Buying a House

• Where do you want to live? Do you want to be close to schools, shopping or work?
• What kind of house would you like (need)? Are you looking for a particular style? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want? Do you want a yard?
• Do you need old constrcution or new construction?
• How much house can you afford? Have you consulted a Realtor or mortgage lender to determine the size of the mortgage you would qualify for?

Here are a few buying house tips to help you get organized:

• Get your credit report and see if the information is accurate. If you find any issues, get them corrected.
• Look for real estate listings on Realtor.com and zillow.com and get a feel what kind of houses are listed and in what prices. This gives you a good feel about the prices.
• Go for the open houses on the weekend. Looking at a few different houses may provide you more ideas for things you'd like in a house but haven't thought of yet.
• Start the process to save money and make more money - one needs to have cash on hand for a down payment and closing costs.
• Don't incur any additional debt. Pay down your credit cards - and don't apply for any new ones. Don't make any major purchases on credit - buy the furniture or car later.
• Check online or check with the bank and get to know and get to know how much you can afford.   

• They have the knowledge and experience. You don't need to know everything about buying and selling homes if you hire a real estate professional who does.
• They are familiar with the process of selling a home and can explain things to you.
• They can easily access information on all desired properties listed for sale by Realtors in your area.
• They can set up appointments for you to see homes that interest you.
• They will help you complete all the necessary paperwork when it comes time to make an offer.
• They will help you arrange financing.
• They can identify comparable sales and provies these facts to you
• They can provide you data on schools, crime or demographics in the neighbourhood you are looing to buy.
• Based on market supply, demand and the conditions, the agent will devise a negotiation strategy.
• Real estate agents know other professionals(escrow, title, fixure/repair personnel) many of whose services you will need to buy or sell. They do know which vendors have good reputation for efficiency, competency and competitive pricing. Agents can, however, give you a list of references with whom they have worked and provide background information to help you make a wise selection.
• They will be there at closing to answer your questions and make sure everything runs smooth.