4 Key Steps to Buying a Home

1)      Find a Good Realtor.

A good Realtor buys and sells houses for people on a regular basis. They know the market, and will help you figure out what is most important in your search. They also will have a grasp of different financing programs, and will be able to guide you to the appropriate lender that best serves your needs.

A Realtor does not cost the home buyer any money. Commissions are paid by the seller from their net proceeds. By the way, I happen to be a good Realtor! Give me a call!

2)      Get Pre-Approved by a Lender.

This is where I always start with my clients. When I first became a Realtor, I took a client around looking at homes, and they found their perfect home and fell in love. We then talked to a mortgage broker and found out they couldn’t afford this home. It was heartbreaking!

Taking this step will let you know how much home you can qualify for, and more importantly, will give you an idea of what a monthly payment will actually be so you can make sure it fits in your budget.

Once I get an approved amount from a lender, I set up a search through our MLS of homes that meet my client’s criteria within that price range. They let me know which ones they want to see, and I schedule the showings.

3)      Have realistic expectations.

You must have a little give and take. If I got my clients everything they wanted, I would be a Realtor God! The truth is that you have to take the good with the bad, and decide which option on the market best fits your needs.

4)      Be Prepared for Obstacles.

Murphy’s law states that if something can go wrong, it will. I have very seldom had a real estate transaction happen without some sort of obstacle to overcome. The key is to be resilient and calm through the transaction. There may be glitches in financing.  Inspections often times turn up things that Buyers get leery of. Sometimes offers get rejected and the Seller accepts another one.

The thing I have learned in this business, and in life in general, is that situations usually end up turning out just the way they are supposed to. When things don’t go your way in a deal, that probably means there is another deal out there waiting on you that will work out better.

 

 

Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent and Top Contributor, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.