Ready To Start Your First Home Search With A Realtor? What To Know
Posted on: 31 March 2016
Share
If you have a date scheduled to go through some houses with a local real estate agent, there are a few things you want to do to prepare for the big day. You want to make sure that you are ready to react if you find your dream home and that you can be smart about your purchase.
The agent should know what you are looking for in a house, and should be able to show you all the properties that interest you on the MLS. Here are a few things you'll want to consider.
Get a Preapproval Letter
You want to know how much you can realistically spend on the property, and the bank will tell you that with a preapproval. Some homeowners may also require that you have a preapproval letter before you put an offer in on a house. You want to be sure you know your budget and you're ready to make an offer before you waste your time or the realtor's.
Make Sure Your Agent Isn't the Listing Agent
Look at the properties that your agent has picked out for you in advance, and see if they are the listing agent on any of the properties. It can become a sticky situation when you are using the agent that is representing the homeowners. They were under contract with the homeowners first, and they have the sellers best interest in mind. It's best to avoid this situation if possible, and you may have to get your own agent.
Walk Through a House Twice Before Making an Offer
You are going to notice a lot of things when you walk through a house the second time, opposed to the first time you see a property. You want to walk through a house at least twice before you make an offer, and you want to walk through the house during the daylight so you can clearly see the exterior of the property and the inside in natural light.
It can be exciting meeting with a realtor and potentially buying your first property, but you want to make sure you do things right to make the best financial investment possible. Getting your preapproval letter from a mortgage lender and finding out how much you can spend will help you narrow down your house search, and it will help your real estate agent find the perfect home for your lifestyle.