1. FIND A REALTOR THAT KNOWS THE AREA OF INTEREST
It is so much easier to work with an agent who is familiar with the geographical location of interest for buying your home. Realtors who live close or have extensive knowledge of the area that a buyer is interested in can provide a better service.
2. DON’T FORGET YOUR PRE-APPROVAL
It is very important to have a pre-approval letter. Sellers are more likely to negotiate with a buyer that has already been pre-approved. Your real estate agent will work harder on your behalf knowing that you are a serious buyer. If a hot property hits the market that you love, you won’t have to waste any time before making an offer. You will have a good idea of how much money you can qualify to borrow. This saves time and effort for a buyer and buyer’s agent.
3. LOCATION IS KEY
When buying a home, location is very important. As a buyer you want to find a property that fits your needs in the best location. There are many things you can do to increase the value of a property. For instance, update, remodel, room addition……………………………….but you can’t physically move the property! Check crime rates, test scores for the school district and property values. Is the area growing? Are they still building? Are there more bank-owned sales than traditional buyer/seller sales? These are all things to look for when choosing the best location.
4. MAKE A CHECKLIST
The buying process can be a lot to deal with. Most buyers look at several different homes before they find the one they love. To make the process easier, make a checklist. This will help you remember which properties meet your criteria and which ones fall short. Also it’s not uncommon for buyers to take measurements so they can get a better idea of how to arrange furniture in certain rooms of the house.
5. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS GET A HOME INSPECTION
It is very important for buyers to understand that they should always get a home inspection. Buying a home is usually the single most expensive investment in a persons life. This is why it is important to know everything about the investment good and bad. Choose an inspector that has a proven track record and one that will educate you on every aspect of the home.
