Shopping for and buying a home can be an exciting time, and having the right professionals working for you can help you during the process while you make decisions and maneuver through the paperwork. Here is some insight about how your professional team members can help to make the home buying experience as easy and stress-free as possible.
Choosing a Realtor
When you choose to look for a home to buy for you and any family members to live with you, it is important to find a home that suits your needs. Instead of driving through attractive neighborhoods or looking online through various home sale websites, you can go directly to the right source of real estate information: a real estate agent.
A real estate agent, or realtor, should be your right-arm professional during the process. They can talk to you about home features and make your home wish list, then search their database of home listings for those that fit your criteria. Your realtor will also call and arrange a showing appointment for you to look at the home.
As a home buyer, your realtor's commission will be paid by the home seller and their realtor, so you don't pay any money out-of-pocket. Once you hire your realtor, they have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest during the transaction, and are bound to this by law. And they know real estate law and how to properly fill out all the legal contracts to make a purchase offer on a home. If you want to negotiate seller financing or a lease option to buy a home, talk to them about their recommendations.
Selecting the Right Mortgage Broker
The mortgage broker you choose to work with can also help your home-buying process. A mortgage broker who works independently versus for a specific bank can have access to a more wide variety of private and government lending programs and bank financing. A broker working at your bank, for example, may only have access to that bank's specific loans.
Choose a broker that you get along with and that has experience in their business. You can get a recommendation for a mortgage broker from a friend or relative who has recently bought or refinanced their home. Or you can ask your realtor who they recommend, as they will have worked with many brokers and know which ones are good at their job.
A mortgage broker will review your credit and income to get you pre-qualified for a home mortgage. This will let you know how much money from financing you have to buy a home and how much the expected mortgage payment will be. Then you can begin to search for a specific home and make an offer.
Contact a company like Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors as you prepare to buy a home.