Tips for Homebuyers

1. Establish a timeline. Plan the move to coincide with the end of your lease or sale of your current home whenever possible to avoid any extra of interim costs. Check with your landlord about an early release clause from your lease if you are considering buying a home.
2. Get your credit report in order. You can check this directly with the major credit bureaus by mail, phone, or on-line.  Your mortgage counselor can also do this as part of a pre-qualification.
3. Qualify yourself for a loan before shopping. You’ll find out what you can afford, and a pre-qualification letter will be required before submitting a purchase offer.
4. Establish a budget. Look within the price range you are pre-qualified for.  Don’t look over that range; you’ll be tempted, and houses which you can afford suddenly don’t look as nice.  Stick to your budget and be prepared to compromise.
5. Size for your life. Consider how long you plan on being in the property and plan for any lifestyle changes that could possibly happen.
6. Learn the neighborhood. Think about whether or not this neighborhood will make you as happy as the house does.
7. Consider resale. Walk yourself through all the negatives of the property. Most buyers sell within five to seven years. Think long and hard about how you would sell the home prior to buying.
8. Be decisive. Take all the time you need, but don’t be afraid to make a commitment when you’ve found your dream home, especially in a seller’s market. Everyone gets cold feet at some time during the process.
9. Choose the right mortgage. The thirty-year fixed rate is not the only option or necessarily the best answer. Have your lender show you on paper how much each program will cost you and how they compare with each other.
10. Choose one realtor, and use that realtor as a source of information for all aspects of buying/selling your home.

    1. Be very verbal in your wants and needs and what you think of the properties you see. Even when the property does not meet your needs, your comments will help me target in on properties which DO meet your preferences.
    2. Please give the host or hostess your name and my name at any Open House you attend.
    3. Do not call the listing agent about every property you are interested. I will handle that for you. The listing agent works for the seller. Only I will work for you!