There are some important steps to finding and buying a home. Working with The Real Estate One Family of Companies, I can make your experience easier. Use our tools to make your search easier and follow these steps toward homeownership.
for the week of February 6th
Tips on Buying in a Tight Market
Increase your chances of getting your dream house instead of losing it to another buyer, with these easy steps.
- Get prequalified for a mortgage. You’ll be able to make a firm commitment to buy and make your offer more desirable to the seller.
- Stay in close touch with your real estate sales associate to find out first about new listings that come on the market. And be ready to go see a house as soon as it goes on the market.
- Scout out new listings yourself. Look at Internet sites, newspaper ads, and drive by the neighborhood frequently. Maybe you’ll see a brand-new “for sale” sign before anyone else.
- Be ready to make a decision. Spend lots of time in advance deciding what you must have so you won’t be unsure when you have the chance to make an offer.
- Bid competitively. You may not want to start out offering the absolute highest price you can afford, but don’t try to go too low to get a deal. In a tight market, you’ll lose out.
- Keep contingencies to a minimum. Restrictions such as needing to sell your home before you move or wanting to delay the closing until a certain date can make your offer unappealing. In a tight market, you’ll probably be able to sell your house rapidly. Or talk to your lender about getting a bridge loan to cover both mortgages for a short period.
- Don’t get caught in a buying frenzy. Just because there’s competition doesn’t mean you should just buy anything. And even though you want to make your offer attractive, don’t neglect inspections that help ensure that your house is sound.
Step One: Loan pre-approval.
The biggest advantage buyers have when negotiating a home purchase is loan pre-approval. To learn about the benefits of pre-approval before you make an offer, please contact me.
Step Two: Know what is available.
Real Estate One’s HomeMatch service lets you choose the home features that are important to you. As your agent, I watch the market and contact you when homes become available. This is one of the most efficient ways to keep ahead of the market. To get started, please click here.
Step Three: Use all the tools.
Browse available listings, properties with Virtual Tours, and open houses. With the Real Estate One Family of Companies and my website, you have access to more virtual tours than any broker in Michigan. Another option is to phone Infoline at 888-736-LIST to hear detailed information on properties by providing an infoline property code found on yard signs and in various newspaper ads.
Step Four: Secure your mortgage.
Once you have found your home, your pre-approval will speed the process of completing your financing and quickly getting you into your new home. To learn more, please contact me.
Step Five: Take it easy!
Take the easy route to moving by letting me help plan your move. In addition to moving services, I can help with all the resources you need to make your home purchasing and ownership experience a great one. For more information, please contact me.