Monday, September 3, 2007

Get Busy To Buy In 2007

As we come out of what was a beautiful Labor Day weekend, I feel like it is time to gear up for the rest of the year. If your plan for this year includes buying a home, then I suggest it's time to get the ball rolling. You have probably already been doing some research on the Internet; studies show that is where close to 80% of all home buyers begin their search. The Internet is, of course, amazing. It has everything you need; you can look at available homes in your area, you can get information about neighborhoods, schools, crime statistics in the neighborhood, you can even find where the nearest sex offender lives. Once you've gotten your fill of info via the Internet, you will probably hit a few open houses. You may narrow it down to the neighborhoods you love or only hit those in your price range, or you might just wander in as you pass one on your way to the cafe. Either way, you will begin running into real estate agents, and believe it or not, that's a good thing. When you are in the market to buy, a buyer's agent is one of your best friends. The other best friend is a good mortgage broker. The first part of your search for a home should actually be a search for the right team. Once you have your team in place it is really time to begin the search.

Once your loan consultant helps you determine what you can afford, your real estate agent will help you narrow your search down to the right neighborhoods and the right homes. You may search for a month or two before finding the right home. You may or may not get the first home you make an offer on, and once you do get an offer accepted you will have an escrow time of approximately one month. That brings us to November if all goes well! Like I said, if you see yourself in a new home in 2007, I'll see you next weekend at an open house!

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