3 secret tips to buying a home Every buyer would like to have an edge when it comes to shopping for a home. How can you get a jump on other buyers? Here are three tips that most buyers never consider:
The early bird: It would be nice to know when a home is going to go on the market, before it actually went on the market, right? A real estate agent can give you insight into when homes go on the market. The key is to be ready and available to see the house immediately if your agent contacts you, because the best-priced homes won't stay on the market long.
Bid smart: Your offer needs to take two things into account: How much you can actually afford, as well as what you believe the home is worth. Your agent can help you understand the bidding strategies that work, whether it's a buyer's market or a seller's market, and if your home is in a sweet spot – where the majority of the sales are occurring – or on the edge, where homes tend to sit on the market longer.
Become a social stalker: Social media (Facebook in particular) is a great place to find out if someone is selling well before they've listed their home. Large garage sales to clear the clutter, friends of friends asking for agent recommendations, and announcements of new jobs – in a different city – are all clues.
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| 3 secret tips to buying a home |
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Every buyer would like to have an edge when it comes to shopping for a home. How can you get a jump on other buyers? Here are three tips that most buyers never consider:
The early bird: It would be nice to know when a home is going to go on the market, before it actually went on the market, right? A real estate agent can give you insight into when homes go on the market. The key is to be ready and available to see the house immediately if your agent contacts you, because the best-priced homes won't stay on the market long.
Bid smart: Your offer needs to take two things into account: How much you can actually afford, as well as what you believe the home is worth. Your agent can help you understand the bidding strategies that work, whether it's a buyer's market or a seller's market, and if your home is in a sweet spot – where the majority of the sales are occurring – or on the edge, where homes tend to sit on the market longer.
Become a social stalker: Social media (Facebook in particular) is a great place to find out if someone is selling well before they've listed their home. Large garage sales to clear the clutter, friends of friends asking for agent recommendations, and announcements of new jobs – in a different city – are all clues. |
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| Watch out for this mortgage scam |
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Mortgage scammers, according to the Better Business Bureau, are baiting people who have not yet refinanced with promises of super low interest rates. This scam uses email, phone calls, and even printed flyers, promising savings of hundreds of dollars a month.
The BBB says here's the catch: The 'company,' which often uses a name that is similar to a major financial institution or bank to sound legitimate, requires you to pay an upfront fee to "lock in your interest rate" before you officially apply. The fee can be up to thousands of dollars! Once you make the payment, the company disappears, and so does your money.
The best advice: Use a local lender you know and trust. No legitimate lender is going to make you pay anything before you complete a loan application. |
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| Spring forward to a faster home sale by doing this |
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Home buyers seem to come out of hibernation in the spring. That's why it's also called the "Home-Buying Season." As a seller, you can speed up your home sale by doing just one thing: Give me a call several weeks before you are ready to have your house listed for sale.
Talking early allows us to spend more planning time together. It also will help you get started on a list of things that every seller needs to do before they put their house on the market. Better planning up front, and taking time to do the prep work right, translates to a faster home sale. |
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