Avoid Common Buyer Errors

The excitement of buyer a new home can be overwhelming and without clear direction the dream can quickly turn into a nightmare. Three of the most common mistakes a buyer will make is :

1. Paying too much
2. Losing a dream home to another buyer
3. Buying the wrong home

When you have a systematic plan before you shop, you'll be sure to avoid these costly errors. Here are some tips on making the most of your home purchase.

GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED:

What price do you offer a seller? Is the seller's asking price too high? Is it a deal? Your own research is important, as is the assistance of a real estate agent. A professional agent can offer an unbiased opinion on the value of a home, based on many factors and a great deal of information.

BUY YOUR HOME:

What do you want in a home? Sounds simple, but clearly identifying your needs and bringing an objective view to home shopping leaves you in a much better position. How much space do you really need? Outline all your priorities, and work on finding not just a great home, but a great home for you.

MINIMIZE THE UNEXPECTED:

For $300-$500, a professional inspector will conduct a complete inspection of the home. Their expertise can mean the difference between uncovering major flaws before or after you own the home. Make the final contract subject to the report's findings.

GET PRE-APPROVED

It only takes a few days to get financing pre-approval. When you are shopping for a home, this step lets you know how much you can afford keeping you get your heart set on a house on to find that you cannot get financing.

REMEMBER ADDITIONAL COSTS:

When putting in an offer on a home it is custom for earnest money to go with the offer; normally 1% of the purchase price. This money is then applied towards the purchase of the home at closing. In addition you will have closing costs which a good real estate agent can negociate some or all of these to be paid by the seller. You will also need to speak with your mortage broker regarding how much if any of a down payment you will need.

http://www.candiquigley.exitfayetteville.com

The Process of Selling Your House

Yesterday I worked on some information that I plan to share with a few individuals who have chosen to take on the task of selling their own home. I feel for these people because they do not know the tremendous task that they are looking at. There are a lot of moving parts that go into selling your property.
I want to share with you some of the steps that go into the process.

1) Assess and evaluate your needs
2) Decide to sell
3) Select me to market your home or opt to do it on your own (not recommended)
4) Determine list price
5) Set up a proactive marketing plan
6) Prepare the property "for sale"
7) Show the property to potential buyers
8) Get feedback from showings
9) Receive and offer
10) Negotiate offer
11) Accept offer
12) Sign contracts
13) Take house off market

That is just the beginning there still is the closing process which involves a lot of moving parts on behalf of the buyer and seller. The buyer needs to apply for their loan and from their the lender will run a credit report, will verify employment, gather documents to verify debt and income. The lender will order an appraisal which will determine if the house is worth the contract price. The appraisal will either come back as a go, with conditions (such as repairs), or the appraisal will come in below contract price. Providing everything at this point is a go then the buyer will then get a loan approval and a written mortgage commitment. In addition to the loan process a home inspection and termite inspection is done. If any necessary repairs are found the buyer will request the seller to complete the necessary repairs. If termites are found or termite damage the seller will also need to have that corrected prior to closing. While all this is going an the attorney of the buyer's choice is preparing necessary research and documents needed for closing.

Once all this is completed the buyer will do a final walk-thru ensuring the house is in the same condition or better condition then when they purchased the home and all aspects of the contract have been meant. Then the seller and buyer meet at the attorney's office to sign documents. Once the loan is recorded and funded then the attorney will issue any proceed checks.

This is just some of the things that go into selling your house; so before you sell talk to me and let me share some insight with you and then you can determine if you want to go it alone.

Thinking about Real Estate

I have created this blog to be informative and insiteful. Often people think the life of a real estate agent is easy and glamorous. I may of thought that too until I got into real estate and now wow I have learned so much and want to share the "fun" with you. If you are thinking about entering into a career in real estate all I can say is if it is a burning desire go for it; if it is an idea your are considering email me and lets talk before you sink time and money into something that takes a lot more effort than one may realize. Of course you could become the agent that lives by the P's: put the house on the MLS, put a sign in the yard, and pray. Those are the agents that give us hard working dedicated agents a bad rap causing people to choose to sell their house themselves because it cannot be that hard and running the risk of losing a fortune. Knowing what I know now I can not imagine why a buyer would not want to enlist the help of a licensed agent. In the Fayetteville area under most circumstances the seller pays the agent's commission so why wouldn't a buy want someone to work for them getting them the most house for the least amount of money. A buyer's agent is going to review the whole closing process to include multiple inspections that a buyer should consider having done.

Each day I plan to post information regarding either selling your home, buying a new home, or becoming a real estate agent. I will also give you updates on current clients I am working with some of the days will seem ho hum and others will be informative and then of couse you will look forward for the bizarre stories that you will think I am making up; like the house my buyers bought that the seller did not realize he had to move out.

If I can answer any of your real estate questions please feel free to email me at candiquigley@gmail.com