Tips For Buying A Home
Talk
To A Real Estate Agent Before You Do Anything
Real estate
transactions have become increasingly more complex over the years.
Many sales contracts in Maryland now exceed forty pages. When things
are not done correctly, a buyer may endure endless headaches and heartaches
in the attempt to purchase a new home. We can guide you through every
phase of the transaction, so that the entire process will be worry-free.
Get
Pre-Approved With A Lender
Once you
have met with an agent, it is important to get pre-approved for financing
right away.This is important to make sure we are only looking at properties
that are in your price range, so that you don't waste your time looking
at houses that you wouldn't want if you knew you could afford more,
and so you don't get your hopes up about a house that is out of your
reach. Getting pre-approved will also help us find and handle any
problems that you may not be aware of, and will allow us to present
an offer to a seller that is backed up by the negotiating strength
of a pre-approval. A pre-approval can usually be accomplished in less
than 24 hours, and if you would like us to, we can help you do this
at our first meeting.
Determine
What Is Really Important To You
Many buyers
could quickly list the features and amenities that they think they
would like in their new home, but often times, the property meeting
that exact description does not exist, or is not available. Some buyers
will get discouraged by this, but more often, when a buyer thinks
carefully about what is really important to them, we can find them
a home with just the right qualities to make them truly happy!
Get
Insurance As Soon As You Have A Contract
A couple
of years ago, a buyer could have waited until fairly close to the
settlement to get an insurance, and not had any problem. Since then,
world events and a few environmental issues have hit the insurance
industry hard. It is now becoming increasingly difficult to get homeowner's
insurance, and if a buyer waits to look for insurance, they may not
have it in time for settlement. If a buyer has a loan, settlement
will be delayed until they are able to get homeowner's coverage.
Get
a Home Inspection
No matter
how perfect a house looks, there can still be hidden defects on a
property. Many problems may not even be apparent to a seller. A little
money spent now may head off numerous headaches down the road.
Make
Sure You Understand Everything
We are here
to help you! If there is anything you don't understand, don't hesitate
to ask. No question is insignificant. It's important to us that every
step of the home-buying process is completely clear, so that you don't
get any unpleasant surprises.
