Buyers

Buying Information and Tips for Enterprise AL Real Estate

Buying a home can be a scary or exciting time, and sometimes a little bit of both. Whether you are a first time home buyer or this is old hat to you, there are some tips to keep in mind when setting out to buy a home.

When you start out on the home buying venture make sure you know what you want first and foremost. Be certain on the amount of acreage you want, square footage, bedroom and bathrooms and any other amenities you may be after.

Keep a list of things you want, need and those you can live without if the price was right. This is actually a great time to buy a home as interest rates are still low and the amount of inventory is high so finding a good deal should be fairly easy.

Get in touch with a lender or mortgage broker and find out exactly how much home you can afford. And remember, just because your finances CAN afford you a certain amount, you don't have to go up to that. Just use that figure as your ultimate limit. Once a lender has gone over all your finances and determined your interest rate and how much you can afford, have them write up a pre-approval letter. My Sedona real estate connection has a more indepth article on knowing how much you can afford. This is different than just knowing you can qualifiy for a loan, this shows the seller you are a serious buyer and have the done the homework necessary to buy a house. (for more info on pre-approvals visit my Seattle home ownership contact)

With this letter in hand, it will make your offers much stronger and likely a seller will negotiate with you.

Be sure to get a home inspection. Whether you love the house anyway, having a home inspection done is a great way to tell you everything you will need to know in the future about your home. Not only can you plan for possible upgrades and repairs but you can be certain when the time comes to replace something, you won't be surprised.

Use an agent. Yes, so I am an agent, of course I am going to tell you use me! But did you know it costs you NOTHING to use a buyer's agent? The seller pays the commission on the sale of the house to the buyer's agent and the listing agent so no matter what home you buy, I am only looking out for your best interest and never the interest of the seller. (For more information on buyer's agent check out this article from my Fairbanks real estate connection.)

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