Go slow to go fast when house hunting

When buyers first contact me, they often want to go see houses right away. Maybe they’ve been browsing listings for a while, and only reach out when they see one they want to go visit.

Ok…take a breath. I’m going to ask you to slow down a minute. I promise it will be worth it.

The process of buying a house is not the same as other transactions. It doesn’t have to be hard, but it does have its own flow, and the more you understand it and your role in it, the easier it will be.

So when we first meet, I’m going to ask you to sit down with me for a half-hour or so to go over a few things before we start the fun part of viewing houses. We’re going to talk about:

• Financing (Have you spoken to a lender? Do you need a referral? Do you have a budget and do you understand closing costs?)

• How offers are structured and how to make yours as strong as possible (inspections, appraisals, possession, inclusions/exclusions)

• What is in a purchase and sale agreement (what are you committing yourself to?)

• Agency: who represents whom and how and when your agent is paid

• Showing procedures

• Communication expectations (Are you a text or phone call person? Property alerts once a day or as they come?)

• Your wish list and whys (Do you want four bedrooms because you want two bedrooms and two offices or because you have a large family?)
  

This conversation is so important! You’ll be a much savvier buyer when we’re done so you can house-hunt with confidence. And I’ll be with you all the way!

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.