Buying a home can be a daunting task, whether it’s your first, or your fifth home! As a professional Buyer Specialist, the essence of what I do is to help you get what you want. That’s pretty basic. However, I like to see my clients enjoy their journey to their next home. One of the biggest ways I’ve found to increase the “joy” my clients have in the process is the set expectations early that help prevent common areas of disappointment. Today I’ll share a few things you can think about to make your homebuying process more enjoyable!
1 - Don’t put too much stock in the online pictures!
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard a buyer say “I saw this one online and it’s perfect--it’s THE ONE!” However, in the last 2 years, the house they identified has NEVER been THE ONE! We have fantastic resources at our fingertips for finding homes online, and I encourage you to use as many as you want. You’ll encounter 2 types of pictures when looking online: First, you’ll see professionally shot pictures that look fantastic, and second, amateur shots that don’t highlight the home well. There seems to be very little “middle ground” on photos. Remember, the key to the pictures is to give you an idea of the home, but it will always surprise you in person. With bad pictures, you may get a pleasant surprise. With great, professional pictures, you may be disappointed in a room size, type of view, or other features. Try to focus on the condition of the home and the layout, but keep in mind that your showings will ultimately help you judge a home accurately.
2 - Don’t view homes in person until you can buy them!
There’s definitely a balance to this. Many people, myself included, may enjoy attending open houses as a leisurely weekend entertainment. It’s a lot of fun, and can be useful to get decorating ideas for your own home. However, if you are certain that it’s time for a move, you might consider cutting yourself off for awhile. Why? There is nothing worse in my job than watching someone lose a home they fall in love with. This happens when buyers look at a home before they have their current home on the market or before they’ve worked through a mortgage pre-approval. While they are getting ready to buy, someone else falls in love with the home and buys it “out from under them.” In our area,if you have a home to sell and it’s not on the market and under contract, or if you are not pre-approved for a mortgage, a seller has no incentive to accept an offer from you. Essentially, you’re asking them to take their home off the market without an assurance that you have the money to buy their home. They would rather keep marketing the home to qualified buyers and have a shot at selling it before you are ready.
3 - Don’t rely on a “loan depot” lender to close you on time!
When shopping for your mortgage, there are a lot of important criteria to consider. Obviously, the rate is important as are any lender fees that are charged at closing. Something most people don’t consider is how the lender affects a closing date. Internet based “lenders” have a poor track record with my clients. You know the ones...they usually have a marketing budget large enough to buy Super Bowl Commercials or name sports stadiums after their business. These companies are great about letting you know about them and making it easy to start their loan process. After you’re under contract, though, it’s difficult to reach the same person twice if you have a question. They don’t always send documents or communicate in a timely manner, and that can delay your closing and move-in. Remember, you can lose a home if you don’t meet your originally contracted closing date! A seller is under no obligation to extend for you because of lender issues. Using a local lender protects you because you know who to contact to get an answer quickly. If you shop around, you can usually find comparable rates and programs to the big lenders right in your home town.
Those are just a few thoughts on how to make your homebuying process more enjoyeable. Remember, buying your next home can be fun! Let us help you through the process so you don’t have to worry what the next step is.
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