We've all watched House Hunters on HGTV. Homebuyers (sometimes in it for the first time) are shown three houses, each one fitting their needs in one way or another, but not having quite everything on their wish list. Then they sit down, usually in some quaint little coffee shop, and talk over the pros and cons of each property and just minutes later have picked the house for them.
As much fun as that show may be to watch, the homebuying process many people go through might not match up quite the same. Most homebuyers look at more than just three homes before finding the one, sometimes have hoops to jump through or may even face challenges when it comes to a home inspection or the closing process.
With seasoned Realtors® on our team, we though you might like some home buying tips to make finding your dream home a little easier and more like the stories you see on HGTV.
- Get prequalified. Or better yet, get preapproved before you start the home search. Being armed with a "pre-approval letter" will give you a strong financial position to bring to the table when your Realtor® begins to negotiate your home purchase. -Joe Murray
- Be specific on exactly where you want to live. There are many things you can change about the home you purchase, but location is not one of them. -Ivette Marrero-Edwards
- Communicate clearly. This goes hand-in-hand with the location aspect of home buying. If you communicate your wants and needs clearly, your Realtor® will have a better idea of what to look for when finding homes to show you (and just maybe the number of homes you look at will be closer to three, rather than 30!). -Christy Lim
- Listen to your Realtor®. They are a trustworthy resource while other resources may not be. Looking to friends or family (or even sites like Zillow) won't always get you the best answers to your questions. While your best friend might think you can get the seller to pay all of your closing costs, that might not always be the case, but your Realtor® will know how to handle any situation you are in. -Becky Chirillo
- Be prepared to be proactive. Put yourself in a position where you can get a low interest rate and put money away for the closing costs. The more prepared you are before coming to the closing table, the more likely you are to enjoy the moment you are in, rather than being stressed over last minute issues. We want you to be able to sign your papers, get your keys and be on your way to walking through the door of your new home. -Armando Velez
- Rome wasn't built in a day. Although finding a "dream home" might be on the top of everyone's list, you don't need to buy your mansion straight out of the gate. Finding a starter home, building up equity over time and eventually finding your forever home is a good plan to have, too. -Tim Weisheyer
With these tips from the Dream Builders Realty Team, you'll be better prepared when buying a home in Central Florida, and maybe even feel like your experience was straight out of an episode of House Hunters.
