Our Home Team's (ourhometeam) Blog

#8 Pre-Close Preparation   A the closing date draws near you will need to be in contact with the escrow company or closing attorney and your lender to make sure that all the necessary documents are being prepared. You will also need to confirm that the documents will be delivered to the correct l...

#7 Vendor Coordination   After your offer has been accepted, the property will need a thorough examination. Working with your lender, you may need to have a formal appraisal and a survey done for the property designated in the contract. A property inspection, a foundation inspection, and an envir...

#6 Negotiating to Buy   Once your offer is made there may need to be some negotiating in order to reach an agreement. Keep in mind that almost everything is negotiable when you are buying a house. This can give you a great deal of leverage in the buying process, that is, if you have adequate info...

#5 Making an Offer                                         Now that you have found the home you would like to purchase, it's time to make an offer. Taking into account the recent sales of homes in that neighborhood which are similar in size, quality, conveniences, and amenities, what are you will...

#4 Home Search   There are a few ways to go about doing this. You can access local publications highlighting available real estate in the area, you can contact local Neighborhood Associations, visit the local Chamber of Commerce, look on the Internet, and you can even drive through neighborhoods ...

#3 Neighborhood Information   Now that you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses! Well, not just yet. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house, they buy the neighborhood the ho...

#2 Preapproval vs. Prequalification   Now that you have your list of features you want in your new home, you are ready to start looking! Well, not just yet. You are going to need to know in what price range to look. There are two ways to go about this. You can get prequalified or preapproved for ...

#1 Needs Analysis   Congratulations on your decision to purchase a new home. Your first step toward buying your new home will be to analyze your needs. By analyzing your needs you will be able to get a clear picture of exactly what you want your new home to look like and how it should function fo...

If you're still not convinced of the value of a REALTOR®, here are more reasons to use one: Your REALTOR® can help you determine your buying power - that is, your financial reserves plus your borrowing capacity. If you give a REALTOR® some basic information about your available savings, income a...

A real estate agent can help you understand everything you need to know about the home buying process. Not all real estate licensees are the same; only those who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR " ®" trademark on...