Dear Buyers:
IT'S A PERFECT TIME TO PURCHASE PROPERTY. Prices in California (everywhere) have dropped (A LOT) to a more affordable level. We 
have more-than-enough listed homes ripe for your choosing. Don't keep waiting because you THINK prices will continue to fall. No one has a crystal ball showing us when the turn around in the housing market will occur. And, it will turn around.
Recently I posted SELLERS: HELP, ME, HELP YOU--SELL YOUR HOME, with a list for SELLERS to help get their home SOLD. Though this post is all about BUYING, you may find something of interest in my prior post, or perhaps you know someone who would benefit from it. Please feel free to pass it along.
That said; Let's get down to the PURCHASE process. BUYING A HOME is one of the most exciting things you'll ever do....and one the most expensive purchases you'll ever make. You NEED to be armed with as much information on this process as possible. Don't hesitate to call or e-mail me with additional questions or concerns. Remember, there are NO dumb questions.
Here's my list:
- FINDING THE RIGHT REALTOR. It's extremely important that you feel comfortable and trust your Realtor. Do not take this step lightly. The right Realtor can make the difference between a good or bad buying experience. Check out my profile while you're doing your homework.
- THE BASICS OF BUYING: Okay, you've chosen your Realtor (Me, I hope), now we get down to the basics. I'll explain the Agency Relationship, Residential Purchase Agreement, Financing, Earnest Money Deposit, making an Offer and the Closing process. (See term explanations below).
- FINANCING; YOU need to speak with a lender NOW and find out exactly what you can or can NOT afford. You don't want to go previewing homes and find one you absolutely love, only to find out you canNOT afford it. I'll give you several names of professionals I know and arrange a meeting for you. Once this is accomplished, he/she will fax me a Pre-Qualification or Pre-Approval letter to go with the offer we'll submit once you find "The Right Home."
- TELL ME YOUR CRITERIA: Share with me your wants and needs. You've probably already been surfing the Net and possibly have a good idea of what's out there. Tell me your favorite neighborhood. What style home you like? Do you want new construtruction or re-sale? Do you have children who will be attending the Rim 'O The World School District? Give me details!
- PREPARING OUR SEARCH FOR HOMES: I'll pull up listings from my local MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE (MLS) of homes you'd like to preview. We'll scale down your list to approximately eight (if possible). Anymore than eight homes in a day can be confusing. With our list of homes in hand, we'll head out on a house-hunting adventure.
- KEEPING NOTES ON PROPERTIES YOU SEE: I'll give you a printout of each home we'll preview, so you can make remarks on each one. THIS IS IMPORTANT and this will also help you eliminate homes you are not interested in. YOU are narrowing down your list and getting closer to finding THE RIGHT HOME.
- MAKING YOUR CHOICE: Okay, you've found a home you love! We sit down and discuss making an offer: Price? Earnest Money Deposit amount? Conditions? Time for closing? I fill out the Purchase Agreement, you sign and initial and I contact the Listing Agent and I begin negotiating for you. And...we wait for a response from the sellers.
- OFFER HAS FINALLY BEEN ACCEPTED: Once your offer has been accepted and all terms are agreed upon by all parties involved, we open escrow. In the state of California, we have an escrow company; an unbiased third party who handles the transaction and all monies.
- You are now getting closer to owning a home!!!
My Next Article will be ALL ABOUT THE ESCROW & THE CLOSING PROCESS! Stay Tuned.
IMPORTANT LINKS BELOW:
REAL ESTATE TERMS AND EXPLANATION
FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
RIM OF THE WORLD SCHOOL DISTRICT
LAKE ARROWHEAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
For your Lake Arrowhead Real Estate needs, CALL: KAT DELONG, REALTOR.
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Kat - this is a great article for buyers. This is a great post for you to send to your clients. Great job Kat!!!
Sharon: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you stopped by.
Kat,
Great advise for buyers! I'm coming down from the fence, but there's NO money in my pockets! ;0)
Michelle: Glad you're getting off the fence! Wanna see some lakefronts?
Hey Kat, I will use this in a meeting that I have planned for Friday. Thanks for the info.
Oh, I guess it doesn't hurt to look... now as far as buying, that's a whole different thing'
Scott: Great! And you're VERY welcome.
Michelle; Dig deep in those pockets! LOL
Sorry, all I found was a penny, two marbles and an old piece of bubble gum that's not even worth chewing! :(
I have been saying the same thing but it seems to be falling on deaf ears!
How do you get that great signature on your blog? I love it!
Jean: For the signature go to MY LIVE SIGNATURE You can do almost any kind. Have fun!