Purchasing a home is not as easy as it sounds. You have to really toil hard and break your sweat to make the worthy deals come your way.
Few investors have knowledge of the realty market and with little research, they generate effective results, but many investors lack sound knowledge and find property hunting to be a tedious affair. Here real estate agents can come to the rescue and can prove to be a helping hand in making right property deals.
Real estate agents are the active players in the market who keep a consistent tap on the realty scenarios. Hiring services of these professionals’ help the investor to better understand the home buying process and accomplish better deals.
Take a glance further and read on to know how a realty agent can help in home buying task:
Finance
The elementary task of home buying commences with identifying the purchasing power of the investor. The financial condition or the borrowing capacity needed to be revealed to the broker.
If the agent is furnished with the right information about the current debts, available savings, income and amount which can be borrowed, he can refer the contacts of the lenders who are best qualified in the domain. They help with the right knowledge of the banks and the mortgage companies, easing down the complex task.
Potential Sites
Once you are done with the finances and have a budget before you, the next step is to find out the best sites. Real estate agents help you with potential realty locations.
This saves your time and energy. Most brokers maintain records of available properties and as per the budget spent by the investor, the opportunities are filtered, this saves a lot of time usually wasted in hunting irrelevant properties.
Remember while hiring a realty agent you ought to undergo adequate probe. Associate with experienced players and those who have a licensee.
Probe to know whether the agent is registered member of National Association of Realtors or not, it is a real estate trade association and the registered member are supposed to abide by 17 Article codes of ethics. In fact, a listed agent has several resources which can help in the right property search.
Choose and choose it right
The agent also helps in the selecting process. It is a time when your emotions and excitement may run high. You may lack to notice the nuts and bolts; here the real estate agents may help you by objectively analyzing the property.
The registered realtors have access to wide information pertaining to the local community, zonal facilities, utilities, and others.
Investor basically needs to analyze two important things, primarily, does the property provides an ambiance desired for home or investment and secondly, does the property under consideration have a resale value or not.
Negotiation
Being a first time player, an investor may prove to be naïve when it comes to negotiation. There are myriad of factors where negotiation is required and investor alone may fail to produce effective results.
It’s not only the price of the property that needs negotiation but other important things as in date of possession and terms and condition also entail probe and research. A competent agent may skillfully help to decide upon what to choose and what to drop.
Careful Analysis
With an agreement in hand, it’s a time to evaluate all the brass tacks carefully to avoid blunders later. The inspections could include faulty structure, quality of construction, dilapidated and worn out doors and windows, septic tanks and damaged boundary walls.
Though your agent might not be qualified for these needful checks, still he can arrange for some eligible personnel who can conduct necessary preliminary checks to furnish an adequate report of the condition of the property.
Title of ownership is another important thing which has to be kept in mind. Once all the details are finalized the monetary deals can be made.
Deal closure
A real estate broker helps in deal closure as each and every area has its own customs and realty norms to comply with. In some parts of the world, escrow companies handle the process of title transfer whereas in some parts attorney handles it.
Smart Questions to Ask Sellers, Realtors, and Inspectors
Many home buyers are tempted to quickly jump into buying a home if they’ve let their emotions get the best of them before getting all the facts, especially first-time home buyers. It’s wise to make a list of everything you need to know and ask either the seller, realtor, or home inspector any questions you have prior to signing on the dotted line.
Among other things, your main questions should be about the offering price, the condition of the home, and the location of the home in question. By being inquisitive about all aspects of the home, you’re more likely to buy a home that you’ll be satisfied with instead buying a property without knowing what you’re getting into.
Read also: A Few Things to Know Before You Get A New Home
Let’s Talk Price
Before settling on a price, home buyers are smart to look at other homes in the neighborhood and compare prices. Sometimes, the asking price isn’t accurately relevant to other neighborhood homes or the actual market value of the home itself.
Don’t start attacking the seller with questions about price until you have done your homework. Do your research first, and then get additional information from the seller or your realtor so that you can make an informed decision.
• How much money does the seller owe on the home? You may be looking at a short sale if the seller owes more than what they’re asking for.
• How much money did the seller pay for the home? This will help determine if home market values have increased or decreased since the seller purchased the home.
• What have similar homes in the neighborhood sold for? This will greatly determine the value of the home you’re thinking of buying.
• How long has it been on the market? Are there multiple offers? If the property has been on the market for some time, there might be a reason—having this information can help you in your decision. If there are multiple offers on the property, that might show you how desirable the property is.
• Has the seller received any other offers? How strong does my offer need to be to compete with others?
Condition of the Home
When it comes to the condition of the home, there is a lot to consider, no matter how great it looks to the naked eye. According to the professionals of Pest Detective who specialize in pest control in Chilliwack, there are many hidden dangers that could be lurking in the home that you might not notice when walking through during an open house.
It’s important to ask the owners several questions about the home, but you’ll also want the opinion of the inspector or a qualified professional. You will want to consider any deferred maintenance or structural issues before buying a home since this will cost you extra money later down the road.
• How new is the roof? A sound roof should ideally last between 20 – 50 years, depending on the materials used.
• What type of foundation is the home built on? Many home buyers fail to take a good look at foundations. Is it in good condition?
• How well insulated are the walls and attic? Is the home properly sealed?
• Has the home been tested for radon? Is there a system in place to address those issues? Have you ever had problems with pests? When was the home last sprayed for bugs or fumigated?
• How new are the appliances? Which appliances will come with the price of the house?
• Ask many questions regarding electrical and plumbing: How old is the water heater? Is the electricity up to code? Any problems with either the furnace or central air conditioning unit?
Home Location
When it comes to real estate, it’s always – location, location, location. Depending on the location, a home may significantly increase in value and if you’re not familiar with the area, you definitely need to do some digging.
Yes, specifics about the home itself are important, but you don’t want to get stuck in a neighborhood that you’re unhappy with even if you like the house.
A realtor should be able to give you helpful information about the neighborhood, and the homeowner might have some good insights on the location if they have lived there for a while.
• What other types of properties are nearby? Is it near an industrial park, other noisy businesses, or railroad tracks?
• What about neighborhood demographics and safety? If possible, try to talk to homeowners that live in the area.
• How great is the school district? This is a huge deal to parents with younger children and could literally make or break the sale.
• Check out the crime rate of the area. Any local sex offenders? Burglaries?
• What about nuisance factors? Is the home located near heavy traffic or busy stores? Any dogs in the neighborhood that bark incessantly? Also, how well do the neighbors maintain their yards?
Some of these questions may seem a bit overboard. But, if you intend to buy a home, it’s wise to know as much as can since you’ll likely be living there for quite some time.
Yes, you can do your own research, but you need to get as much information as possible in order to make a sensible, informed decision. Get advice from the seller, a real estate professional, and other home professionals who can give you sound advice.
If you gather as much information as you can about the home, you’re not likely to choose a property that you’ll be dissatisfied with later.
Your Home Buying Team
For those who are not familiar with the home buying process, the most successful home buying partnerships do not exist in a vacuum. A team of people works with you to ensure that your home purchase runs as smoothly and as quickly as possible.
Each situation is different and each home buyer is unique but here are a few of the professionals to consider working with on your journey.
Housing Counselor
The housing counselor is a trained professional who generally works for a non-profit housing organization.
This counselor may provide homebuyer education, financial literacy training and a whole host of other education and training in an effort to prepare you for successful homeownership. They can help you with locating a real estate agent, a lender and all the other professionals you will need to purchase a home.
In some agencies, they even help you look for that home. If this is your first home, it will be beneficial to contact your local housing counseling agency and avail yourself of their services.
Real Estate Agent
Licensed by the state with very specialized training, the real estate agent is an important member of your home buying team. The real estate agent is trained to sell houses.
Your real estate agent will know what kind of home you are looking for and other characteristics like neighborhoods you are interested in and the price range you are looking in. Your real estate agent will show you homes that match your criteria and represent your interests in the home buying process.
Lender
Almost everyone who purchases a home will need a lender. 99% of those buying a home will need a home loan. Also known as a mortgage loan, you get the loan to purchase your home through a lender.
A mortgage lender can be a bank, credit union, savings and loan, mortgage companies, mortgage brokers among other things. This may very well be the biggest loan you ever get because a home is generally the most expensive item a person ever buys.
Because of this, mortgage loans are a complex process, much more so than simply applying for a credit card or financing the purchase of a refrigerator at the local appliance store.
This process is extremely complex and one reason why it is good to have some form of homebuyer education and housing counseling assistance through the process because they know the process and can answer any questions you may have and help you answer any questions a potential lender may have.
Housing Inspector
After your offer on a home has been accepted, you will hire a housing inspector to check the structure of the house. He will also check the mechanical parts of the property and will write a report detailing all of the major problems with the property.
If this is your first home, go with the inspector and he will show you where important features are and give you good advice on maintenance.
If he finds any critical problems you and your real estate agent may very well contact the seller and opt out of the contract or ask the seller to fix any problems found in the inspection. Work closely with your team members to ensure that your home buying needs are being met.
Closing Attorney
Except in some areas where signatures on the final papers are done in advance and mailed in, the final step in the home buying process takes place at the closing attorney’s office. All of the forms will be signed, the deed transferred and the keys handed over.
States are different and your counselor will help you during this process since they will be familiar with the process in your state. The closing attorney in most instances will have done the title search and have prepared all the closing documents before your meeting on the settlement date.
The documents you sign in the attorney’s office will explain the rights and responsibilities you have with regard to your mortgage loan and will be filed with the local authorities.