So you're ready to start searching for a new home in the Upstate of SC. Maybe you're just moving from Mauldin or Greenville to Pickens or Greer... or maybe you're coming from halfway across the country. Perhaps you're even relocating from another country! Wherever you're coming from, just remember...
Buying a home is akin to taking a big vacation. It should be prepared for.
DO YOUR RESEARCH to decide where you want to go and how long you want to spend on your vaction trip. Learn about the area and its offerings. You can dream all you like, but if you don’t set realistic expectations of what you want to accomplish while you’re on your trip, you’re going to be disappointed in the end—too tired, too frustrated, too unfulfilled. Know what you want.
CONTRACT WITH THE BEST TOUR GUIDE (aka, ABR or Accredited Buyer Representative). You want someone who listens and hears your needs and wants, someone you can trust who is knowledgeable, who will give the best advice for you. You want someone who will be there at the very start of your vacation, offering suggestions, and will still be with you till the last minute. Don't get caught with a smooth talker constantly telling you "you're gonna love this place!" when it has little of what you actually want - who, ultimately, is just promoting himself or his vested interests. Look for the right person for you, who is in the game to represent you and to please you - working hard because that's what they do, because they're hungry for satisified clients, strong referrals, and more business. When you find the right one, you'll know.
GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER. Know how much you can realistically spend. Talk to the financial experts (aka, Mortgage Loan Officers) to get preapproved, to ensure you won’t get caught short once you’ve left on the trip (aka, middle of the purchase process).
LAST OF ALL: HAVE FUN! Your “tour guide” should be the one handling all the stressful bits of the process - that’s why you contracted with an ABR in the first place. Feel free to pick and choose what you want to see and do. Keep your eyes and mind wide open, and let the expert do his/her job, offering professional advice so you don’t fall prey to false trails, tourist traps, dark alleys, pickpockets, and pressure-selling shopkeepers. Breathe easily and enjoy yourself, knowing you are in good hands.
At the end of the successful "vacation," as you settle in to your new home, know that it is the start of the next best part of your life. One that couldn't have been accomplished half as easily without your tour guide!
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