Real Estate Search Direct

So when you’re at the point of certainty, when you know that it is indeed the perfect time to buy a home, here are the things that you need to remember to NOT DO unless you want to gamble a chance of owning your dream home.

Move Your Cash Around. Perhaps when you were getting ready to purchase a home, you made plenty of big deposits, big withdrawals, you were busy consolidating your funds, etc. The thing is, when you do this, the financial institutions and the company/ agency where you buy your home from will check your financial history and they will be very critical about your latest financial activities. If you keep on moving your money around, they might have a hard time tracing your cash and how much net assets you have.

Secondly, don’t make big purchases prior to buying your home. Remember that your priority for the meantime is your home, so forget about your brother’s flashy new car, or your friend’s cool new flat screen; focus on your new home and keep that picture ingrained in your mind. Otherwise, if you keep spending, you might not have enough money to buy your home when the time finally comes.

Change Jobs. Unless it’s an upscale, for-sure job with a big leap from your previous salary, don’t change jobs when you’re going to buy a new home. Facing a lot of psychological and financial adjustment from your comfort zone can be pretty overwhelming.

Excuses to Delay Home Purchase. If you kept on “checking out” a lot of prospect home purchases but you kept on finding reasons to delay your purchase, then one thing’s for sure-you are not yet ready to buy a house. Stop checking out the forums on Orem real estate if you don’t really like the neighborhoods there. Stop assessing Provo homes for sale if you will transfer to Texas in a year anyway. Just wait until you’re ready.

Its a great time to buy real estate in Utah. Visit UtahSelectHomes.com, a site to help you search forprovo homes for sale.

Comments (0) Feb 03 2010

Why would a buyer looking to buy a home need to interview a real estate agent? Because you are hiring the real estate agent to help you find and purchase a home, most likely one of the most expensive investments you may ever make. It is a good idea to know some things about your realtor who will be representing you when you purchase the home. The realtor is your advocate in the market place so you want to make sure he or she is well qualified to handle the transaction professionally, ethically and timely. To help you in your search for a great real estate agent, below are some things you should ask in your interview with them:

How long have you been a real estate agent? This question is important because a brand new agent may spend more time with you as you search for a home since they have the time. But he or she may not be very resourceful because of lack of experience. A well seasoned agent on the other hand may ask you to do some work on your own keeping you engaged in the process. He or she may ask you to drive around on your own and look at the neighborhoods. The real test comes during the presentation of the offer and negotiations after you’ve found the home your dream home.

Most any realtor can find homes easily. They have access to the MLS and can drive around looking for something to fit your needs. However the greater skill is required in drafting a contract, and negotiating on your behalf. Although a college degree is not required, it helps to know the realtor is educated and has a track record of success. Many buyers are ashamed to ask questions about a potential realtor’s background and education, but they should always remember that it is them that is hiring the real estate agent. It is not at all uncommon for real estate agents to answer such questions.

What is your strategy of searching for and finding a home? A good real estate agent will have a plan in place on how to go about helping you find the home you want to buy. Your realtor should arrange to meet with a lender, if you don’t have your own lender, to determine how much house you can afford before he or she begins to show you homes. It is important to know what your realtor’s job duties are and what he or she expects of you as the buyer.

How do you negotiate the best deals for your buyers? Ask your agent if he or she will help you decide on a price to offer after you’ve found the home you like. The negotiation is a give and take situation between you and the seller but will your real estate agent be involved? Is your agent knowledgeable and creative enough to make the deal work?

For example, if the seller does not want to pay closing costs and the home warranty also, the agent could draft the offer differently leaving out the home warranty perhaps. Or he may suggest offering a little higher purchase price to include everything the buyer wants and needs in order to be able to close on the home. As a home buyer, you will need to know how your agent plans on helping you get the property that really suits you at the price you can afford.

Can you please provide references? References and testimonials give you a glimpse of how your prospective realtor works. Do they have the patience to help a family or individuals make this most important purchase? Be weary of references that only say, “great job” or “John is a wonderful real estate agent”. Look for references which are more specific as to what the agent did that warrants the praise. If the agent is new, ask to speak to his Broker or former employers.

Grace Ojuka is a real estate agent focusing on Provo homes for sale. She has been helping home buyers for in the Utah real estate market for over 11 years. She specializes in helping young families make the jump from renting to owning their own home particularly through provo foreclosures and short sales.

Comments (0) Nov 22 2009

Finally, after years of hard work, you’re ready to move from your cramped apartment to your very first house. You are understandably excited about it – anyone will be – but before you make the big leap, it’s sensible to give the matter considerable thought. In the long run, you will realize that proper research and planning will go a long way in helping make your dream a reality. Here are 7 things to look for or consider when you’re purchasing your first house.

Title Insurance – If you’ve worried about insurance when you were renting, you should worry about it even more now that you’re going to buy a house. Make sure that the property you’re eyeing has proper title insurance, or get one immediately. It will let you gain rightful ownership of the place.

Property Survey – A property survey will let you know what you own and what you don’t. Even if you are planning to move into a well established subdivision, learn how to read a property survey, study it, and make sure there are no unclear areas.

Home Inspection – Even if you know a lot about homes, any real estate professional would advise you to get a full home inspection. 95% of the time the inspection will come up with nothing out of the ordinary. But you don’t want to be that 5% that end up with hugely expensive unseen structural damage, or mold issues. Get a full inspection and thank the inspector for the service he or she provides. Its well worth it.

Community – By community I mean more than just location. Often you will hear that location is everything. But location usually is limited to geographic location. What I mean is visit your neighbors and your kid’s potential schools. Make a fair assessment. Do you like the area? Are their parks, shopping, etc. How about a church in the area that you are fond of. Consider all aspects of location, and make sure to take into account the community you will be living in.

Minor Details – Its common for prospective homeowners to be unable to see past minor details like carpet or paint. These things can be changed relatively easily and inexpensively. Instead focus on the major factors and use the minor details as leverage to negotiate on price.

Major Factors – If you are not to focus on minor details such as paint or carpet, what are you to focus on? Things such as the floor plan, or number of bedrooms. These are things that are a lot more expensive and difficult to fix. Homeowners always talk about how they can knock down a wall here and place another there. Upon closer inspection, they find that it costs a lot more than they anticipated and takes much more effort. Do yourself a favor and make sure the major factors meet your needs from the beginning.

Duration – By duration, I mean, how long are you going to live in the home? Did you ever think that there are times when it is more advantageous to continue to rent? If you are buying a home at market value, it is almost always necessary that you stay in the home for longer than a 2-3 years before you recoup the costs. Real estate is almost always a good long term investment. But rarely is it a good short term investment. Think long term.

Vicki Stallings is a Utah realtor focusing on Provo real estate. As a real estate expert in her community, she has been helping buyers to find and purchase Provo and Orem real estate for over 11 years. She specializes in helping young families make the jump from renting to owning.

Comments (0) Nov 04 2009