Buyers Resources

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Using a real estate professional to help you in the process of purchasing a home is no different than using a doctor for an operation. You wouldn't go at that alone, would you? Yes, we know that purchasing a home is not a life or death situation but you still need someone that has the experience and knowledge to assist you in the process. Experience can save you time in searching and help you avoid costly mistakes by ensuring that you get the best deal possible. 

The MLS is a listing site that most real estate professionals use. This allows Realtors to see everything their colleges had put on the market. Sure everyone has access to the internet these days and everything can be found on the internet; but the MLS allows a Realtor to track new listings and even listings that are not available but will be coming available soon. It also allows your agent to provide you with an up-to-date market analysis on properties you are interested. 

It helps to have someone to negotiate on your behalf. There may be other buyers interested in the same home and things can get very competitive. You may be up against all-cash offers or even get into bidding wars. It helps to have someone on your side looking after you best interest to ensure that you are getting the best deal. Negotiations are not only about price. There are inspection times, repairs, contingencies and closing cost that can be determined during negotiations and all of these things can make or break a deal. 

Having someone in your corner that is familiar with the neighborhood and area is always beneficial. Being connected to others in the community can help save time when you are shopping for an inspector, builder or mortgage broker. This doesn't mean that your agent will choose everyone for you. We will provide you with options so that you have a choice and are not bullied into making a decision you may regret later. Having a Realtor that's connected can not only help you get to know your community but to become part of your new community. Before you know it, your right at home. 

A Realtor adheres to a strict code of ethics. Not every real estate agent is a Realtor. Realtors are held to a higher standard and must follow the guidelines and rules set by the National Association of Realtors. Realtors are always looking out for the best interest of their clients. A Realtor has an obligation to be honest and truthful and will never try to steer you in a direction for personal benefit. They will provide you with facts verses personal opinion, options instead of limitations and will preserve confidential information provided by their clients in accordance to state law. 

Not only can a Realtor help you negotiate the best deal using their knowledge of the market; but they can also save you time by doing the legwork for you which in turn saves you money. No more countless hours driving through neighborhoods looking for For Sale By Owners or taking time out of your day to look through thousands of homes on the internet. Let your Realtor narrow the search and send you only the homes that fit the criteria you have provided. So instead of wasting your gas driving around to countless open houses, you can spend your time doing something you love and only look at homes that truly are a good fit. 

Let your agent know what your intentions are for the property you plan to purchase. It will help eliminate looking at properties that will not benefit your needs or work for your purpose. 

If you are looking for investment properties, make sure to be specific if you are planning for a long term investment such as rental properties or short term investment like a fix and flip.

Rental properties are a great investment for long term, however depending on the initial investment it could be a long time before seeing a profit; hence the type "long-term" investment. 

Fix and flips are properties that may be distressed or on the verge of foreclosure. If you can purchase a property at a discounted rate and then renovate at a reasonable cost fairly quickly you can stand to make an excellent profit. It will depend on how quickly you can get it on the market and pricing it accordingly to sell quickly. Over pricing can lead into stale listings that tend to sit and become unappealing to buyers. A good agent can help keep you up to date on the values until your fix and flip is ready for the public. 

If you are purchasing a property to be a forever home for you or your family then you want to make sure you have all the space you need for your family to grow. Maybe you would like to have nice big yard for children to play or a field for horses. These are just a couple of things to think about and your agent can assist with those and much more to make sure you find a home that you and your family are satisfied with. 

Location - Where would you like to live?  Some questions to consider are:

• Do you want to have close neighbors?
• Do you want a small yard or a large yard?
• How far is your commute to work?
• Are school districts important to you?
• Do you want to be close to main roads and shopping or somewhere quiet and off the beaten path?
• Is the neighborhood or area affordable?

Type and Style - What kind of a home is for you?

• How many stories do you want?
• What type of exterior construction; brick, stone, vinyl or something else?
• What about the style? Are you looking for an older distinguished style like a Colonial or Victorian, or something more Modern or Contemporary?

Size and floor plan - How much space do you need?

• How many bedrooms and bathrooms?
• Do you want a large kitchen and a cozy den or an open floor plan that combines the kitchen and living areas?
• Will a garage be needed and if so what about a garage with a workshop?
• Is closet and storage space a high priority?

Amenities - What are some of the extra features you would like to have?

• Kitchen - Granite or ceramic counter tops, bar or cook island, double oven, stainless appliances, warming drawers, under the cabinet lightening, trash compactor or wine refrigerator.
• Dining - Formal or family combination, breakfast nook, outdoor kitchen.
• Bedrooms  - Outside access, balcony or private patio, walk in closets.
• Bathrooms - Skylights, jetted tub, heated floors, built in vanities, separate shower, dual sinks. 

Other amenities: 

• Pool or spa
• Outdoor or indoor fireplace
• Surround sound
• Attic access
• Programmable thermostats 
• Intercom

There are many features that you can look for in a home and all of these can help narrow the search for your agent. Sometimes too many specifics can lead to no search results. If your list of "have to haves" cannot be found on the market there is always the option to build your own dream home just the way you want it.

Sometimes are wants over exceed our budget. If this is the case the best solution is to make a list of all the things you have to have in a home and list of things you would like to have. 

• Have to haves are items you can't live without. These may include the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. It may also include the floor plan and garage size.
• Like to haves are things we all dream of having but are maybe not in the budget at the beginning. These are the things you can live without and maybe add later. 

Only you can decide what is a need and what is a want. Each individual can live without certain things and can't live without others.  Letting your agent know what these are can assist a great deal in finding the home for you and your family. 

An affordable price range is not only the price that meets within your budget but one that you are comfortable with.  Take in consideration the other things you enjoy doing and make sure to budget those in as expenses when getting a home mortgage.