SO YOU'RE THINKING OF BUYING A HOME?

First off, congratulations! For most, this is a major accomplishment and also a very exciting time. I'm sure your mind is riddled with questions on where to start and what to do. Not to worry! We are about to take a dive into the 3 stages of buying a home and simplify the process for you. 

Step 1. Prep Work

Before you start anything, you should seriously consider weather you're ready to buy a home. Take into consideration the following questions:

1. Is the timing right for me?
2. Have I been pre-approved for a mortgage?
3. Am I ready to take on this financial responsibility?

If you can answer yes to all 3, then you are well on your way to home ownership! Some may have said yes to questions 1 and 3 but maybe you haven't been pre-approved for a mortgage. Not to worry, all this takes is getting in touch with your local banking institution or recommended mortgage broker and asking for a pre-approval. Within a short time, you will be giving a price on what you can afford to buy! If you need help with this step, and would like a mortgage broker to help pre-approve you, click here and we can send someone we trust and refer consistently to our clients. 

Step 2. The Search

Now that you have been pre-approved, it's time to get started on looking at homes. We call this step, "Market Education". Home prices vary on location and area so it's important to get familiar with what your budget can afford in your local real estate market. Also, this is when you want to make a "Needs and Wants List". It's good practice to write down what your looking for in a home. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Style of home
2. Bedrooms and bathrooms
3. Lifestyle (close to parks, trails, water, accommodations) 
4. Location

Keep in mind, you may not check off every box on your list. Nothing is exactly perfect, but order your list on what is most important to you and your "non-negotiables" and work from there. It's best to connect with a professional real-estate agent to help get you started on this. They will be able to send you homes that match your budget, organize your showings to see homes, and keep track of homes you visit to help navigate this step for you. 

Step 3. The Offer

So you found the one! Now what? Well not to worry, this step, as daunting and as stressful as it may seem, is actually one of the easiest and here's why...

Once you found your home, you'll then want to inform your real-estate agent who's been helping you. From there, the agent will ultimately guide and explain the entire offer to you. They will include conditions and clauses that protect your best interests and advise you on how to move forward. A good real-estate agent will provide you with sold properties and a market analysis of the area to make sure the price you are paying is fair and you're not overpaying for the home. The agent does everything for you in this step and the best part, it's free! You heard that right, working with a buyer real estate agent is free in most cases (be sure to ask your real estate agent if there is any hidden fees). 

If you are feeling adventurous, and really want to know more.... you can get a complete break down on how the entire process works, step by step, with our free home buyers guide. 

Just click FREE HOME BUYERS GUIDE and it will take you through the full process.  

If you would like to interview me to help guide you through the home buying process, just send me an email at [email protected] or click here to contact me! It's completely free, with no obligation! 

With almost a decade in the industry, I take a genuine approach, leading with informative decisions to protect your interests like they were my own.  

William Marlow - Founder

www.williammarlow.ca