Have you found yourself wondering about the whole home buying process?  You are not alone.  It is an exciting process.  And it's easy to get caught up in it.  From my years working as a real estate Sales Associate for Peabody & Smith Realty, there are some do's and don'ts….

Do: Get your Financing In Order, First

When buying a property, it's important to get your ducks in a row.  And the very first duck that has to be in line (and stay in line) is the financing piece. It's really helpful to go and talk to a bank first. There are a lot of reasons why: you may think you are all set and it will be no problem.  You are probably right; however, a good real estate agent is going to help you to get this in place first. And because most sellers only want to have people that are truly ready to buy their home touring it. It takes a lot to live in a home and have it looking its absolute best for showings.  And that can be especially tricky if there are folks who may work from home, or have children and pets in the home! One of the other biggest reasons is that the house you are considering today and intend to make an offer on tomorrow, someone else could have done the same thing a few days ago.  And you may never get an opportunity to put in an offer.  And if you are in a position of multiple offers you want to be able to make the strongest offer possible.  Which means that if you are competing with cash, pre-approved or pre-qualified offers and you don't have a pre-qualification your offer will likely drop down in the list, if considered at all. Ok, so now that we've covered that piece, let's say you have your pre-approval (which is always the preferred option.  This means that the bank has really looked at all your information and confirmed yes you can afford this much of a loan) now what…

Do: Make A Priorities List

Now you want to figure out what you really want and what is most important. Is it more important to have the location you want or is it more important to have more acreage?  Is it more important to have 3 bedrooms or 4?  And if you are buying a home with someone else… have a discussion so you are somewhat on the same page. Make a list and prioritize it.  What is a deal breaker for you? So now you have your wish list for your new home as well as the one you want to see …. So now what?

Do: Make Some Time for a Drive-By

One thing that will save lots of time is do a drive-by.  You have your list of priorities and potential properties that you are interested in. So, hop in the car and drive by them.  Sometimes a picture may not show you the neighbor's house next door – the one where you can reach out and share the sugar without even leaving your kitchen.  Or maybe you didn't realize there is a brook nearby and it's a popular swimming hole – and you don't like swimming. Maybe those examples wouldn't bother you but you get the idea.  But you should just simply drive by the homes. Let me just add these items though: don't drive in the yard even if you can't see the house from the street.  Don't get out and walk around the house.  Try to remember, this is still someone's home and just because it's on the market it does not mean that it is not private property.  Some people can get quite protective of their homes.  And it could be scary if the homeowner has a teenager at home or a babysitter and strangers are outside walking around their house. At this point, you've done the drive-by and were respectful of the homeowner. You've decided, you like the location, you like the look of the neighborhood, you want to see it… so now what???

Do: Call Your Agent & Set Up Scheduled Showings!

Call the agent you have been working with to have them set up times to go and see the homes on your list. (And remember, don't judge a book by the cover…that's why sometimes you see, "Must see Inside!" in the remarks about the property!) We wish you all the best as you start your home buying journey, if we can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to us!