Home In Alamo

Alamo Home

Don�t you wish that buying a home was as easy as finding a place you like, making an offer to the current owners over a cup of coffee, shaking hands on the deal, and everyone living happily ever after? We all do! Unfortunately, home buying is usually more complicated than that.

Below are 5 secrets that will help take some of the complication out of the process...

Get "Pre-Approved" and Not "Pre-Qualified!"
If you want to get the best property you can for the least amount of money, then you need to make sure you are in the strongest negotiating position possible. The strength of the buyer or the lengths of escrow are often critical factors to a seller.

Getting "pre-qualified" means that you have spent a few minutes on the phone with a lender. This lender will ask you a few questions and, based on your answers, pronounce you "pre-qualified" and issue you a certificate to show to a seller. Sellers are aware that because none of the information has been verified, such certificates are WORTHLESS!

The way to make the strongest offer today is to get "pre-approved". A �pre-approval� letter is given only after all financial information has been checked and verified. It means that you are actually APPROVED for the loan and the only loose end is the appraisal on the property. This will be a VERY POWERFUL weapon in the negotiating arsenal.

Sell Your Property Before You Buy a House
If you have a house to sell, sell it before selecting a house to buy! Contingency sales aren't nearly as strong as one that comes in with a ready, willing, and able buyer.

Play the Game of Nines
Before house hunting, make a list of things you want in the new place and a list of things that you do not want. This list will help you rate the different properties that you see, track the unique features of each so that you do not confuse properties, and distinguish between the homes that have the style that you like and which ones have the location, lot size, school district, and floor plan that you like (factors that cannot be changed).

Don't Be Pressured Into Any House
Your agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements. Don't make a decision on a house until you feel that you've seen enough to pick the best one.

Stop Calling Ads!
Ads are sometimes created to make the phone ring! Many of the homes have some sort of drawback that's not mentioned in the ad, such as traffic noise, power lines, or litigation in the community. What's not mentioned in the ad is usually more important than what is.

For this reason, I want you to be very careful when reading ads. Remember that the person writing the ad is representing the seller and not you! The most important thing you can do is have someone on your side looking out for your best interests. Your own agent will critique the property with an eye towards how well it meets your needs and will point out any drawbacks you should know about. Did you know that many homes are sold WITHOUT A SIGN ever going up or an AD EVER BEING PUT IN THE PAPER?

Remember that your real estate agent is there to protect your interests as you are buying a home. Taking advantage of their expertise and connections will take away some of the home buying complications.

Click below for more Alamo real estate information and tools