Tips For Buyers

The purchase of a home is a tremendous investment, both monetarily and emotionally. The best way to make sure that you choose the right one is to properly prepare yourself. This page provides you with tips to help your transaction progress smoothly and promote a successful home-buying experience.

•    Get help. Your home is likely to represent one of the largest investments of your life. To make sure the transaction goes smoothly, it is vital that you choose the appropriate agent to represent your interests. The right agent is someone whose experience and personality make you feel comfortable. Try to find an agent who is familiar with and knowledgeable about the area in which you plan to move.

•    Get pre-approved. Do you already know how much home you can afford? There is nothing more frustrating than searching for and finding what you consider the perfect home, only to discover that it is out of your price range. Before beginning your search, speak with a lender to learn about the different financing options available to you. When you find the right lender, get the paperwork processed beforehand so you’ll be ready to buy when you find that perfect home.

•    Avoid major purchases. To determine the amount of home you can afford, a lender uses your debt-to-income ratio. This ratio is the percentage of your pre-tax income that you spend on debt. Your debt ratio will include monthly housing costs, car payments, credit cards, student loans, and any other installment debt you have. Taking on more debt right before buying a home will have an impact on the amount of the loan that the lender will finance.

•    Sign up for Property Watch. To make an educated decision about the right home for you, it is crucial to know what properties are available and their asking prices. You can browse all the active listings from my website. Once you have found some homes you like, save those searches and sign up for Property Watch so that new listings can be emailed to you. The best homes move fast, so it’s wise to be informed of the available inventory at all times.

•    Get inspected. You can save yourself a lot of time, frustration, and money in future litigation and renovation by hiring a licensed home inspector before you buy. Problems found before a purchase can help steer you away from a bad decision or help you negotiate a better price.

And remember, if you have any questions I am always just a phone call or email away.