If you are ready to buy a home, it may be overwhelming trying to figure out where to begin. There are important steps to take, like getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan, making a list of your preferences, and hiring a real estate agent. Some people want to buy a home without an agent because they mistakenly believe it will save them money. However, there are plenty of good reasons to hire a real estate agent when buying a home.
Help Narrow Down Your Search
There are often many homes for sale at once in a given area. It is easy to get your priorities confused when browsing homes online and seeing features that you like. Before looking at homes, make a list with your whole family of your “must-haves”, “wants”, and “deal-breakers” for your new house.
You might need at least 3 bedrooms so that your kids can each have their own room. You may want a location near a certain school, but it is negotiable. If you are against having an older home, it may be a deal-breaker if the home is over 20 years old. Your agent will refer to this list to help find homes for you that meet your criteria.
Find Out About Homes That Aren’t Publicly Listed Yet
In a hot real estate market, it is common for desirable homes to get an offer before they are ever publicly listed on a site like Trulia or Zillow. Real estate agents often learn about homes as soon as they become available and will quickly give you information on homes that may be a good fit. With the help of an agent, you’ll have a better chance of placing the first offer.
Hire a Real Estate Agent for Access to Their Professional Network
Realtors have a professional network of trusted loan officers, appraisers, home inspectors, real estate attorneys, and tradespeople. Your agent can link you up with any type of professional you may need in the home buying process and can speak to their quality of work.
Assistance with Paperwork
There are countless amounts of legal paperwork to fill out when you buy a home. These papers are filled with industry jargon and can be difficult for the layperson to understand. Completing it correctly is important and failure to do so can cause delays. Use your real estate agent for help with paperwork and to answer any of your questions.
Hire a Real Estate Agent for Skilled Negotiations
Negotiations are one of the trickiest parts of a real estate transaction. After the home inspection, there may be issues that you’d like to ask the seller to address. However, you can easily offend the seller and compromise the closing if negotiations aren’t approached correctly. Real estate agents are trained and experienced negotiators. It’s best to let your agent handle negotiations so you get what you need from the seller.
Phoenix Property Inspections offers inspections to San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties in California. Contact us to request an appointment.