Looking for your new home can be both an exciting and challenging experience. Knowing that you have a real estate professional by your side that is taking the time to understand your unique needs is important.

• The decision to purchase your home is likely the largest decision you’ll have to make financially and emotionally. Examine your finances and where you’re at in your life and make the decision for yourself. Remember that you don’t have to know everything – we can help you every step of the way.

• When looking for a professional real estate agent to assist you, know that a good agent should always put their clients first. From educating you on current market conditions, aiding you in your home search, coordinating professional services throughout the process to negotiating you the best possible deal, your agent should work for you and keep you involved throughout the entire process.

• Before setting out in search of your home it is important to first select a lender and get pre-approved for a loan amount. The lender will approve you for a certain amount, but it is ultimately up to you to decide on how much you’re willing and comfortable spending on your mortgage each month. If you do not know where to start when looking for a lender, we can provide you the contact information of reputable lenders whom we have experience working with.

• There are many homes on the market with many different characteristics. It’s your job to figure out which of these items you’d like included in your new home. Of course, your agent can help guide and point out items they believe you’d like included – it’s what they do, after all.
• Common questions to ask yourself, include: How much space do I need? What features and amenities do I want? What do I want to live close to? What’s more important: size or location?

• Once you’ve found a home that meets most, or all, of your criteria the next step is to make a written offer. While emotions may sway your judgment in your offer price it is important to remember that your home purchase is also an investment. Your agent can help you analyze the homes of interest and recommend strategies and prices to coincide with your housing goals and particular financing options. Make sure to leverage your agent’s knowledge to educate and guide you through the offer process.

• Even though you may love a particular property, it may have underlying issues in which the untrained eye may not catch. We always recommend that a property inspection take place during the escrow process to expose any hidden issues. Doing so will reduce your risk and increase your financial security. If issues arise that are beyond those you’d like to repair, you can choose to re-negotiate your offer terms or even take the step to continue your home search toward other properties.

• After all of your inspections have been taken care of and all related paperwork has been completed you’re just about ready to close escrow. Make sure you speak to both your agent and lender often to ensure your finances and escrow are proceeding as expected. Once you’ve confirmed with your agent, lender and escrow officer that all items are taken care of it’s time to conduct a final walk-through of the home with your agent to insure it’s in the same physical condition as when you submitted your offer.

• Now that you’ve procured your home it’s now time to think about how you’ll maintain it into the future. Remember that fixing issues appropriately when they occur can cost more upfront but waiting to repair issues and deferring maintenance can be much more costly in the long haul!