Your Real Estate Team
“An Experienced Realtor and a Knowledgeable Buyer are an unbeatable team.”
John Dowd
Introduction
The purchase of a home requires a team of professionals who are dedicated to making your purchase as easy and stress-free as possible. If you were to organize your group of professionals like a football team, you would be the team owner and your Realtor would be the head coach.
What’s Important
My experience has proven that your team should consist of the following professionals:
Realtor
The Realtor will play the most important role in helping you purchase a home. The Realtor's job is:
· To help you find the right home in the right neighborhood.
· To help you formulate an offering price by providing you with comparable sales.
· To write an offer and present it to the sellers or sellers agent.
· To negotiate on your behalf to get you the best deal on your purchase.
· To coordinate with all the other team members so you will have a successful home buying experience.
Mortgage Lender
An experienced Realtor will recommend you contact a mortgage lender at the beginning of the process. It would be best to do so even before viewing homes. The lender will pre-qualify you for a loan amount which will be helpful in determining which homes you should consider. There is no reason to view homes that you are not qualified to purchase.
Home Inspector
Never buy a home without having a professional home inspection. This inspection will save you money and heartache in the future. The home inspectors in most states are licensed professionals who will give you a report describing the condition of the home before you buy it.
Insurance Agent
A homeowner should always have an insurance agent familiar with the area in which your property is located. A good agent will evaluate your needs and suggest coverage to protect you and your family.
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Attorney or Closing Agent
An attorney, title company or closing agent will be needed to prepare all the legal documents required to obtain your loan and deed the seller’s property to you. The attorney will research the chain of title and make sure there are no judgments or liens against the seller’s property. His job is to make sure you are getting a deed free and clear of all encumbrances.
Tradesmen
An excellent source of qualified tradesmen such as plumbers, electricians, general repairmen, and heating and air professionals will be used to prepare estimates to determine the cost of any repair request you might make because of the issues found during the home inspection. They will also be valuable after you purchase your home.
Red Flags
Never attempt to purchase a home without using your real estate team of professionals. The real estate world has changed and there are many pitfalls that could affect your home purchase before and after the closing. Caveat Emptor which means “let the buyer beware” is a warning you should never ignore.
Action Items
Select your Realtor and Lender as soon as you have decided to purchase a new home. These two valuable team members will also help you assemble the rest of your real estate team.
Check List
Interviewed and selected my Realtor.
Interviewed and shopped mortgage rates with several lenders suggested by my Realtor.
Selected a mortgage lender.
Home inspector selected.
Insurance agent selected.
Attorney or settlement company selected.
John T. Dowd
Broker/Owner
252-333-0939