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How To Get The Home You Want

By
Real Estate Agent with Sutton Group - Summit Realty Inc., Brokerage

Are you thinking about purchasing your first home, looking at current Mississauga homes for sale or moving to a new place in the near future? Consider the following essential tips for aspiring home buyers and sellers.

Mississauga homes for sale - How to get the home you want
Real Estate Tips, Strategies and Ideas

Get Ready Talk to your mortgage professional about your financial situation and credit history to determine your loan options. It’s important to know how much house you can afford given your down payment funds and income. Your lender may suggest ways to help you qualify for better rates and terms now or in the near future. A strong letter of pre-approval can really add to your bargaining power when you've already picked that perfect home in Mississauga. If you don't have a mortgage broker you deal with, your real estate agent will refer you to a like minded individual to take care of any lending needs you may have. It is good idea to have a mortgage professional that you can call when it comes time to put your Mississauga home up for sale or buy a new one. If you're looking for current interest rates click here: Bank Mortgage Rates in Toronto

Have a meeting with your real estate agent. Discuss your needs and preferences and establish the best method for your agent to send listings and communicate with you about available Mississauga homes for sale. Tap into his or her knowledge of the local market. When it comes time to act, he or she will represent your interests in negotiations and work to ensure a smooth transaction.

Shop Smart
Expect to pay more for a showplace; if you consider a fixer-upper, judge structural deficiencies more harshly than cosmetic flaws. It can be costly to replace major components or to change the layout, but redecorating with flooring, fixtures or paint is relatively easy and sometimes offers instant equity potential.

Location is key. Even if the location of the Mississauga home you will look at and potentially want to purchase seems perfect for you at the present time, think about whether it will appeal to a large pool of buyers if you should decide to sell in the future. Look at any area developments going up in the next few years such as a new condo or a shopping mall being built. This can potentially add money to your bottom line. Go For It! To write a winning offer without overpaying, look at the prices for comparable for Mississauga homes for sale in the neighbourhood you're about to buy. Consider whether the property is in a high-demand area or if there is plenty of competition. Ask your agent to find out why it is for sale and if the seller seems motivated. If you accommodate the seller’s preferred closing dates or other terms, he or she may be more flexible with the price of his or her Mississauga home.

Schedule a home inspection after coming to terms. Many sellers expect to address issues related to safety or building codes, and additional repairs (or a credit) may be negotiated. It is strongly recommended to have a home inspection done regardless of the age of the house, even when its only a few years old.

If you must put your current Mississauga home for sale to afford a new one, consider putting it on the market before starting your search. You can often negotiate a better deal on a purchase if your property is under contract or you already have the cash in hand.

Master Mississauga's Real Estate Market Market

Putting a home up for sale in Mississauga can be a stressful proposition, and some homeowners may have a hard time making objective decisions when it matters most. Fortunately, you can count on the insight and guidance of your real estate professional to help get your home sold.

Smart Strategies for home sellers
Price it right.
Your listing agent will perform a current market analysis for your home. Look closely at the comparable Mississauga real estate that has been listed for sale and closed in the last 90 days and take the number of available listings into account when settling on an asking price. Keep in mind that certain neighbourhoods that have failed to attract a buyer in a reasonable period of time may have homes for sale that are overpriced. It doesn’t pay to be unrealistic; most buyers will need financing and the bank will generally use an appraisal based on recent sales to justify the loan amount.

Take advantage of your market debut. Pricing your home competitively from the get-go increases the odds of a quick sale. Most buyers screen available homes on the Internet, and new listings get 4 times more web traffic.* If your Mississauga home is priced too high when it hits the market, you run the risk that active, qualified buyers will scroll right past it. New listings are called “hot” for a reason— buyers get excited about them. Showing traffic is likely to fall off noticeably after the first 30 days on the market. When weighing an offer, make sure to consider the potential costs of holding on to your property longer than you want or need to (including the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.). *Source: The Wall Street Journal, August 23, 2010.

Your agent may recommend that you perform repairs to correct visible flaws—or even suggest staging the rooms in your home so they feel more spacious and potential buyers can picture themselves living in them.

Sweeten the deal
Sellers who agree to pay the buyers’ closing costs can make it easier for first-timers to obtain financing, while offering to throw in appliances, upgrade allowances or other perks could swing a buyer’s decision your direction. Owners of current luxury Mississauga homes for sale can entice potential buyers with a golf membership, valuable art or antiques, or special incentives like a car or boat. *Source - Buffini and Company

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