Who's Watching Your Bacon

So you want to buy a home? Well, I've been in real estate for most of my adult life, and there is very little I haven't seen or heard. There are a number of questions that should be popping into your mind about now. Like, what is the first step in acquiring a home? Or, who should I see for the financing of my new residence? How do I know the home I'm getting is worth what I'm paying? How do I know after the purchase something catastrophic won't happen to the inner working of my newly-purchased palace?

What is the first step in purchasing a new home?  My father-in-law was one of the brightest individuals I think I've ever met. When my wife and I were first married, he came to town wanting to find avenues of information that could help us in our times of need. When you're looking for answers, go to the people that have them. Sounds pretty simple but you would be surprised how many people miss the obvious. Our first stop was to an attorney's office. You go to an attorney to keep you out of trouble. That's a lot less expensive than getting you out of trouble. The second stop was to a real estate agent. He had learned there are people that have their fingers on the pulse of certain industries and those were the ones you seek out. Real estate agents that are ardent professionals see the working of the real estate market place in real time.

I was told a story about a fellow named Peter Kiewit. Some years ago he owned the world's largest construction company. Working in this atmosphere can be physically draining for even the healthiest individual. Mr. Kiewit was not what you would call the picture of health. As a matter of fact, he spent to some estimates about 3-6 months of the year in the hospital.

He found out that if he was going to make his mark on the world, he was going to have to surround himself with people he could trust and tap into their personal talents and experience. With this collective talent base, he was able to forge a commercial calluses.

It was Archimedes that said, "Give me a big enough lever, and I could move the world."  In your purchase of a home, your greatest leverage is a great Realtor and their insight in the real estate market place.