Buying Tips

Buying a home can be one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. It should be a well thought out process. When you entrust the assistance of a Real Estate Agent, you not only get the benefits of an experienced professional - but you get undivided attention to detail and negotiation skills necessary to obtain the best price for your purchase.

Real Estate Agents work on a commission base salary. The commission is paid to them by their broker after a transaction has closed. The commission is paid by the SELLER at the time of closing. Unless you opt for an exclusive Buyers agency agreement with your Real Estate Agent, the Agent has no guarantee they will get paid for showing you properties unless you write a contract through them and the deal closes. It's very important to determine if you are comfortable working with the Agent you choose BEFORE embarking on viewing properties. Time is valuable for everyone. Especially to an Agent who has to show properties to clients, only to realize their client has not been loyal to them in seeking out their dream home. Choose One Agent and stick with them throughout the process. (Unless of course something makes you uncomfortable with that Agent). The point is, do not call several Agents and make different appointments with each of them. Every Agent has access to the same Database of listings that are available in your area.

The steps of buying your home: Get Pre-Qualified for a mortgage. This will help you in determining what price range you are comfortable with. There is nothing worse than looking at homes that are above what you are prepared to pay for. When you realize you are not comfortable with the monthly payments in that price range, and you've found one that you really have your heart set on, it's disappointing to begin looking all over again. *want to see what your approximate payments will be? Click here for our mortgage calculator.

Determine what you can and cannot live with. Choose how many bedrooms, bathrooms, size of your closets, etc. Do you want a house with a big backyard? Do you want a pool? A fireplace? Do you have 2 cars that must be put in the garage every night? Make sure you tell your Agent these specifics so they will not waste your time showing you things you will not like.

Once you have determined what price range you are comfortable with and what your criteria is, contact an Agent and let them begin the search process for you. They will look through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for available properties and make appointments to view them with you. If you already have some homes you've found through the property search link, be sure to give the Agent those MLS numbers so they can see if they are still available and set up appointments for those as well. Remember, ALL Agents have access to the same MLS database.

Be patient in your search for the perfect home. Remember, buying your new home is a process, and all processes take time and patience to insure you find the right one!