Buying a home will most likely be one of the most important investments you will ever make and one that offers many good advantages. Real estate far surpasses the stock market in regards to your return on investment. There are many advantages to owning real estate. Some of the advantages are as follows:
Stable monthly housing costs.
As opposed to renting, home ownership allows you the same mortgage payment each month (assuming you have obtained a fixed rate mortgage at the time of purchase.
Tax Savings.
The property taxes you pay on your house can be deducted from your income tax as well as the interest you pay on your mortgage each year.
Automatic Savings.
Each month, part of your payment is applied to the principle of the loan. Over the course of the mortgage, this builds and you begin to have equity. In addition to building equity, your home also appreciates in value from year to year thus making owning a home one of the best financial investments around.
Compared to renting, home ownership allows you the freedom to be as creative as you would like. Plus, you receive all the benefits of any improvements you make and get to enjoy living in an environment that you personally created.
But, how do you go about finding the home that is right for you?
The first step is to locate and contact a REALTOR® who works exclusively with buyers. This type of REALTOR® is known as a Buyers Agent or Buyers Broker.
A Buyers Broker works the same way as most traditional agents with one major exception. A Buyers Broker works exclusively for the buyer which is you.
A Buyers Broker will locate properties for you to see, arrange showings for those properties that appeal to you and will negotiate the best possible purchase price when it comes time to present an offer.
You may be wondering how much all this will cost you. Absolutely nothing! The Buyers Brokers services are paid for by the seller at closing. So, having a Buyers Broker exclusively working for you is the best and smartest way to purchase real estate.
How do you locate a Buyers Broker?
One of the best places to start your search is the internet. There are a host of directories that list Buyers Brokers and are set up geographically by city and state. Two examples of these directories are LinkRE.com and RealEstate4.
Once you have located Buyers Brokers in your area, choose your Buyers Broker the same way you would choose a doctor, lawyer, plumber, or any other professional.
Visit the Buyers Brokers site. Does the agent have lots of information on site to assist homebuyers? A site offering lots of information for buyers and one that reflects genuine interest in informing prospective home buyers is probably a good choice over one whose site merely focuses on the agents company, credentials, or how good they are.
Interview your choices. Is the realtor knowledgeable of properties available in the area you are interested in? Is he/she able to tell you what currently is on the market as well as prices without having to check on the computer? A Buyers Broker who is able to do this demonstrates a ready knowledge of the area real estate market from personally previewing properties or developments in the area and would be a good choice to work with.
Once you have selected your Buyers Broker, the next step is to pre-qualify for your mortgage loan.
During this pre-qualification process, it is advisable not to make any major purchases or move monies around.
A mortgage qualification is based upon your debt-to-purchase ratio taking into consideration all current debts such as housing costs, credit card balances, student loans, etc. Making a large purchase such as buying appliances or a new automobile during this time can vastly affect your debt-to-ratio and may even make you unable to qualify for the loan. So, hold off on purchasing these items until after you have closed on your new home.
Don't move monies around. A lender is concerned about the source of funds you plan to use for your down payment and closing costs. Moving monies from one account to another makes a potential lender uneasy. They much prefer to see monies that have been accumulating in an account over a period of months or years. This is a sign of stability. So, leave your money where it is for the time being and move it after you have purchased your home if you need to.
Have a Buyers Broker representing you is your ticket to a more enjoyable, rewarding real estate experience. Good luck in all your real estate endeavors.
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©2006. Edward K. Blinn, P. A. is an Exclusive Buyers Broker at RE/MAX Sundance Realty in Bonita Springs, Florida who knows the value of SW Florida real estate, area communities, and their amenities.
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