Buying and Selling Tips
Tips for Buying a Home
Looking to buy a home? Here are essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible.
Get your finances in order.
Start by getting a full picture of your credit. Obtain copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct and fix any problems you find. Next, find a suitable lender and get pre-approved for a loan. This will put you in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. Call us to help you find a house you can afford.
There is a general rule of thumb when it comes to buying a home: two-and-a-half times your annual salary. We have tools and calculators that can help you understand how income, debt, and expenses affect what you can afford. Don’t forget, too, that there are lots of considerations beyond the sticker price, including property taxes, energy costs, etc.
Hire a professional.
While the Internet gives buyers unprecedented access to home listings and resources, many aspects of the buying process require a level of expertise you can’t pick up from surfing the web. That’s why you’re better off using a professional agent than going it alone. We will help make the process easy and smooth.
Do your homework.
Before making a bid, do some research to determine the state of the market at large. Is it more favorable for sellers or buyers? Next, look at sales trends of similar homes in the area or neighborhood. Look at prices for the last few months. Come up with an asking price that’s competitive, but also realistic. Otherwise, you may end up ticking off your seller.
Think long term.
Obviously, you shouldn’t buy unless you’re sure you’ll be staying put for at least a few years. Beyond that, you should buy in a neighborhood with good schools. Whether you have children or not, this will have an impact on your new home’s resale value down the line. When it comes to the house itself, you should hire your own home inspector, who can point out potential problems that could require costly repairs in the future and we can recommend and handle your inspections for you.
AND if you’re thinking of selling…
We are trained and experienced in negotiation while, in most cases, the seller is not. Sellers must realize that their ability to negotiate will determine whether they get the best deal for themselves and their families and we do this on a daily basis and are experienced in unusual and difficult negotiations and work on our sellers behalf.
Here is a list of just some of the people with whom the seller must be prepared to negotiate with if they decide to For Sale by Owner (FSBO):
- The buyer, who wants the best deal possible
- The buyer’s agent, who solely represents the best interests of the buyer
- The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
- The Inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
- The termite company, if there are challenges
- The buyer’s lender, if the structure of the mortgage requires the sellers’ participation
- The appraiser, if there is a question of value
- The title company, if there are challenges with certificates of occupancy (CO) or other permits
- The town or municipality, if you need to get the CO permits mentioned above
- The buyer’s buyer, in case there are challenges with the house your buyer is selling
