“I really appreciate your help with finding us a new home! Your willingness to go above and beyond made it happen! You are an excellent agent and I will recommend you to everyone.” Betsy – March 2010
Use a Realtor
Even if it is not going to be me (I hope that it is) there are many benefits to working with a Realtor. As Realtors we have access to our “internal” MLS system. We see listings as soon as they hit the market, sometimes 24 to 48hrs before the general public sees them on the MLS. This allows us to send notification out to our buyers the minute these listings pop up giving them a chance to see the real great deals right away. I cannot count the number of times I have had potential buyers contact me to see a property only to find out that it has already sold. Their response is that “it just hit the MLS today” and while this is true, we as Realtors have already been working with this listing for 24-48hrs.
Get pre approved
There is no point searching for homes you can’t afford. Use a qualified mortgage specialist to get you a pre approval. This pre approval will give you the amount that based on your income and expenses you are approved up to. Don’t forget to factor in your down payment. If you have managed to save up 20% of the asking price you will save yourself the CMHC fees. Discuss this and other options with your qualified mortgage specialist.
Narrow your search
Now that you know how much you can spend start to identify where, specifically, you want to live. As a qualified Realtor I have the ability to set up a custom search just for you! Using my access I will set up a search that while broad at first will become more and more specific as we work together to find the right home for you!
Be ready
There is no telling when the right home for you is going to become available. Together we will work hard with to narrow your search down. I will send you listings that match the criteria we have worked together to establish. We could see the right home on the first day, or a month down the road. I have the patience to see as many homes as you feel you need to see. However when the right home comes available you should be ready to jump on it. To find out more on what steps you should begin to think about give me a call.
Have an inspection
Whether it is your first home or your 10th I am believer in having a sound home inspection. I will do my best as we go through a home to point out any deficiencies I see. When we go to put in an offer I want it to be an offer based on the current condition of the home to the best of our knowledge. If the home inspection brings forward issues that were unforeseen we will have to re-evaluate the situation together. A condition can bring to light conditions that may affect the offer price.
