Open house traps to Avoid

Hello,

How many times have you been driving around on a Saturday or sunday and notice an open house?

Open houses is a fun way to look at a home on the inside without the pressure of having to purchase.

However, you might want to avoid a few things as well.

When you’re touring a home, it’s easy to lose focus on what you came to do — see if the house is right for you.

They aren’t the enemy or devious people, but that smiling real estate agent and the chipper homeowner have an ulterior motive.

But don’t worry: they aren’t trying to pull the wool over your eyes in a sneaky we’re-going-to-rip-you-off-and-then-dump-your-body-in-the-river sort of way. It’s more along the lines of a woman putting on makeup and fixing her hair before a job interview, or a man who shaves before a date even though he usually sports at least three days’ growth. In other words, this is an open house, not an open book.

The real estate agent and homeowner want to impress you. They want you to fall in love. They’re thinking, “Pick me, pick me,” and anyone knows that just as an employer won’t be impressed with a job applicant who shows up in sweats and a T-shirt, they know that the house better look its best.

So when you go to an open house, if you really want to buy a home that you’re going to love after the crowds have left, not to mention that nice furniture, then make sure that you’re on guard and not about to be swayed by some charm. Unless, of course, that house you’re looking at really is truly charming.

You will know when you see the home that is right for you, I guarantee it!

Sincerely,

Scott Myers, Century 21 Scott Myers, Realtors
11830 Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, Tx 78230
(210) 479-1222

Your Step by Step Homebuying Process

Hello,

I wanted to share with everyone a few steps to help with your home buying purchase.
Learning the right steps is the key to your successful home purchase.

Here we go!

A Step By Step Look at Home Buying

The specific way you progress through a home buying transaction varies depending on the real estate laws and customs where you live, but there are many home buying steps that are standard, even though they might not be accomplished in the same order in every location.

You’ll feel more confident about your home buying journey when you understand what is required of you and every other person who is involved in the transaction. This guide takes you through it, and shows you that you’re only 11 steps away from buying a home.

Step 1, Get Your Finances in Order

Your credit reports are an ongoing look at how you manage your finances. You must know exactly what your credit reports say about your financial history before you apply for a mortgage, because the reports play an important role in the mortgage approval process and in determining the interest rate and other loan terms that a lender offers you.

If you haven’t looked at your credit reports, you might be surprised at their contents, because errors are common.

Step 2, Get Familiar with the Mortgage Industry

Finding the right loan and lender is crucial to your home buying success. It’s up to you to determine which lender is best for your needs, and it’s always a good idea to have at least a bit of background about the loan process before you talk to a lender.

Step 3, Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Do you know how much house you can afford? Probably not, unless you’ve talked with a lender.

Pre-approval helps you in other ways. Consider this scenario. A home seller gets two similar offers. One is accompanied by a letter from the buyer’s bank that states she is pre-approved for a mortgage in the amount of the offer. The other has no supporting documents. Which offer do you think the seller will consider first?

Step 4, Determine Your Wants and Needs

Buying a home isn’t as difficult as you might think, even if you’re short on funds, but the process will go a lot smoother if you get familiar with your real estate market and narrow down your wants and needs before you start looking at houses.

Step 5, Learn to Work with Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents represent buyers, sellers, or both–and in some states they can work as neutral facilitators for either party. It’s essential to understand agent duties and loyalties before you make that first phone call.

Step 6, Start Searching for a Home

Your agent will give you multiple listing sheets to study. I’m sure you’ll also pick up House For Sale magazines and read classified ads in your local newspapers. You’ll probably spend time surfing the Internet for homes. You might even plan afternoon drives to preview neighborhoods. Those are all excellent ways to see what’s available. Here are some tools to help you narrow your home buying search.

Step 7, Handle Pre-Offer Tasks

Deciding whether or not you want to buy a house involves a look at its structure and its features, but there are many other topics that are every bit as important to your purchase. Here are a few topics you should explore before you make an offer.

Step 8, Make an Offer

There’s no one set of instructions that can cover all the differences in real estate laws and customs that exist throughout the United States, so the mechanics of making an offer and its specific contingencies depend greatly on your location. However, there are some home buying tips that can help you fine-tune your offer, no matter where you live.

Step 9, Home Inspections and Other Tests

In some states, home inspections are accomplished before the final purchase contract is signed. In other states, inspections take place after an offer is finalized. No matter when you do them, it’s critical to decide which inspections and tests you want to perform.

Talk with your real estate agent or other advisor to find out when inspections should be handled and if additional types of testing are important for your specific area.

Step 10, Avoiding and Correcting Last Minute Problems

As your closing date nears, everyone involved in your real estate transaction should check its progress on a daily basis, because staying on top of things means you’ll know immediately if there’s a problem that must be dealt with. Here’s a bit of information that focuses on a few common problems that home buyers must deal with before they close on a house.

Step 11, You’re on the Way to Closing

Most of your home buying problems are behind you now and you’re on your way to closing, also called settlement, the event that transfers ownership of the property to you. Just a few more things to learn, a few more things to do, and you’re there!

Follow these steps for an easy Home Buying Process! Goodluck!

Sincerely,

Scott Myers, Century 21 Scott Myers, Realtors
11830 Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, Tx 78230