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Hi there and welcome I'm Roger V. I work behind-the-scenes here with the real estate team, and I want
to help you get your next home.
We're going to show you in this quick video the top ten tips to getting your next home
at the price you want, as well as the ten most common mistakes.
How that happens is five simple steps.
Step one is getting financially pre-approved.
We start by sketching out the money.
Getting financially pre-approved is usually free and it doesn't matter if it's six months
off or a far off dream or if you need to move today.
It's better to start that conversation early and find out how much money are you going
to need, and what can you really afford, and how does that translate, that monthly dollar
amount, translate into buying power in the marketplace.
Step two is the fun part: Shopping and looking at homes.
If you're buying a home with a loved one, this usually means carefully prioritizing
the things you really need and can agree on versus the things you want to or would like
to see.
Also most people develop a sense of home, and being safe at home, as a child between
six and nine, so the home you lived in as a child may play a role in your emotional
connection to a property.
Step three is writing purchase offers and finally getting one accepted.
We'll help you with all of this and explain the terms, and this is when you write that
first cheque which is cashed only if your offer is accepted.
This is called deposit money and it is to show that you're serious and qualified.
Step Four is your inspections and your contingencies which allow you to back out if there's any
problem while protecting yourself and getting more and more committed as you get further
into the transaction.
Step five getting the keys and moving in your physical life.
Tip number one is agent's help is free, to you, we are paid by the sellers and well before
you ever even see a property the seller has decided that it is worthwhile to pay a skilled
agent in the middle to help you find and identify and contract and deal with the legal issues
that go with purchasing their property.
So we're free and there are a lot of properties not available on the internet, so it makes
sense to use an agent.
Tip number two is start with the money.
Getting financially pre-approved costs nothing or at the very most very a little bit for
credit report and it is instrumental in helping to make sure that the money is there when
you decide to write an offer.
Agents realistically on the selling side are going to want to be sure that the money is
there if they accept your offer right so they're looking for a pre-approval upfront.
It also helps you translate what you want to spend per month and also what the bank
is going to let you spend per month, and that's going to factor in not just monthly but also
any down payment.
You can find out what the different purchase price is going to translate for you in terms
of monthly out in the market place.
Tip number three price like a scientist.
That means know the facts plan, and for resale.
We know you want to bargain and want to pay the lowest price possible.
The challenges is so does everybody else.
Fortunately not everyone needs and wants the same exact thing so what might be just a good
deal but not an amazing deal to everyone else could be in fact a fabulous deal for you because
it meets your exact specific personal needs including those of your lifestyle.
Financial return is just one reason of several to buy a home.
At the end of the day you're going to live here and it's going to influence your lifestyle.
Keep in mind the closer to retail price you pay, the more properties you will have to
choose from.
Throughout this process you're the boss, and you decide when to write low-ball offers but
keep in mind on every transaction there's a seller who wants to get as much money as
possible for their investment.
Tip number four: focus on what you can’t change.
The location, the lot size or the land, and the layout of the property.
Location is always some compromises as well in which you'll factor distance to work, or
areas you like, prices, school districts, and more.
The four “C” of condition, color, clutter, and cleanliness are all reasonably easy to
change.
If you're handy this is a chance to build some sweat equity and pick up a diamond in
the rough.
Because we do so much business by referral we also have recommendations for you to excellent
professionals to help you remodel and customize your new home to make it exactly what you
want.
As we see homes together remember focus on the location, the lot, and the layout, while
seeing past the four “C” of cosmetics can help you get a great home at a bargain
price.
Tip number five inspectors are your friends.
They are definitely there to protect you.
Home inspectors can also save you money and may provide a way for us to get the price
reduced on your behalf.
Appraisers will give the bank and you a formal estimate of value based on real world facts.
Together these professionals ensure that you are fully informed and they will virtually
always save you more money in the long run.
Tip number six: hire carefully and be aware that skilled agents make it look easy.
These days it seems like there's a lot of agents out in the marketplace, but like any
industry there are amateurs and hobbyists and then there are the real professionals.
For what is probably the most expensive transaction of your life, do you really want someone new?
While most real estate transactions look easy the legal issues, contract issues, complex
negotiation, and many moving parts involving various parties require a dedicated professional
like us.
On top of all of that while some agents mean well they simply don't have the technology,
tools, relationships, and systems in place and so they're left with good intentions but
not enough hours in the day.
Our technology has led you to see this video now and our team has transacted many millions
of dollars in real estate.
We want to be your agent and are very confident in our ability to help you.
Tip number seven is prioritize carefully.
Make sure and separate your needs that you really have to have, and your wants the things
you really want but maybe you don't quite need.
An extra bedroom that might be a want, but you certainly have a threshold of the amount
of space.
Or maybe for you it is location.
Whatever the case is we invite you to consider those priorities carefully and help us work
like a cruise missile help us hone in on that perfect property just for you by giving us
an honest assessment of your real priorities and feedback on properties we see.
Tip number eight is expect to resell or rent out down the road.
In addition to that I just want to touch on a concept that sometimes shocks especially
first-time buyers, and that is that there are three major reasons why your monthly housing
costs will go up.
One is you are transitioning from renting to owning.
Every time you move your monthly cost is going to go up.
Second if you just keep everything the same, but you move to a better area your monthly
cost is probably going to go up.
Third if you increase the amount of space that you have, that is also a reason why your
monthly costs will go up.
So what happens sometimes with first-time buyers is that they go from renting an apartment
in a certain area to buying more space in a better area and owning and then they wonder
why it's so much money, and it's because they bit off all three of those changes all at
once.
According to the US census the average American moves 11.7 times in their lifetime.
62% of home buyers are married couples and 67% are owner-occupied while 85% of homes
have three or fewer bedrooms.
We say all of this to welcome you to jump in, and statistically it is usually a second
or third home that people stay in the longest.
Tip number nine is don't wait for perfection.
That refers to both the perfect time and also the perfect property.
There's no such thing as a bad market or good market it's simply who has the power.
Is the market trending in favor of buyers or is it trending in favor of sellers.
These are the numbers and the dynamics that we can help you plan for, and we can chart
everything and we know the numbers too a "T".
Historically over the long run houses are one of the smartest investments you can make.
Simple inflation will eat the mortgage causing it to become a smaller percentage of your
paycheck.
The property value goes up because it's a physical item.
Just like coffee cost five cents fifty years ago or eighty years ago or a hundred years
ago, over time the value of money decreases while physical items increase.
Tip number ten is set up MLS alerts with an agent like us.
One of the trends today in the marketplace is that not all properties are available on
the internet because of the power and the dynamic basically that certain properties
are used by other agents to advertise.
So with growing trend is towards agents having more control of the available homes.
On top of all of that, agents, including us, always know about homes that are coming soon
and the seller is not quite ready, or "pocket listings" that are not yet on the MLS or the
internet, or even for sale by owner properties.
That sort of insider information could be exactly what you need to get the property
that you're looking for at the price that you want and get an insider jump.
That only happens if you're working with an agent like us.
The bottom line is we're experts and are help is free to you and by not working with us
you will miss out on potential homes that you may like so we'd love to help and it just
starts with a quick friendly chat about what you're looking for.
If you're ready to upgrade your lifestyle, we want to be there when that decision happens.
And for those who you hear about we want your referrals.
Your home is the number one influence on your lifestyle.
Why settle for second best?
We can help you get the home that you're looking for.
We truly are experts and we would like to help you find your next perfect home.
Call click or come by and see us.
Our help is essentially free.
We look forward to speaking with you soon.