The home buying process can be overwhelming, so make sure you use every resource available to you. Your real estate agent is one of the best, but only if you ask the right questions when it comes to choosing a home. It is up to you to insure that they provide you with all the important information about the home you are considering.
One thing to remember is that the seller's agent is responsible for having the owners sign a disclosure form for the house. This form will list any known problems with the home. Your real estate agent will gather this information for you, so that you will know what the problems are before you purchase it. Still, there are some things to think about here.
A good real estate agent will tirelessly help you gather all of the information to find the right home. Although they have a sales position, they are out there to not only get you into a home, but to make it the right home. They want you to speak well about them to your friends to secure future business for them, so it's important to them to do well for you. If you feel that your agent is not doing this, talk to them about it.
Problems With The Home
There are potential problems in every home. All are important to know about ahead of time. Some of the more common ones are:
* Pests
* water damage
* plumbing
* electrical system
* foundation
One thing that your real estate agent will provide for you is help in finding a certified home inspector. Everyone who plans to purchase a home needs to have a home inspection done. This will help you know if there are hidden issues with it.
Look Around
Don't assume that your agent will find every house that might interest you. For one reason or another, they may not get to the right one. So use the internet to help you find additional homes that you can investigate. Your agent will not likely present to you homes that are for sale by owner. This is due to the fact that they would not make any money on the sale. If you choose to look at these homes, you will more than likely be on your own. Therefore, you may need to do a little more work.
Price Ranges
When it comes to finding houses in your price range, there are several things to consider. First, tell your agent how much you are pre-approved to purchase. This amount of money is their goal to target. Be honest, so that if you have a few extra thousand, you may find a really great home.
One thing that your agent may have you do is to look at several homes that are slightly higher than what you said you wanted to spend. If you should decide on that home, you can always make an offer just below the asking price and come in at your price. Or, you may be able to realize that there is a big difference in the qualities of homes for just slightly more. If possible, you should take the time to look at homes representing the highest and lowest amounts that you plan to spend.
Your real estate agent is required to provide you with accurate and true information. They can not promise you that the home will be worth more in 10 years. But they can tell you that in the last 10 years home values have risen 20%. They can not tell you that the school system in the area is good because this is opinion, but they can tell you that the school system received an excellent rating from the state. A good agent will try to sell the home to you, no doubt, but they will not try to push a house on you that you do not want either.
When you take the time to choose an agent based on how well they serve your needs as well as how well they work with you, you will have no problem getting the information that they have about the homes and the areas where you are looking. An agent is a salesperson, but they are YOUR salesperson.
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