Working with a Realtor can be confusing. You know what you want in a home, but communicating that to another person can sometimes prove impossible. Knowing how to communicate your likes and dislikes can help land you that keeper a lot sooner rather than later. Here are a few helpful hints on how to get your point across without that awkward feeling of insult, and what to expect during the purchase of your home.
First of all, if you can’t tell your Realtor that you don’t like a home, it’s time to find a new one. You need to be able to express your concerns without feeling like you are being pushed around. Now if you are simply having a communication error, make sure you try and clear up the subject before you just up and quit. If your Realtor hasn’t already picked up on your likes and dislikes, ask them to have a sit-down meeting and go over the homes you did like and the homes you didn’t, so they can get a better feel for what you are looking for. Then after you have given it your all and things still aren’t panning out it is time to try somewhere else. A good hearted, ethical, hard working Realtor will listen and want to find you what you want.
After you have expressed your likes and dislikes it is time to sit back and let the Realtor do some field work. This can be while you are sitting in their office or even while you wait at home and enjoy the leisure of relaxing while they hunt down some homes for you to visit. Once the Realtor comes up with some homes for you to tour it is time for you to do some field work. Searching for the perfect home can feel time consuming, but if you lay down your likes and dislikes you should be spending your time looking at potential houses that already fit your criteria. If you don’t complete step one above you may find yourself visiting homes that irritate you after awhile. Do make sure you give the Realtor a fair chance by completing step one.
Finding a home can take anywhere from love at first sight to probably up to six months. It all depends on which homes are on the market at the time you begin searching. If you find yourself without hope of finding the home you are looking for, broaden your search. If you have a set limit of how much you are willing to pay for a home, don’t be insulted when the Realtor asks to search for a higher price. Searching for a higher price doesn’t mean the Realtor is trying for a higher commission; it only means they are opening up more options, wherein you might possibly offer a lower bid on a more expensive house, and come out with a better home in the end. Trust me, a few thousand more won’t earn a Realtor enough to sway you in a higher direction. A Realtor only searches for higher priced homes for your benefit. If you can offer $10,000 less and come out with a nicer home, that is surely in your benefit.
Once you find a home, a Realtor will usually do some digging and determine what situation the home is in. Digging such as, what type of entity owns the home, and are there any conditions on buying the home? After figuring out the conditions or absences of conditions it will become time that you will want to make an offer. This is done best by sitting down at the Realtor’s office and making decisions with the availability to contact your lender all at the same time. Once you have decided on your offer you can relax at home and wait for the listing agent to contact your Realtor. This time frame can be full of anxiety. Don’t fear this process. It’s best to go into it with an open mind: ‘what is meant to be will be’. Dealing with an accepted offer or a counteroffer will come soon after. If you receive a counteroffer, you can discuss with your Realtor what you expect out of the deal and either return another counteroffer or accept. It is your decision. Your Realtor can offer the home’s estimated value by performing a current market analysis of the surrounding area to help you come up with a fairly accurate value for comparison’s sake.
Once you have an accepted offer, you will need to determine who will be performing your inspection. Inspections are extremely important and can help make sure you spend your money on a wise investment. After your inspection is completed and your loan approval is obtained you will need to sit back and take a breath of fresh air while you wait for the title company, your lender and all the other ends to come together while the purchase of your home is completed by everyone else around you. Your Realtor will be the overseer in all of this; making sure everyone is completing their jobs, and will keep you informed if anything is going awry and how to get it back on track.
You will know your closing date and this day will not change unless, in some circumstances, a bump arises such as clearing the title, that is going to need more time. The contract can be extended if you and the seller agree to do so. This is a very common situation, and not to fear, the closing date is usually only extended a few days past the original date. Once you near the end you will receive a signing date and many times you will be accompanied by your Realtor at the closing table. It is always nice to know your Realtor is with you up to the end. Once your documents are signed you are given a three day right to rescission (allowing you 3 days to change your mind); then your loan will fund and record soon after. Of course, if you used cash, you receive the keys sooner!
Working with a Realtor can take a lot of the questions out of buying a home. It is always nice to know someone is on your side and guiding you through the process. Happy home hunting!
