Uncertainty and misinformation is all too prevalent in real estate, confusing first time buyers into staying away from the industry altogether. We’re setting out to make it more approachable so that you can feel comfortable considering your next step. Below is a blueprint of the average home buying process.

Before booking tours or hopping online to look at pictures, it's important to evaluate your financial health. Do you have enough savings for an emergency fund? Are you actively paying off any debt? Have you cut any necessary spending? These are all questions to answer before beginning your new real estate investment.

Think through your dream home and neighborhood to decide what is necessary and what may be more of a perk. Having that list in advance will help you evaluate each home without letting your heart get set on something - whether it’s the perfect school district or that en suite in the master bedroom.

Whether purchasing your first home or downsizing for retirement, you can make a rational and strategic plan on how to ensure your new home - and life - is exactly what you’re looking for.

Sites like Zillow and Redfin are great resources for home-buyers and give a general idea when it comes to home statistics, but they are not always 100% accurate. The only way to be sure of a home’s history, value, comparables and other information is to hire a real estate agent who is well-versed in the area and price point of your search.

We can also set up a Collection based on your home specifications that will track the market, allow you to peruse all your home options and send automated price and status updates directly to your email.

Or you can download our search app!

Since marketing is limited, off market deals are typically harder to bring together, but they can be a great opportunity to get better pricing and terms for both parties.

Strong agents will have leads and connections regarding upcoming inventory just from community experience and previous outreach. If we have a buyer who has exhausted their search or if they are looking for something specific that isn’t on the market, we can send letters out to homeowners in the desired area and may be interested in selling.

Not all homes are alike, and neither is the buying process. But home buyers are often surprised to learn that new construction in particular has several nuances and differences from buying other homes.

For example, did you know that if you tour the property without an agent you are automatically agreeing to work with the developer as your representation? Always take your agent to new construction projects!

Multiple offers on a home should reassure you that you found a desirable property that will likely be easier to resell later. But you will need to make yourself stand out amidst other offers. Here are three ways:

#1 - Hire a strong agent. They will be able to collect information on what’s important to the seller (ex. Shorter escrow, rent back, etc) to draft a compelling offer.

#2 – Be competitive! Check your gut!

#3 - Think through your own terms. Speeding up or waiving a contingency can be very desirable for a seller, but this will depend on your own personal risk level and timeline.

It’s rare that a seller will accept your first offer - it’s all part of the process. But countering does take a certain amount of finesse, and you want to be sure the opposite side remains an ally. We can’t understate the importance of understanding the seller’s motivation when it comes to negotiation. This helps really key in on how to set your offer up for success.
Continue to ask a lot of questions, and remember that if you get too aggressive, it can work but you might have set yourself up to lose another aspect of the negotiation down the line. You typically can’t maintain the “winner takes all” approach throughout the entire process, so you want to aim for a mutually beneficial result.. Keep in mind: If someone is being forced to sell or buy - you may have different leverage points.