Find a REALTOR®
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Your first step in the Homebuying process is to find the right REALTOR® to work with you. So much of working with a REALTOR® has to do with personalities and personal style and since we are all different, it’s important to find one who best suits your own personality. Talk to your friends and family — the ones who know you best — and ask for sound referrals.
Take time to research real estate agents in your area and shop around. While it may seem like the nice thing to do to hire your best friends daughter’s boyfriend, only do so if he is truly qualified and you have absolute confidence in his abilities to protect your best interests and minimize any liabilities.
Once you find a few agents to consider, interview them. Yes, it’s a job interview. You are hiring the agent for a job – the job is to assist you in the home buying process. Now, notice that I say, home buying Process — rather than “finding a home.”
Buying a home involves…
The process of research, sifting through a real estate market full of homes to find the most suitable one for you and weeding out the ones that don’t work.
- Understanding market conditions and comparative information to know what to offer for a home.
- It involves completing a purchase and sale agreement, which, in the State of Georgia, has been revised from 5 pages to 7 pages and is more complicated than ever. If not completed properly, a purchase and sale agreement can often be void in the eyes of the courts if there are any legal problems that arises during the transaction or subject to interpretation by the courts in the case of vagueness or unclear intentions within the contract.
- Negotiating price and terms of the purchase in the form of counter-offers.
- Addendums and exhibits to ensure all the details are documented properly
- Ensuring any changes to the Contract are executed properly. As with the Purchase & Sale, if not done correctly, this could open loop holes or in some cases void the Contract altogether.
- Making sure you are aware of and adhering the strict time limits as stated in the contract. Timing is everything in these things! One day off and you might have bought a home AS IS when that was not your intention!
- Home inspections, examination of home inspection results, and the negotiations of issues raised by a home inspection
- Following up to ensure all the issues agreed upon from the inspection are completed properly.
- Getting all the paperwork and proper instructions to your closing attorney. Actually helping you select the right closing attorney!
- Following up with the Sellers or Seller’s Agent to ensure they are doing everything necessary on their part of the purchase and sale agreement in order for the sale to close.
- Following up with your lender to ensure all the paperwork is in order and you are clear to close.
- Following up with the closing attorney to ensure all the title work has been completed and that it is clear, marketable and insurable.
- Advising you on Home Buyer’s Warranties, insurance, etc.
- Assisting you with final walkthroughs, helping you address any last minute issues and accompanying you to your closing as your representative
Keep these points in mind when you’re thinking about hiring an agent and ask yourself if you feel confident in that person to fully represent you in a professional and competent manner throughout the entire process.
