Brandy's Balancing Act: January 2013

Buying a home in 2013

Let 2013 be the year you become a homeowner! Interest rates are low and home prices are on the rise, making now the perfect time to buy.

Choose a Realtor:

Interview agents, you are making one of the biggest purchases of your lifetime. Real Estate agents will negotiate on your behalf and educate you on active homes and recently sold homes so you will feel confident in your home purchase. Realtors are the home buying experts to guide you to your dream home and through the process from looking at homes to moving in.

Get Approved:

Getting approved to purchase a home not only speeds up the buying process; it makes your offer to purchase a home, look stronger to the seller. This is especially important in today’s market when you can expect to be competing with other home buyers due to low inventory.

Determine your needs:

Sit down with your agent and discuss what you are looking for in a home. What is important to you? Neighborhood, two-story or rambler, bedrooms, size of yard, Home owners association, ect..

Select Properties:

After determining what you are looking for, you can now use those items to sift through properties.

View Properties:

And finally the home tours! Actually going out and walking through homes that you have chosen with the help of your agent!

Write an Offer:

After finding your dream home your agent will assist you in writing up a contract to purchase the property. This offer will give deadlines for financing, Inspections, appraisals, ect..

Negotiate:

After writing the offer, your agent will present that offer the seller (home owner) and/ or their Agent. The seller then has the option to counter your offer, accept, or reject your offer. Your agent will assist you with this process.

Accept the Contract:

Once both parties you (the home buyer) and the Seller have come to an agreement, then the work will begin as stated in the contract. Your loan officer will begin working on your loan and you will complete your due diligence of the property with inspections, disclosures and surveys as you see fit.

Signing:

Once all of the above is complete and the loan is place you will then sign documents to take ownership of the property.