What is considered good 'Buyer Behavior'? What are some of the courtesies when viewing homes for sale? This post handles a few of my pet peeves about buyers & some of the many situations that come up when searching for a Schaumburg Area Home.
- Not being timely for appointments - Many buyers don't realize how much time & effort that sellers make to have them come & view their homes. I'm sure that you would agree getting a home in showing shape with four kids can be a stressful event. Think of it as 'company is always coming' for the seller. Would you accept a dinner invitation with your friends & then show up an hour late? Same courtesies should be made here - call the buyers agent who can then call to reschedule the appointment.
- Asking agents to show you homes without being pre-approved - This just seems like common sense but it's the top problem that buyers agents face. If I had a $1 for every buyer that I've talked too that said 'no problem, I'm good', I wouldn't have to sell real estate. Most buyers do not have any idea what a mortgage entails with the newer guidelines imposed recently on lenders. Even if you've had a mortgage in the past - it's a whole new ball game out there! You must know how much you can afford to spend before you begin to look at any homes.
- Ask for too many opinions & getting bad or outdated advice - If this is your first home purchase many buyers retrieve advice from their parents. While I'm a complete fan of parental wisdom, maybe that's not such a good thing on your home purchase. Is the offered advice dated by 30 years? Things now may have changed & are irrelevant. Many parents love to regail all the horrors of their own home purchase & end up scaring prospective buyers right out of the purchase itself.
- You have to put 20% down to buy a home - No you don't and this coincides with the above statement that is most often given by parents. 'When we bought a home .... ' no longer applies. Another great reason to talk to a good loan officer & see what loan programs you can take advantage of. There are many offerings with only 3.5% down & even some where you can receive the down payment as a gift. You'll never know if you don't talk to a professional.
- Requesting repairs in the home inspection that were clearly visible when you wrote the offer - When you view a home with your agent & can clearly see a particular condition in a home, do not ask for a credit or repair in the home inspection. Just as easily, buyers shouldn't turn the home inspection into a 'bullet list' of ridiculous repairs to bring the home into perfect condition. Our sales contract clearly states that an appliance or system has to be in working order - not 'perfect off the showroom at Sears'. The seller can in no way make their 5 year old stove brand new!
There is plenty of information & complexities that you must learn when purchasing a home. These are meant as suggestions so that you can have a great experience during the process.
Here are other suggestions on the buying process that you might find helpful:
Things Buyers Do that Real Estate Agents Hate by Bill Gassett
10 Suggestions to take the Trauma Out of Home Buying
Why Buying a Home is not like Buying a Box of Cheerios
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