Buying Help

I'm frequently asked questions such as "Where do I go for help with buying?" and "How do I know that this is a good time to buy?" See below for a response I recently gave someone, and give me a call, even if you just want to talk about the process of buying.

"You have a lot of questions in your note – many of which depend on your specific circumstances, but here’s my quick response: go talk to a real estate agent. Even if it isn’t me that you talk to, I can tell you that starting with an agent is the way to go. We usually do not cost the buyer a dime, as we are normally paid at closing out of the seller’s proceeds. What this means is that you can talk with an agent for free and get direction on your search. We maintain relationships with people throughout the industry such as mortgage professionals, so we can help you to find out exactly what your financial parameters are, what sort of loans you can qualify for, and what all of this would mean as far as how much house can you afford. Once you’ve done this, you can work with your real estate agent to start viewing properties – you can even do this online while you’re still in the preliminary stages.

You asked about the current market - I’ve forwarded the flyer below to show you the kinds of deals that are available out there – this one happens to be one of my listings, but there are many homes on the market right now that are similarly well priced. It is an ideal time to buy real estate, as money is cheap (and getting cheaper every day) and there are many good deals on the market. As many people are predicting, I think that there are many people like yourselves who are “waiting out” the market to find the bottom, and then they’ll get serious about finding a property. What I keep recommending is that people get ready now by meeting with a realtor, connecting with a mortgage professional and getting ready for buying.

So, to summarize: Step one – talk to a real estate professional. I’d be happy to meet with you anytime to walk you through the process. After that, you should speak with a mortgage professional about the financial aspects of purchasing real estate. The bottom line is that if you can comfortably afford $1,100 a month, you might as well be building equity in your own home instead of helping your landlord build equity in theirs."

Good luck with your home buying process, and let me know if I can be of assistance.