Buyers

You cannot start to look for a home until you know what you are looking for. Figure out what kind of home you want to live in, what location your prefer and what kinds of features and amenities you want to have. Your agent can help you identify your preferences.

For instance, CENTURY 21 S.G.R. takes clients through a targeted exercise to uncover priorities and criteria that buyers may not have considered. CENTURY 21 S.G.R., also interviews buyers to find a location that is best suited to their lifestyle and where they work. It tries to identify the best product that fits their lifestyle.

You will want to know how much home you can afford before you start seriously looking. There is no point daydreaming about homes that are not within your budget. By working with a mortgage lender, you will know what price range to be exploring, and you will be viewed as a serious buyer by sellers and their real estate agents.

You should get pre-approved right away. In fact, CENTURY 21 S.G.R. agents are instructed not to work with a buyer unless he or she ahs a pre-approval letter. Often times, the price will define the product you can buy, such as, a condo or town home, or single-family home. There is a protocol to be followed: it is just common sense.

When you are ready to check out some listings, the Internet is a valuable and convenient resource.

These days, the Internet is being used for initial searches. People are identifying their own properties and their own locations, but they should still hire an agent. You want their expertise and you want them to represent you in the negotiations, and refer you to other professionals.

CENTURY 21 S.G.R. is enhancing its Web site, century21sgr.swiftcheckin.com, to focus on information about neighborhoods, school systems, new developments, and hints on buying new constructions, and more. The site also features an e-mail Q&A feature, century21sgr.swiftcheckin.com, where an agent will answer your questions within one business day.

After you have gotten your financial ducks in a row, you are ready to start physically looking at homes for sale. To get a feel for what is out there, try to attend open houses as often as possible, especially in communities you like. Even if the home you view is not entirely what you want, you may pick up some good pointers about what to look for in the future, or ideas about features and considerations you had not thought of.

How many properties should an agent show you? An inexperienced agent will show many more than as necessary. It is the obligation of the agent to look at every property and eliminate those that do not fit the standards in construction or reputation. An experienced agent will show a lot fewer properties to a first-time home buyer. That makes the process more efficient.

When you are looking at new construction, the thing to look at is the structure itself. Do not focus on the decorations of the model. Instead, focus on the quality of the roof, the windows, sound abatement qualities and the exterior materials. You want a builder who that is using all stone and brick.

With a condo or townhouse, transmission of noise is important. Many builders just use drywall between the units, and it is a poor sound abatement vehicle. You want a building that has concrete block separation between the units. You also want to look at the vertical separations: is it just wood joist, or is there some concrete there?

Avoid buying a building with too much concrete block on the exterior. It is open to penetration of water if not installed and treated properly. Besides, if the builders are using inexpensive materials on the outside, they might use inexpensive materials on the inside too.

 By having your credit checked with other companies, it may result in a lower credit score and affect your approval.

Most people make the mistake of waiting until just before closing to have insurance. By calling around sooner you can have time to find the best insurance for you.

You may be asked to supply recent bank statements, please check to make sure all payments have cleared and your accounts maintain a positive balance.

Moving your money or making large deposits can cause confusion with the verification process and you will be asked to explain any large deposits made into your accounts over the last 3 months.

Due to the probability of having to re-verify your credit history prior to closing, you should always pay all bills when due, without exception.

Avoid increasing the balance on your credit cards because this will increase your minimum payment due and may have a negative impact on your overall credit score.

 Changing jobs before or during the loan process can create a real problem in qualifying you for the loan.

A large purchase can affect the amount of home you may qualify for and during the loan process it can make it extremely difficult to get your loan approved.

Your loan officer will advise you if it is necessary to pay off bills in order for you to qualify for a loan. He or she will also show you the best way to pay off bills to make sure you have the evidence needed to verify the bill has been paid off.