor.com?
Yes. Paste the link into the form. We can show any home listed for sale, whichever brokerage has the listing.
How fast will you get back to me?
Within a day, usually sooner. We’ll text you to confirm the homes, the tour format and a time.
Arrio & Kelsey is a team of Coldwell Banker Kennon, Parker, Duncan & Davis · 5670 Whitesville Rd, Columbus, GA 31904 · 706-256-1000. Arrio Granum, GA license 448058. Licensed in Georgia and Alabama. Equal Housing Opportunity.