As we get closer to the busy Spring home buying market, I've been thinking about how I prepare my buyers BEFORE we start touring homes. So many buyers, especially first timers, want to start touring homes first, and talk about logistics later. That is not the way to do it! Educated buyers are better, more confident buyers--and that starts before stepping inside a home. Here's a few of my best practices:
*The "good" homes always sell quickly if they are priced correctly. One of my pet peeves is having someone say to me "I'm looking for a really good deal--let me know if you see one." Such a broad, subjective statement! If you plan to buy an updated, well maintained home in a desirable, popular neighborhood--know there are many, many other buyers interested in the same thing! It's very likely you will not be getting a "deal". The best "deal" is the house you buy that you like and can financially afford.
*Don't expect to chose from 5-10 homes. For the past few years, serious buyers see one or two homes at a time, usually within a day or two of listing. Often they must make a decision regarding an offer after viewing the home one time. It's not like the old days--when I could show a buyer several homes over the weekend and they could think about choosing one after a couple of days and second viewings. The "good" homes move quickly, often with multiple offers and few contingencies.
*Review all paperwork with your agent BEFORE looking at homes. So often a nice home pops on the market on a Friday, and offers are due Saturday at noon. By reviewing all the paperwork before looking at homes, you know about the legal details, inspection clauses, deposit refunds, cancellation terms, etc in advance. It can take an hour or so to review the documents but then when it comes time to make that offer, you can feel confident about what you are signing! Your agent wants you to understand the process, and when under an offer deadline, often there isn't the time to take an hour or more going over 25+ pages of paperwork while writing up the offer. Do it in advance!
I understand these tips may not work for everyone. Here in the Kansas City area, we are still experiencing bidding wars, offer deadlines and buyers waiving contingencies in the most desirable neighborhoods for the updated, well maintained homes. A prepared buyer is a more confident buyer!
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