Many consumers who want to become homeowners in Glendale work with a real estate agent or broker to help them shop for a house or condo. But unfortunately, very few home buyers know how to get their money’s worth from their Realtor. Here are three helpful tips for getting the most out of your relationship with a Glendale real estate professional:
#1 Get Pre-Qualified
One of the most common mistakes that buyers make is that they invest lots of time looking at home, discussing their options with Realtors, and comparing property prices and features before securing the financing. They find a local Glendale home and fall in love with it but before the sale is consummated the loan does not go through, so the deal falls apart leaving everyone frustrated and disappointed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Before looking at homes in Glendale visit two or three mortgage lenders and ask them to review your credit report and financial statements and give you an idea of how much house you can afford. They can pre-qualify you quickly and easily. Then you can begin your house hunt knowing how much you can actually afford. Plus you don’t have to commit to borrowing to get pre-qualified. You are not signing any contracts with the lender. You are only getting an estimate of what you can borrow if you decide to buy a home. So you can still shop around and compare loan offers to find the best one for you.
#2 Be Specific
Once you know how much you can spend, use that information to be specific about your price range. Also figure out exactly what kind of home you want – and whether you prefer a condo or studio, for example, or a bungalow or ranch style house. By narrowing down your price and selection you greatly improve your chances of finding a home faster instead of spending lots of time touring homes that are not really what you had in mind. But don’t forget to also be clear about your location. In real estate, as the saying goes, “location is everything.” Especially here in California locations depend a great deal upon personal preferences, so communicate those to your Glendale real estate agent early in the home shopping process.
#3 Don’t View without a Preview
Before your real estate agent puts you in the car to go look at homes, ask if they have actually taken a tour of the properties themselves. Many agents will drag you all over Glendale to look at homes that they themselves have never seen before, and that is a haphazard way to tour homes. Instead of spending your precious time that way you should insist that the Realtor first go and personally view any homes before showing them to you. After they have found at least three homes that meet your specific criteria then it will be the right time to go on a tour of those pre-screened homes. Find a good real estate agent and then follow these simple tips. That will make your home shopping experience more effective, efficient, and rewarding. It will also help you to avoid the problems and pitfalls many other home buyers face. That makes your Realtor’s job much easier and it ensures that he or she will not waste your valuable time and you’ll get your money’s worth from their professional services.
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