I was invited a few days ago to attend a home buyer's seminar as a the real estate expert.  It was sponsored by a local credit union.  It was perfect timing for obvious reasons and the attendance was great for a cold Thursday night.  It was scheduled from 6:30PM until 8:00PM.

As the first speaker began to give her presentations, I quickly realized that for someone who has never purchased a home before, this could be a very confusing topic.  What is the percentage of the asking price are the seller's getting?   How much earnest money do we need?  Do I need a home inspection and how much will it cost?

These are some of the questions the potential buyers asked.  They are great questions that have somewhat difficult answers.  More than once I had to respond with a "it depends".  I would then, due to time constraints, proceed to give an abbreviated answer.  The days of the pat answer are gone.  Everything is very situational.  Needless to say, that hour and a half went by very quickly.

The presenters did a great job of presenting the material and left the audience with two main points.  The first one is to meet with a lender and get pre-approved. The second point, which they stressed over and over again, was to work with a Realtor.  I certainly appreciated their endorsement and applaud their understanding of the critical role a Realtor plays in the home buying process.  I thought it was a great seminar.

Take care.