Home Buying Tips: Target an Area that you & your family can agree on together; the sooner you realize your ideal location, the sooner your chances are at finding a home that's right for all of you! Choose a Lender that will work fast and efficiently; ask your agent who they work best with; most of the time if you love your agent, you'll love their referral! Budget your finances realistically; (what can I afford?); ask yourself honestly & give yourself enough room for unexpected surprises; owning a home is more than just taxes & mortgage payments. Think ahead; "What if the furnance goes out?"
Make a list of wants & needs in your home, listing them from most important to least important - Set aside time to meet with your agent and go over your goals and dates to purchasing
- NEVER over budget; read # 3!
- Think about the home structurally and finacially; walls can be re-painted; Don't walk away from a great home, just because it needs carpet and paint; These things are replacable & if you do it yourself, you'll consider the cost trivial!
- Ask for an inspection; it's typically 400.00$ on top of your other expenses, but it may end up saving you 10x's that; If you can't afford an inspection, you usually can't afford the house!
- Manage your time well; the home buying process can be draining, so don't overwhelm yourself, this is a very important time & should be fun!
- Ask TONS of questions; no question is a BAD question, the more information you have the better your chances of making good decisions!
- Take your time & make sure you are not rushing into a home you don't love
- Communicate with your lender regularly; gather any & ALL financial records to make your qualification process faster & easier for everyone
- Look into Grant Programs that can find you MONEY & help you get into your home
- Try NOT to look past problems in the home; just because it has granite doesn't mean it's a great home, especially if the roof is bowing and buckling. Be honest about the home, good & bad, keep a home quality list
Buying Check List-Get Orginized before you Buy your Home! Use this helpful CheckList to, make notes about each property, keep track of what each home needs & what you liked & disliked! _______________________ ___________________________  LENDERS206-679-4817 _________________________________  John HunterCedar River Mortgage 425.413.4400 |
Home Selling Tips: - Find an Agent that knows your area & can give your home a fair market comparison; if the Agent knows the area, &/or has sold a property there recently, there is a better chance they will have your valuation sooner & in most cases, much more accurately
- Talk to a Stager if you are unsure of what should stay and what should GO; many times they offer FREE consultations; home owners fail to realize, Staging pays for itself; the return on a staged home is an average 3% more on the sale price & often result in a home selling 33%-80% sooner
- Talk to a Lender if you are planning on purchasing a new home; ask them what you will need to do in order to expidite your financing
- Start LOOKING NOW! The sooner you find a home you love, the more determined you will be to sell sell sell!
- Pack up ALL unnessesary items and keep them in a storage unit; garages sell homes, no need to clutter that up as well; All areas of your home should feel open & airy, allowing buyers to breath
- Be REALISTIC about the value of your home; the market is changing constantly; remember, you may not be able to get exactly what you wanted; but you'll walk away with a SALE! & above all, trust your agent!
- Communicate with your Agent, hold Open Houses & be available at all times; you never know when you may be getting an offer!
- Don't forget about the exterior of your home; if you are thinking about changing anything, look outside; it's the first thing a potential buyer will see!
- ALWAYS leave your home during Open Houses & showings; you don't want uncomfortable buyers in 'someone elses home'
- Light candles and keep your home 'fresh'; dirty laundry or greasy food smells are NOT going to keep buyers lingering as long as the smell will; think 'homey' cookies etc.
- PETS & BAD HABITS are hard hide, but when you have a home on the market, you NEVER want either of them around, especially during a showing or Open House; take your animals to another home temporarily, until your home is sold; potential buyers do NOT want to see or smell your life style & definitely NO SMOKING!
Selling check List-Selling your home? Stay one step ahead of the competition. Use this useful CheckList for tips on what to clean, what to fix & where to begin! Also includes a self evaluation of the condition of your home! __________________________________________________  INSPECTORS(360)970-1121 |
