Consider this your home buyer’s toolkit. Start start equipping yourself with the information necessary to make your best purchase. In most businesses, knowledge equals power, and real estate is certainly no exception.  Home prices are starting to bottom out.  All of this is very good if you are a first time homebuyer or a move up buyer that has owned your home for the past 5 years.  You have the opportunity to buy and take the ride back up.  Understand it will take 5 to 7 years before values are back to their 2006 peak.  And as you have heard countless times, you should think of your home primarily as a place to live and then as a long term investment.  That said, getting a sense of the price trends in this area will give you the confidence needed to make decisions that can save you a whole lot of money.  

I hope you enjoy the free reports I’ve provided, and I hope you learn a little more about what it takes to make your important purchase a great one.  The real estate market certainly is volatile, and all of the information about buying a home can be overwhelming. 

When you're ready, contact me for the latest advise on buying, investing or selling.

I work on behalf of my buyers.
I negotiate the absolute best price.
I negotiate a WIN win transaction.
I work to protect you.
I work to simplify the transaction as possible.

I look forward to working with you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jeanne

Your Agent
A successful purchase starts with the right representative. In fact, once you’ve selected the best agent to represent you, it is likely that he or she can recommend other professionals to join your team, taking more of the responsibility off of your shoulders.

Lender (Appraiser)
A bank is not just a bank. Having the right backer can be extremely important – it is your money we’re talking about after all! Make sure that your lender and financial representative is someone with whom you feel comfortable, and be wary of any lender who promises you more than you think you can reasonably afford. Your lenders may or may not require an independent appraisal, and typically will make arrangements for the appraisal themselves.

Lawyer
Your home purchase is far too important a transaction to skimp on legal representation at the risk of leaving yourself open to costly future issues. Find a lawyer who is willing to take the time to answer your questions and who specializes in real estate law.

Home Inspector
No home inspection is 100% guaranteed, but a few hundred dollars to catch a major problem now is certainly better than many thousands to correct that ‘surprise’ down the road. Ask your agent for a recommendation.

Contractor
Planning some renovations? You’re not the only one! The home renovation industry is booming, and in some markets, booking a contractor must be done months in advance (that’s a long time to go without a kitchen). Don’t let finding the right contractor slip through the cracks – planning ahead will almost certainly make your renovation smoother, and you contractor will appreciate the advance notice.

1.  Find the right representative
Even if you’re not quite ready to buy, your buyer’s agent can be an absolute wealth of information, and can often offer ‘scoops’ on local developments you might not have know about otherwise.  Speak to your agent first and he or she can be helping to guide you right from the start.

2.  Find out what your price range is
Online mortgage calculators are a good place to start, but as you get closer to being ready to buy, there is no substitute for a written mortgage pre-approval.  Just speaking to your lender is an extremely worthwhile venture – this is the only way to really get an in-depth picture of your overall financial picture and to discover exactly what you can reasonably afford to spend on a home (and possibly on renovating).

3.  Find out what your local market looks like
The internet can be incredibly valuable in doing preparatory research.  Start with your agent – he or she can direct you to valuable resources and immediately start e-mailing you real estate listings that may interest you (or at least give you a better idea of what your needs and wants are).

4.  Find out what your true needs and wants are
Compose a needs/wants list that takes into consideration your local market conditions, your price range, and the advice of your real estate agent.

5.  Find your dream home!
Once you’re ready to act, you may be surprised by how quickly you can make a decision.  Armed with your pre-approval, a little market knowledge, and your needs/wants list, call your real estate agent, hit the pavement, and when you see ‘the house’, put in an offer. 

With the right team behind you, it really can be that easy! 

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