The Right Way to Buy a Home
Homes are bought
and sold every day, but unfortunately not all buyers are truly ready
for the purchase. South
Florida residents
should want to be fully prepared before undertaking this huge
responsibility.
A good starting
point is to begin setting aside extra money. If you do this,
you will not be disappointed by a lack of funds to cover some of the
necessary costs in the purchase of a home. Most folks take the,
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there” approach. This can
only create apprehension and stress for buyers…especially buyers
who have fallen in love with a home they've already seen. Talk to a
competent REALTOR® who will counsel you on this issue.
Ask
questions! Don’t be afraid or intimidated into silence when a
question arises. Questions are really the answer to a lot of the
issues involved in the buying process. A good REALTOR®
understands this and should welcome any question you have regarding
the process.
Get
pre-approved, not pre-qualified. In contrast to getting
pre-qualified, getting pre-approved is the closest one can get to
actually having the money to buy a home. Pre-qualification is simply
crunching numbers to see if one has the potential to buy within a
particular price range without verification of data. This type of
home seeker is not attractive to a seller, as there is no veritable
substance behind the buyer’s desire to buy.
Select the
target areas for your search. Having a plan will involve the
selection of the neighborhood or communities you would like to survey
and evaluate. Stay within your price range when doing this. Pushing
your target goal for the home which may be just beyond your price
range can sometimes cause disappointment and frustration. Stay within
your price range when casually looking, and don’t dream beyond your
means. This means understanding what you can practically afford.
Do not opt to
buy equity with your labor. Unless you are a construction or
remodel expert, it is not advisable to buy a money pit (a home which
requires extensive repairs and possibly remodeling).
Do not expect
to find perfection. Most buyers eventually trade features and
amenities as compensating factors for the wants they gave up in their
selection of the right home. If you have ever made a home purchase
you know what I am talking about.
My
name is Cheryl
Lopes
and I, along with my proven team of real estate professionals, want
to be your biggest advocate and 'one-stop' resource provider for all
real estate and related information. Let
me show you how to experience the wonderfully powerful results of
highly effective marketing today!