First steps in the buying process.

1. Get a Realtor® – Working with the right realtor is more important than you may think. Look for someone who’s professional, reliable, knowledgeable, and open to your interests.  The market never stops, and the REALTOR® Code of Ethics moves with it. Established in 1913, the Code is a living, dynamic statement guiding REALTORS® - members of the      NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® - in their daily professional lives. By choosing a REALTOR®, you are selecting a professional who voluntarily holds them self to a higher ethical standard.

A Buyer’s Representative is free to the Buyer – so make use of one.  Buyer’s Reps have access to multiple listing services which expedite the searching and filtering of properties. Additionally, they will keep you updated on current market conditions, preview properties for you to save time, and be extremely resourceful with professional advice and recommendations.

On the down side of real estate, there is the possibility of difficult negotiations or a contract falling through.  In these cases, remember that your realtor is representing you, so someone with integrity and experience to lead you in the right direction is important.

2. Get Pre-Approved – Getting pre-approved means finding a mortgage company that you trust. Shop around!  Pre-approval will not only give you an idea of what price range to look in, it also makes your offer stronger and relieves you from rushing to find a company within the typical 3-10 day allotted period for loan application (stated in the contract).

*Be aware that pulling credit reports deducts points from your credit. The best approach is to a) allow one company to run your credit and provide the others with just your credit score  b) go online and pull a credit report from all 3 bureaus yourself and make copies for the different companies c) allow your credit to be pulled by no more than 3 companies within a 1-2 week period. *Credit institutions vary, thus The Graham Seeby Group takes no responsibility for the accuracy of these statements.

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