Despite your best intentions you may be overwhelmed by the home buying process. Without a strong plan in place you’ll be subject to dangerous impulse buys which eat into your life savings and add stress to your life. Minimize your home buying anxiety by developing a strong foundation for your due diligence campaign. Start by finding a good real estate agent in your target neighborhood to make your life easier.
Locate an Agent
How do some people find their dream homes in record time and at the best price? Instead of trying like heck to chase down every opportunity these buyers pay for information. Proven, successful real estate agents have stores of knowledge nobody else owns. These folks know what moves and why it moves in their neighborhoods. Although you can find good information on the internet an agent adds experience in specific areas to the mix. Sure you may get a hot tip or 2 through a helpful article or blog post but agents have decade’s worth of experience in getting the right home for the right price and you can’t recreate that level of knowledge through a quick, brief online search.
You can start your real estate agent due diligence campaign online but add legwork by sitting down for an in person interview. Do the work that lazy home buyers avoid to enjoy the bargains that lazy home buyers miss.
Ask the prospective agent 10 to 15 questions regarding their career experience. How many homes have they helped home owners buy in a target area? Are they experienced selling homes within your price range? Identify a match by asking as many questions as possible. If a real estate agent truly cares about you beyond the potential commission they’ll be happy to answer your questions thoroughly.
Ask for referrals too. Good agents should flow to you through word of mouth marketing. Ask friends, family members and co-workers if they’ve work with a good agent to build your watch list with trusted individuals. Nothing makes your search easier than asking trusted friends and family members for referrals.
Buy What You Need Not What You Want
Although you’re entitled to treat yourself to a few bells and whistles going over budget can create a terribly stressful situation in the long run. Don’t take out a mortgage you can’t afford on a home you don’t need. List your requirements in a home. Take the needs of your family into account. From commutes between work and school to the number of bedrooms for your growing family decide what you need to function without going batty. If you want some frills feel free to add a few. Just don’t go overboard because taking on a mountain of debt to experience a few luxuries is a foolish, short-sighted decision.
Buy into the Neighborhood before you Buy a Home
Buy a home after you bought into the neighborhood. The area plays a chief role in your decision because factors like commutes, crime statistics and the proximity – and personalities – of your neighbors can be blessings or can take a heavy toll on your life. Buy into the neighborhood prior to purchasing the right home for you and your family.