Recipe for the best home-buying experience

Recipe for the perfect home-buying experience

 

To make your home-buying experience the very best you need just the right mix of certain people and services. Below is a good strategy to follow to give you the best outcome and best home for your family.

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There are 2 things sharing the #1 spot because both are a fabulous way to start your process. Your main ingredients are a great lender and a great REALTOR®.

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#1 Lender - When it comes to your hard earned money, you want someone who will always have your back...someone who will help you choose the best deal for your family and that is a great lender. Gone are the days of 20% down payments for everyone. With all of the new opportunities that are available to buyers between down payment assistance, different incentives and loans you can buy on almost any budget these days. Getting pre-qualified with a lender will help you in making your offer as solid as possible. Also, it jumps starts the whole process and helps in making the closing time shorter. Check out some of the great programs our friend Brian has over at CMG Financial.

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#1 REALTOR® - Finding a great REALTOR® to help you through the process is your icing on the cake, if you have the right one they will make the process so sweet and fun for you. Your REALTOR® will help with every step, from helping you find a lender if you need one, setting up specific searches for homes then creating showing tours, helping you find the right inspector, make sure all paperwork is done on time, getting you the best deal on the home you love, sticking with you to the closing table and answering any questions that you might have along the way. The right REALTOR® can make the process amazing, but the wrong one can make it a nightmare, so do your homework and interview more than one!

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#2 Home Inspector – So you have found a home you love and put in an offer, during your option period you will need one very important thing…a home inspection. This will help you ensure that you are making the best buying decision possible. You want to make sure everything is on the up and up, all of the electrical and plumbing are working correctly and up to code, all of the appliances are working properly, the windows are not leaking, the ductwork looks right, the foundation isn’t shifting, etc. Your inspector will spend about 3 hours at the home going over every part and checking for any deficiencies that might be there. Then you can be confident that your home is in good condition, and if there is something that comes up, you can then negotiate with the sellers on how to fix it. Inspectors are chosen by the buyer and your agent can help get you information on some of the best in the business. One company we love to work with is Scott and Suzie from Green Loads Services.

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#3 Home Warranty Company – Once you have chosen your home, made the offer, negotiated and settled on everything then you will start the closing process. Part of that process should include selecting a home warranty company. A home warranty will provide additional coverage to your homeowners or renters insurance. There are many to choose from so you want to do your homework, read reviews and speak to at least 3 different ones before deciding.

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#4 Title Company – In many cases the seller has already chosen a title company to work with on the sale of their home, sometimes it has not been chosen or you can request a different one. Title is the one who will see the contract through to the closing table. They will be responsible for making sure all of the documents and information get to all of the right people. A good title company is imperative, they are typically on top if things before you even know you need it! I love to work with Cheryl over at Capital Title her and her team will make the contract to close process a dream and then help you have the quickest and easiest closing possible.

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#5 Locksmith – This will be your last step for your new home. Once you have signed the stack of papers on closing day you will get the keys to your new home! One of the things you will want to do is find a local locksmith and have them come re-key all of the locks in the home. That way you are ensuring that there are no other old copies of the keys floating around anywhere. Security for your family is number one, so you don’t want to take any chances.

 

So there you go…the homebuying process can and should be a super fun and exciting time for everyone. Do a little research, find the right agent and get started on finding the perfect home for your family today!

 

Jenn Griffith, REALTOR®

If you are in the market to buy, sell or lease I would love to earn your business...give me a shout at 512-970-5130