The Plan
1. Find the Right Representative
Even if you’re not quite ready to buy, your buyer’s agent can be an absolute wealth of information, and can often offer ‘scoops’ on local developments you might not have known about otherwise. Speak to your agent first and he or she can be helping to guide you right from the start.
4. Determine Your Wants/Needs
Compose a needs/wants list that takes into consideration your local market conditions, your price range, and the advice of your real estate agent.
5. Find Your Dream Home!
2. Configure Your Price Range
Online mortgage calculators are a good place to start, but as you get closer to being ready to buy, there is no substitute for a written mortgage pre-approval. Just speaking to your lender is an extremely worthwhile venture – this is the only way to really get an in-depth picture of your overall financial picture and to discover exactly what you can reasonably afford to spend on a home (and possibly on renovating).
3. Analyze The Current Market
The internet can be incredibly valuable in doing preparatory research. Start with your agent – he or she can direct you to valuable resources and immediately start e-mailing you real estate listings that may interest you (or at least give you a better idea of what your needs and wants are).
Once you’re ready to act, you may be surprised by how quickly you can make a decision. Armed with your pre-approval, a little market knowledge, and your needs/wants list, call your real estate agent, hit the pavement, and when you see ‘the house’, put in an offer.
TESTIMONIALS
“Thanks Dan for ensuring that my experience in buying my first home was a positive one. It was a great feeling knowing that even though I may be busy any given day, if a new home came on the market that matched the criteria I was looking for in a home, that I would receive an email ASAP informing me.”