The Ten Home Buying Steps... :)

As a home buyer, you have three main goals: to get the right home in the right neighborhood, at the best price possible – and with the least amount of stress! When working with a buyer agent, you benefit from having your best interests represented through the whole process. I decided to do a basic breakdown of the steps that one should go through when purchasing a home. I have split this list into two parts (”the shopping” and “the sale” steps) to make it a little easier of a read.

1) The Agency Relationship
This is where we sit down before even looking and start the relationship. We will go over the Buyer Agency Agreement and we will discuss how I as an agent get paid. This is also where you will receive the buyer package which has all of the maps for the area, and tons of information that you will find useful when dealing with mortgage brokers, lawyers and building inspectors.

2) Mortgage Pre-Approval
GET PRE-APPROVED! I cannot stress this enough. Too many people start looking before they have sat down with a mortgage professional and are just wasting their own time by looking. By understanding how much you can afford, you will be able to make a much better decision and when you find that perfect property, make a much stronger offer. It takes a large chunk of stress out of it, and you don’t risk disappointment when you are not approved after finding the perfect home.

3) Buyer Profile
This is the step where we sit down and talk about homes. I will try and find out your wants, needs, must-haves, and nice-to-haves in regards to features of the home. I will ask you when you prefer to move, where you would like to be and most importantly WHY do you want to move? Since we are now under agency law, you can feel confident in explaining your motivation behind moving, which would certainly help me when we are in the offer stage. By understanding that you need to move by a certain date because your current lease expires, or your son/daughter are going to be attending school in September etc, will help me tailor searches and represent you better when negotiating with the other party.

4) Computer Search
I will then go to my secret lab and find you the perfect home. Okay, not exactly, by using the criteria that we set in the above stage I will find and narrow down the homes that are available to match what you are looking for. I will send you the matched homes so that you can look in the comfort of your own home and can look at your own pace. At the same time I will place your search criteria into an auto-notification for new listings allowing you to see them before they are available for the public. They will get sent to your email again allowing you to view them at your own time.

5) Viewing Properties
This is where we get out and see first-hand, the matches that you have narrowed down. We will spend the time and visit the homes, and get a much better feel for each home. We will further narrow down the homes until we find the one that is perfect for you. We might even do a second showing on a property with other family members or friends, to ensure that there is enough living space for them when they visit during the holiday (it comes with home ownership - cant get out of this one).

Stay tuned for “the sale” portion of the home buying process.

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http://www.MattRichling.com