Fun and purchasing a home are probably two concepts that cannot be further apart. Instead of being fun, purchasing a home might prove to be nerve-wracking and stressful.
This is understandably so since this is an investment that spans a lifetime a whole set of generations even.
We can make it less stressful!
Buyers are intimidated by the various dimensions that make purchasing a home troublesome the legal aspects, the financial aspects, dealing with brokers, agents, insurance, and others purchase concerns.
But dissecting these roadblocks and adding some spice to your choice of the property could make this life-changing decision an enjoyable one.
Step 1: Assess your finances
The question here is can the buyer actually afford payments for a home. The buyer may want to consult a financial adviser as to the strategy he or she may employ in paying for a home.
This is imperative especially if the buyer has a troublesome credit history and other financial obligations. The buyer must also reach a compromise between payment capability and desired property.
Get yourself that pre-approved certificate from a lender. This certificate gives the seller the assurance that you have enough money to buy their property.
Securing a Pre-Approved certificate would range from a few days to a few weeks depending on the status of the request.
But it’s worth the trouble of waiting. It increases the chances of you getting the best deal in the market.
Step 2: Survey the Market
With the explosion of information in today’s age, it becomes more exciting to search for possible properties.
Newspapers, advertisements, referrals, brochures, and even the internet all give the buyer more choices and better options.
Buyers should take full advantage of this information glut to facilitate his or her decision regarding a house.
Consider the Multiple Listing Service. The MLS is a database – an extremely convenient way to know what properties are for sale at any given moment. This makes it very useful to real estate agents and brokers.
Basically, MLS is like a huge property warehouse. When a property is available for sale, it enters the warehouse. When it is sold, it leaves the warehouse.
The MLS only contains information since real estate cannot actually be stored in a warehouse. This information comes from the various brokers that exist in the scope of an MLS.
Why the MLS works for home buyers
First of all, MLS is very convenient. Buyers can browse through the available properties listed on an MLS.
Using the MLS also does not cost anything. It is a free service that is sponsored by the Realtors advertising their available properties.
Step 3: Learn from Others
If the buyer is a first-timer, he or she does not have to make the common mistakes newbies commit.
He or she should contact people who have been in the same circumstance and learn from their experience. This will save the buyer from a great deal of grief later.
Even grizzled veterans of such purchases would do well to seek advice from trusted colleagues on the matter.
Step 4: Find a Suitable Agent
This is one of the most underestimated, yet important aspects of home buying. Most buyers end up with an agent by sheer accident.
It would do well for the buyer to do research and contact an agent whose strategy and skills fit the buyer’s needs.
Buying or selling a house is a thrilling experience. But connected to this is a stressful and overwhelming job.
This calls for a good real estate agent. But what do we need to know about hiring an effective real estate agent?
Verifying the real estate agent’s license is very helpful. It pays to be very cautious because this involves the property!
This includes his state license in selling a property. Added to this is doing a short background check on the agent.
Ask for the previous estates he sold or acquired for a client. Knowing the training and seminars he’d attended would also give the client a grasp on the abilities of the agent he would be hiring.
Develop good chemistry with your agent. With the agent knowing what the buyer or seller wants he knows where to start and what to consider.
The agent should be able to tell his client the true worth of his property because it is really what is worth and not because he just wanted to lure the client in doing business with him.
Meeting up with the agent once in a while so they could keep their clients updated about the property.
In selling a house, the agent acts as the adviser. He gives the owner advice like the asking price of the property and acts as a mediator between the buyer and the owner.
And in buying a house, the agent acts as the researcher. He also does the legwork and sorting through which properties best suit the need of his client.
A skillful agent can save the buyer a great deal of trouble and is instrumental in a successful sale.
Step 5: Close the deal
A great deal of discussion and paperwork is involved in closing a deal. However, if the preceding steps were accomplished well, this step will most probably be exciting instead of worrying.
Here, the buyer and the seller come to terms with the financial details, paperwork, and other details vital to the sale. If this comes upright, the buyer can now come home to an exciting new home.
