Hi, it’s Susan Brewer. Let’s talk about some tips for getting ready to get out there and start looking for a new home.
First of all, meet with a lender and get a pre-approval that is valid and up to date for the price point of the home you are searching for. Let’s make sure that you keep that up to date. If you’re searching and changing price points a little bit, make sure you are in good communication with the lender. This ensures you are the best buyer for a property by having the most inclusive information about your lending process.
Now let’s talk about the day of shopping for that house. Let’s start out with a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner before getting out there to look so that you’re not concentrating on your next meal or that you’re hungry during the process. You can always go to your favorite pizza place after you’ve looked at your houses.
When you are going to look for a house, we want to make sure that there is a good amount of dedicated time. Don’t try to cram it in before something that you have to be at at a specific time. We really want to be able to take the time to look at the house if that is the house that you think is the best one for you to be purchasing.
Before you get in your car, make sure you have everything you need. Bring a bottle of water and a phone charger. You can use your phone to take notes about the house, record questions about the house or what is included in that house. You can also take photos if you have ideas or have some areas that you want to make sure you can focus in on even after you leave the property. So your phone charger is going to be important so that you don’t miss any time in taking those notes or photos.
The other thing that you really want to concentrate on is your focus of what the house needs to offer you – your checklist. If you have to have a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, let’s make sure that the houses that we’re looking at fit that criteria. If they don’t, how can that house work for you? And that should be something that maybe you look at after viewing the house, looking at your notes, looking at your price point, and any other inventory that’s on the market.
In many price points, you may be in a competitive spot to get that house. There may be 1, 2, 3, 10, 15 buyers looking at that same house. Don’t get frazzled if you are in that house and there are other people looking. Not everybody is going to be as prepared as you are when you’re going to look at that house! But that means that you may need to take the time to go back to the office, write up your offer, and submit it right away.
While you are driving back to get that offer prepared, let’s think about a compelling letter to that seller about why you are the best buyer for that piece of property. Is it close to work, close to school, close to parks, close to your favorite shopping or dining? Also include why that house best fits you versus one of the other buyers that may have been in there looking. As you are preparing all of that remember, in today’s market houses should be priced very realistically so your offer should reflect that as well.
If you have any additional questions, reach out to me direct. Otherwise, we’ll get you through that house and get the details put together on our next meeting. Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.
Susan Brewer Service First Real Estate (636)936-8600
Published on 2019-02-19 18:14:37
