The best way to make sure that you choose the right home is to properly prepare. The purchase of a home is a tremendous investment, both monetarily and emotionally. We hope to provide some tips that will help your transaction progress smoothly and result in you being a happy homeowner. Remember, if you have any questions we are always just a call or email away.

Get pre-approved

• There is nothing more frustrating than looking for a home, finding the perfect home, and then discovering that it is out of your price range. Speak with a lender to learn about the different financing options available to you. When you find the right lender, get the paperwork processed so that you will be ready to buy when you find the right home.

Avoid  major purchases

• In order to determine the amount of home you can afford a lender uses your debt-to-income ratio. This ratio is the percentage of your pre-tax income that you spend on debt. Your debt ratio will include: monthly housing costs, car payments, credit cards, student loans, and any other installment debt. If you take on more debt right before buying a home, it is going to have an impact on the amount of the loan that the lender will finance.

Sign up for property watch 

• In order to make an educated decision, you need to know what is available and how much it is going for. You can browse all the active listings from my website. Once you have found some homes you like, save those searches and sign up for property watch so that new listings will be emailed to you. The best homes move fast so you need to make sure that you are on top of the available inventory at all times!

Ask questions

• No one knows the home better than the seller of the property; however, it is not always in the seller's best interest to disclose all the information. If you find out the seller's motivation for selling, you might be able to negotiate a better deal on the home. Try to find out the last time service was performed on the roof, furnace, and water heating. Asking the right questions now can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.

Get inspected

• The last thing you want to discover after you have bought a home is that you have purchased a "money pit,” or a home that is full of defects that will end up costing you a lot of money. Save yourself a lot of time in future litigation and renovation by bringing in a licensed home inspector before you buy. If any problems are found, it will steer you away from a bad decision or help you negotiate a better price.

Make a "Wants" vs. "Needs" List

• What do you absolutely have to have in a new home? These things would go on your "Needs" list. What would you like to have in your new home, but could be sacrificed or added later if the home otherwise meets all the criteria of your “Needs” list? These remaining items make up your "Wants." Set your lists aside for a day or two, then go back and decide if anything on your "Needs" list can be moved over to your "Wants" list and vice versa. This list will be crucial in helping your realtor select the best homes for you to see.

Sale type

• Before previewing homes, you should decide what types of homes you would consider: new construction, traditional sale, REO, or bank-owned. If any of these terms seem unfamiliar, your realtor will be able to discuss them with you and advise you on the pros and cons of buying a home that falls under each of these sale conditions. Knowing what sale types you're interested in before looking at any houses could help you find your dream home faster and for a better price.