Tag Archive for: first time homebuyer

5 Helpful Hints for First Time Homebuyers

in

Shopping for your first home in the greater Athens area

Information via Hannah Harris at Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates

 

 

 

 

Thinking of purchasing your first home, or just looking for some helpful hints in the home purchase process? Here are 5 helpful hints from Hannah at Team JWA!

  1. Get pre-qualified with a LOCAL lender. Your REALTOR may have recommendations.
  2. Ask your REALTOR to send you listings once you get your price range from your lender.
  3. Make a list of potential homes and drive by each one to check out the neighborhood. Do research.
  4. Schedule an appointment with your REALTOR to see AT MOST 5 houses. Try to keep your list as short as possible because you’ll have a hard time keeping up with which houses have which features.
  5. Pick the one that best suits your needs and ask your REALTOR to get an offer in.

Ready to learn more about your neighborhood in the greater Athens area, or what might be available to you? Submit a no obligation request for contact, or give us a call today! We’ll create a customized plan just for you.

Steps in the Real Estate Home Buying Process

in

Steps in the Real Estate Home Buying Process

Let Team JWA guide you through your next home purchase in the Greater Athens area

You need a good representative who will work hard for you. Our real estate team is dedicated to helping you find the right home, at the best price. We want you to find the home that will make you happy and successful in real estate ownership.

When you hire us to help you buy your home, we want to know what you want and how much you can afford. Then we’ll find a way to merge these two priorities and find a residence that you’ll enjoy owning.

Keep your objectives in mind when visiting a home. Sometimes the idea of owning a home can overwhelm your practical sense, so keep your feelings in check. Keep a list handy of the features that you need and want in a home, and judge each home by the list instead of by details that could distract you from your goal. When you’re alone with your real estate professional, you can go over the pros and cons of each home. We can help you stay on track while still keeping our eyes out for a great property.

Engage the services of a good real estate lawyer. We can recommend several lawyers in the area who might be a good fit for you. Interview them to ensure that you get someone you can work with. The legalities of transferring land ownership can be dodgy, and a lawyer can be your best defense against future legal troubles. A good lawyer can charge several hundred to over a thousand dollars for their services, but the thousands of dollars saved in legal fees later on makes this a good expense.

Make the offer. This can be a maze of “buyer”, “seller”, “chattels”, “deposit”, and “completion”. We’ll be happy to prepare the paperwork and go through it with you before submitting it. Remember, the seller may reject or counter your offer, so even at this late date, avoid setting your heart on the home you hope to own. You’ll probably have to write a deposit check to the seller’s broker that proves the seriousness of your offer.

Get all necessary inspections done. A home inspector will check for signs of harmful materials like asbestos, lead paint and mold. They’ll also check for evidence of pests, faulty wiring and leaks. This is a crucial part of the home purchase. Not getting an inspection done means that you could be stuck in a home with a bad case of black mold and no recourse other than to pay for its removal. Inspections will cost a few hundred dollars, but again, this is more than worth it in the end. There are several inspectors in the area that we’d be happy to recommend.

Do a final walkthrough before closing the deal. We’d be happy to do this with you to make sure that everything agreed upon is completed prior to the final signing.

From the first interview that determines your requirements to the moment that you receive the keys, we can help you with the complicated process of buying a home. Don’t hesitate to submit a request for contact or give us a call to find out more about how we can make the home buying process easier!