Helpful Hints For Buyer's and First Time Home Buyer's

Buying a home might be the biggest purchase of your life. With that being said there are  a few things you should look for when venturing on buying your first home.

Find a good lender. Do your research. Call  different institutions, ask question and get quotes about rates and offers. Be careful however not to give out too much personal information when shopping around. Multiple pull up of credit reports may ding you rather than help you. Once you have that "warm fuzzy" feeling  finding the right lender then give the information needed to get a pre approval.

The more prepared you and your lender are on a pre approval, the stronger your offer will be when you place an offer.

While you are looking for that perfect home, with the huge backyard, gourmet kitchen and workshop garage space, keep that same focus on getting any extra essential paperwork together your lender may call for later.  You may have the best lender anyone has ever encountered, and he has asked you for everything under the sun from you, but when he submits your application to the underwriter their is a potential that the underwriter will want more information from you. So have all possible information ready and waiting if asked.

Find a good real estate agent. Finding a good real estate agent you trust goes a long way.
Does the agent listen to your needs?
Do you hear more yeses than noes?
Are they helpful when you ask questions?
Do you feel comfortable when talking with them?
Do they seem to have good customer service skills?
Do you trust them?

Like a lender, shop around to find the best agent to fit your needs.

Get an inspection. A common mistake I see in this business, is the buyer does not get their own inspection done on a property. I Have Done This As A Buyer! If you are investing in hundreds of thousands of dollars why would you not get your own an inspection? Some sellers find it necessary to do their own inspection before putting their house on the market. Thinking it will help with a quicker sale. My thoughts: Conflict of interest. Who did the inspection? Did the seller know the inspector personally? How long ago was the inspection? If you are going to buy and use the inspection report from the seller use your own judgment to decided if it is something your willing to do.
The inspection is more for a buyers sense of assurance about what they are buying rather than the sellers interests.

Time Lines. Once you are in contract you will have time lines to accomplish each task that is laid out in your purchase agreement contract. It is the job of everyone involved  in the transaction to stay on  strict timelines (you, your agent, your lender, title and escrow company, the seller, and the sellers agent) If everyone works together and is on the same page, it usually sets a precedence for a smooth closing ahead.

For the first time home buyer, buying a home can be fun, exciting, exhausting, stressful and frustrating all in one breath. Just keep in mind whatever lies ahead, the end product....your first home awaits, and years later you will reflect on the adventure with family and friends.

There is a quote I found on Facebook it said, "Good things come to those who believe, Better things come to those who are patient, and the best Things come to those who Don't Give Up".