Home Buying Tips

It's a big step to purchase your first house or even move up to something larger to fit a growing family. We have the experience to successfully walk you through the process. Take a look at some of the tips below and start making your plans to buy a home!


Eleven basic home buying tips:

1. Use a real estate professional.
Always use a professional. You might think that you can do it yourself, but you will save time, aggravation and money by using a pro who can guide you through the process. A full service brokerage has access to tools that will help you locate the property you want. Their experience can assure success in your home purchase quest.

2. Shop around for different mortgage rates.
There are a lot of different mortgage types and rates available these days. Look for what is best for your situation. A difference of even half a percentage point can mean a huge savings over the life of the loan.

3. Prequalify for a mortgage loan.
By getting prequalified, which determines how much you can afford to borrow, you now can act quickly when the home of your dreams appears on the market. It also shows the seller that you are serious about buying their property.

4. Write down your home requirements.
When shopping for your dream home, you should already have some idea of what you are looking for. This helps the real estate professional in locating the right property for you. You should come up with two lists- one with your basic requirements that you cannot live without, and then a list of the features that you would really like to own. By doing so, you get a realistic view of your goal and can make adjustments to it as you start your search.

5. Visit selected homes.
Your real estate professional can now gather a list of local properties to show you that fit into your list. This is the fun part. Make notes as you visit each house to compare the features, good and bad.

6.Be aware of the features that can help or hurt resale.
Your real estate professional might have some tips on what is important to have for future resale value...and other points about what could hurt your resale. Depending on the location of the home, certain variables might detract from its value.

7. Rate the houses you have visited.
After you have looked at several homes, sit down with your notes and rate the good and bad points about each home. Come up with a rating system, like "4 stars", "3 stars", etc. that will help you quickly narrow down the homes that you liked.

8. Put in an offer.
Once you've finally found the home of your dreams, sit down with your real estate professional and make an offer. Your real estate professional will walk you through the process and help you make the right decisions.

9. Set-up a home inspection.
Once your offer is accepted, you need to get a thorough inspection of the house. Your real estate professional can provide you with a list of certified inspectors. If you negotiate repairs as part of the purchase, ask for a "walk through" before closing.

10. Close on your new house.
Before your closing date, make sure you've made all the necessary arrangements - including mortgage, title, homeowners insurance and any other paperwork required by local or state governments.

11. Time to move into your new home.
There are a lot of things that you should attend to before moving all those boxes into your new home. It's easier to paint and make simple repairs before the house is filled with furniture and household items. You should get the locks replaced for security reasons, contact the gas and electric company about new service, and make sure your US Postal Service has your new address on file. Then you can kick back and enjoy your new home!

Located in Woodridge, Illinois 60517
(Downers Grove area)
Main Office: 630.725.1100
Fax: 630.725.1200
rr7251100@aol.com

Contact us today!

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