Today I am going to talk to you about a few things you need to do before shopping for a home. Buying a home is probably the single largest investment that you will ever make in your life so it is very important to understand the entire process. The following tips will help save time, money and headaches.
Number 5: Employment: It is very important to ensure that you have solid employment before buying a house. You should also try and keep your debt in check and to make sure that you aren’t overextending yourself. Maintain good credit so that you will be able to get a mortgage.
Number 4: Down payment: When buying a home, you will require down payment. You should save up at least 5% of the cost of a house as well as a little extra for closing costs such as lawyer fees, land transfer tax and a home inspection.
Number 3: Pre-approval – By getting pre-approved, you will know exactly how much you can afford so you don’t waste your time looking at houses that are above or below your price range. The other reason to get preapproved is so you can lock in an interest rate so that if the interest rates go up you will already have the best rate.
Number 2: Choose a good realtor to help you through the process. Buyers are able to choose a real estate agent the same way sellers can. The goal of a seller’s agent is to sell the house for the highest amount of money with the most favourable terms. Likewise, the goal of the buyer’s agent is to help the buyer purchase the house for the lowest price with the most favourable terms. Working with your own licensed realtor will ensure that you are not taken advantage of. A buyer’s agent will be able to tell you what the other homes sold for in an area as well as protect you with special offer conditions. They will also negotiate price and all the terms of any offers. Don’t risk buying a home without your own buyer’s agent.
And the Number 1 thing to do before shopping for a home is:
Determine your Wants and Needs: Work with your buyers agent to create a list of everything you want in a home. Some things to consider are: Area, Size, the total number of bedrooms & bathroom, the age of the house and the style of the home. Sometimes you need to look at a few houses before you find the one you like. Knowing what you want can help reduce the time it takes to search for a new home.
Shopping for a new home can be an exciting adventure. If you follow the tips above, you will be better prepared to start shopping for that perfect home.
If you are thinking about buying a house in the Waterloo Region and you would like to get started with this exciting adventure, please visit our website at www.clickthathouse.com or call us at 519-498-8118. Thanks for watching and see you next time!
We are a full-time real estate team in Waterloo Region, Woolwich & Wellesley Townships. We enjoy assisting buyers and sellers with the purchase or sale of real estate in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Elmira, Wellesley, Wilmot, Drayton and everywhere in between. If you would like us to help you with your home search, please check out our brand-newfree search website or if you are thinking of selling, get a free market evaluation.
Hi There! I am Warren McNeil from Team McNeil and Re/Max Twin City Realty in Kitchener
The Internet has changed the way we all communicate in this world. As a realtor, we need to constantly stay current with technology and utilize these new methods with our marketing. Technology, if used right, can make a huge difference when marketing a home for sale. Gone are the days of the big MLS book. According to the National Association Realtors, 84% of people start their home search onlne. So hiring a tech-savvy realtor is more important then ever to give you that edge you need to sell or buy your next home. Here are the top 5 reasons to hire a tech-savvy realtor.
Number 5 – Website
It is important that a realtor has their own website. In my opinion, websites are not optional they are mandatory. They serve many purposes. A realtor’s website should be able to display listings with lots of photos, detailed desctriptions of the property and an area for virtual tours as well as provide an easy way for prospective buyers to contact the realtor.
Number 4 – Print advertising
A realtor who utilizes both print advertising and the internet is better able to take advantage of both mediums strengths. Marketing a house for sale in the newpaper and leading the buyer to the website for more information is crucical for maximizing the marketing of a property. You still need both! A tech-savvy realtor understands that many consumers still rely on traditional advertising methods. So don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Number 3 – Mobility
Realtors must be able to access email or text messages while in the field. Prospective buyers want information rightaway so it is very imortant for realtors to have a PDA such as a Blackberry or an Iphone.
Number 2 – SEO or Search Engine Optimization
Realtors who have good search engine ranking ensures that your listings get found on the Internet. Realtor.ca is a great website but it is not the only website to rely on when it comes to marketing your home online. Buyers also use search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing to look for houses. Realtors who have their websites optimized will have a better chance at getting their house listings found.
Number 1 – Web 2.0 – Social media
The internet has become more interactive over the past 5 years. Having a website is not good enough. Realtors also need to blog, do videos, Twitter and use Facebook. These are all methods that are important for us to connect with clients, prospective buyers and prospective sellers. Having a realtor that utilizes some or all of this technology ensures that you hired the right person to do the job.
The good news is, technology will continue to evolve. As new technologies come out we must harness their effectiveness so we can all do our jobs more efficiently!
Thanks for watching and see you next time!
Thanks for reading!
Warren & Melanie McNeil | Sales Representatives, Team McNeil RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Brokerage ( 519.579.4110 | 519-498-8118
Here is a quick video I put together. This one is about the top 5 reasons to hire real estate agent to help buyers buy their next home. Please feel free to comment on the video and let me know what you think about it. If you want me to blog about something else in the future just send me an email or comment.
Today I am going to talk about the Top 5 Reasons to Hire a realtor to buy your next home. Buying a home is one of the biggest transactions that you will make in your entire life. So it is important to make sure that you don’t make any mistakes. A realtor knows all the ins and outs of the home buying process. Here are the top 5 reasons to hire a realtor to buy your next home.
Number 5
Realtors must abide by a strict code of ethics which embodies honesty, integrity and commitment
Number 4
Realtors offer Professional guidence. We can provide valuable advice so that you won’t overpay for a house
Number 3
Buyer advantage. We know the differences in the many homes on the market. We know the good areas, and can find out about upcoming listings which will give the you an advantage when searching for a home. And the very best part is, in most cases, our services don’t cost the you anything. The seller pays our service fee.
Number 2
Realtors understand the complexity of the transaction. We will make you aware of any environmental issues, special conditions and we work in conjuntion with legal professionials to ensure that the transaction goes smoothly.
And the Number 1 reason to hire a realtor is for our negotiation skills. A good realtor sells lots of houses and overtime has learned some good negotiation skills. Having a good negotiator is the key to getting the best deal possible.
Thanks for reading/watching!
We are a full-time real estate team in Kitchener Waterloo area. We enjoy assisting buyers and sellers with the purchase or sale of real estate in the Kitchener-Waterloo or Cambridge areas. If you would like us to help you with your home search, please check out our brand-newfree search website.
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Buyer Information,Buyers,Video Blogs — Tags: buyer advantage, buying a condo, buying a condo in kitchener-waterloo, buying a home, buying a home with a realtor, condominiums, home buying process, home search, house price, kitchener real estate, kitchener realtor, Kitchener-Waterloo, low interest rates, melanie mcneil, real estate market, team mcneil, tips for buying a house, video, video blog, vlog, warren mcneil —
wmcneil @ February 28, 2010 4:23 pm
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