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Home Buyers Tips
A Step-By-Step Look at Home Buying Step 1, Get Your Credit/Finances in Order Your credit reports are a primary factor in determining what interest rate you will receive and how much the banks are willing to loan you toward the purchase of the property. Know your financial history before you apply for a mortgage, as errors on credit reports are common and often require a lot of time to clear up. Step 2, Get Familiar with the Mortgage Industry 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 Once your credit/finances are in check, apply for a pre-approved mortgage to establish how much house you can afford. Step 4, Determine Your Wants and Needs Making a list of features you want in a house. It is a good exercise because it forces you to think about your wants and needs. Step 5, Select a Qualified Real Estate Agent All ERA Showcase agents adhere to the professional standards or code of ethics established by the National Association of Realtors. Below are some other tips: • Find an agent that you feel comfortable with in their personality, professionalism and ability to serve or assist you in your home buying/selling process. • Find an agent who will offer you prompt professional service. • Find an agent who is knowledgeable and will help guide you through the real estate process. • Make an appointment and interview an ERA Showcase agent, and ask about marketing tactics, placement in MLS, services offered, commission rate, etc. • Get a feel for their knowledge and experience of the industry and the area and more. Step 6, Start Searching for a Home Our real estate agents can help you by searching the multiple listing service (MLS) system to find listing that match your desired criteria, providing you with Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) reports, and lend their knowledge of the area, school systems and more. You can also pick up House For Sale magazines and read classified ads in your local newspapers, surf the Internet for homes. Hint: You can use ERA Showcase's website to search and find and then I can show you any property in the area! 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. Step 8, Make an Offer No matter what your strategy is, you should have a very good idea of the home's market value before you make an offer. Lowballing it Be realistic, some seller's take a lowball offer as a personal insult and may not be as anxious to deal with you on your next offer. Being generou Come in too high and you may not find the seller's low point. Helpful Advice from your Agent Our sales associates can provide you with enough information and advice to assist you in determining the best price to offer. We can run comparables, and will be involved in offer strategies. We can also offer selling history of properties in the area and often get sketches and facts about a home's structural components. Asking prices Advertising gives you a feel for average asking prices, but your focus should be on sales prices. Should You Have an Appraisal? Order an appraisal before making the offer, but make sure the results will not be shared with others (and keep in mind that opinions from different appraisers can vary). What about tax values? Take a look at a home's tax value, but never assume it matches the market value of the property. Ask your local tax assessor for details about your specific area. Other factors that affect price • How long has the house been on the market? If only a short time the sellers might not too motivated. • How does the house compare with others for sale in the same neighborhood? • Is the house in need of repairs or massive updates? • How much time is left in the roof? • What about the neighborhood? Bottom line Analyze each home's condition and compare it to others on the market, but your final offer will likely involve a good deal of gut instinct. Step 9, Home Inspections and Other Tests Talk with our professional 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 if there's a problem that must be dealt with immediately. 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, here the realtor and the closing agent (can be broker, lawyer or closing specialist) will help guide you to your new home.	Advice for 1^st Time Home Buyers Even for experienced home buyers, it can be a confusing process, so here are some tips to help guide you through the process. Get Prepped in Home Buying Basics Before you begin, get educated about the home buying customs where you live. So How Do You Learn the Basics? Talk to a ERA Showcase real estate agent for advice about the typical home buying scenario. This does not mean you have to sign an agreement for the agent has to represent you, but it is a good opportunity for you to gain some first-hand knowledge. Home Buying Questions to Ask 1. Will the agent help you compose your offer to purchase a home? If not, who does help? 2. What types of disclosures are sellers in your area required to give to buyers? Can the agent give you a sample copy of typical disclosures? 3. What types of home inspections are standard in your area? Are there other inspections that the agent recommends? 4. How much do the inspections usually cost? Are they regarded as a buyer expense? 5. When are inspections done? 6. Does an attorney or title company do a title search to verify that the deed is problem free? What's the average cost for that service? 7. Who acts as settlement agent, the person who puts together final paperwork for you to sign? 8. Other than loan costs, what's the average total cost for other closing fees? 9. How long does it usually take to close on a home once an offer is accepted? Return to Top Understanding Your Local Real Estate Market It's important to study your local real estate market before you seriously look at houses so that you can make educated decisions through out the process. Our real estate agents can get you a report of sold comparables and you can look at what current listings are being priced at to reveal the mindset of sellers in your market. Return to Top 9 Things Not To Do 1. Don't Make a Major Purchase If you are depending on a mortgage to move in, don’t make any major purchases until after the closing on the home. 2. Don't Change Jobs Unless It's Necessary Lenders like to see a consistent job history. 3. Don't Let Your Emotions Take Over Be realistic. No home is perfect, especially older homes. If the seller refuses to do a small repair, don’t let it kill the deal on a home you truly love, realize It's not unusual for new owners to take care of some repairs themselves. On the other hand, decide what type of repairs you can realistically tackle, then stick with the decision. 4. Don't Forget to Switch Utilities Call the utility companies as soon as you have a contract. Find out how many days lead time they need to switch the service, then get back with them when you have a firm closing date. And, don't forget to discontinue services at your old home. 5. Line Up Your Hazard Insurance Acquire hazard insurance as early as possible, as it’s another often-forgotten task that buyers scramble to take care of at the last minute. In some locations, additional types of insurance coverage might be necessary. 6. Don't Become Best Friends with the Seller While it's great to be friendly, but don't get into too many long discussions with the sellers, because it could cloud your judgments. 7. Don't Panic if the Appraisal Comes in Low At least not at first. There are some things you (and your ERA Showcase real estate agent) can do to correct the problem. 8. Don't Go It Alone It is our duty to track many of the day to day details that involve the lender, the seller, or the seller's agent. Your ERA Showcase sales associate will be there for you. 9. Don't Ignore Lender Requirements Know what is expected of you and take care of it. Answer lender questions and provide required paperwork as quickly as possible--your closing depends on it. Return to Top

Home Buyers Tips

A Step-By-Step Look at
Home Buying

Step 1, Get Your Credit/Finances in Order

Your credit reports are a primary factor in determining what interest rate you will receive and how much the banks are willing to loan you toward the purchase of the property. Know your financial history before you apply for a mortgage, as errors on credit reports are common and often require a lot of time to clear up.

Step 2, Get Familiar with the Mortgage Industry

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

Once your credit/finances are in check, apply for a pre-approved mortgage to establish how much house you can afford.

Step 4, Determine Your Wants and Needs

Making a list of features you want in a house. It is a good exercise because it forces you to think about your wants and needs.

Step 5, Select a Qualified Real Estate Agent

All ERA Showcase agents adhere to the professional standards or code of ethics established by the National Association of Realtors. Below are some other tips:

• Find an agent that you feel comfortable with in their personality, professionalism and ability to serve or assist you in your home buying/selling process.

• Find an agent who will offer you prompt professional service.

• Find an agent who is knowledgeable and will help guide you through the real estate process.

• Make an appointment and interview an ERA Showcase agent, and ask about marketing tactics, placement in MLS, services offered, commission rate, etc.

• Get a feel for their knowledge and experience of the industry and the area and more.

Step 6, Start Searching for a Home

Our real estate agents can help you by searching the multiple listing service (MLS) system to find listing that match your desired criteria, providing you with Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) reports, and lend their knowledge of the area, school systems and more.

You can also pick up House For Sale magazines and read classified ads in your local newspapers, surf the Internet for homes.

Hint: You can use ERA Showcase's website to search and find and then I can show you any property in the area!

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.

Step 8, Make an Offer

No matter what your strategy is, you should have a very good idea of the home's market value before you make an offer.

Lowballing it

Be realistic, some seller's take a lowball offer as a personal insult and may not be as anxious to deal with you on your next offer.

Being generou

Come in too high and you may not find the seller's low point.

Helpful Advice from your Agent

Our sales associates can provide you with enough information and advice to assist you in determining the best price to offer. We can run comparables, and will be involved in offer strategies. We can also offer selling history of properties in the area and often get sketches and facts about a home's structural components.

Asking prices

Advertising gives you a feel for average asking prices, but your focus should be on sales prices.

Should You Have an Appraisal?

Order an appraisal before making the offer, but make sure the results will not be shared with others (and keep in mind that opinions from different appraisers can vary).

What about tax values?

Take a look at a home's tax value, but never assume it matches the market value of the property. Ask your local tax assessor for details about your specific area.

Other factors that affect price

• How long has the house been on the market? If only a short time the sellers might not too motivated.

• How does the house compare with others for sale in the same neighborhood?

• Is the house in need of repairs or massive updates?

• How much time is left in the roof?

• What about the neighborhood?

Bottom line

Analyze each home's condition and compare it to others on the market, but your final offer will likely involve a good deal of gut instinct.

Step 9, Home Inspections and Other Tests

Talk with our professional 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 if there's a problem that must be dealt with immediately.

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, here the realtor and the closing agent (can be broker, lawyer or closing specialist) will help guide you to your new home.

Advice for 1^st Time Home Buyers

Even for experienced home buyers, it can be a confusing process, so here are some tips to help guide you through the process.

Get Prepped in Home Buying Basics

Before you begin, get educated about the home buying customs where you live.

So How Do You Learn
the Basics?

Talk to a ERA Showcase real estate agent for advice about the typical home buying scenario. This does not mean you have to sign an agreement for the agent has to represent you, but it is a good opportunity for you to gain some first-hand knowledge.

Home Buying Questions to Ask

1. Will the agent help you compose your offer to purchase a home? If not, who does help?

2. What types of disclosures are sellers in your area required to give to buyers? Can the agent give you a sample copy of typical disclosures?

3. What types of home inspections are standard in your area? Are there other inspections that the agent recommends?

4. How much do the inspections usually cost? Are they regarded as a buyer expense?

5. When are inspections done?

6. Does an attorney or title company do a title search to verify that the deed is problem free? What's the average cost for that service?

7. Who acts as settlement agent, the person who puts together final paperwork for you to sign?

8. Other than loan costs, what's the average total cost for other closing fees?

9. How long does it usually take to close on a home once an offer is accepted?

Return to Top

Understanding Your Local Real Estate Market

It's important to study your local real estate market before you seriously look at houses so that you can make educated decisions through out the process.

Our real estate agents can get you a report of sold comparables and you can look at what current listings are being priced at to reveal the mindset of sellers in your market.

Return to Top

9 Things Not To Do

1. Don't Make a Major Purchase
If you are depending on a mortgage to move in, don’t make any major purchases until after the closing on the home.

2. Don't Change Jobs Unless It's Necessary
Lenders like to see a consistent job history.

3. Don't Let Your Emotions Take Over
Be realistic. No home is perfect, especially older homes. If the seller refuses to do a small repair, don’t let it kill the deal on a home you truly love, realize It's not unusual for new owners to take care of some repairs themselves.

On the other hand, decide what type of repairs you can realistically tackle, then stick with the decision.

4. Don't Forget to Switch Utilities
Call the utility companies as soon as you have a contract. Find out how many days lead time they need to switch the service, then get back with them when you have a firm closing date. And, don't forget to discontinue services at your old home.

5. Line Up Your Hazard Insurance
Acquire hazard insurance as early as possible, as it’s another often-forgotten task that buyers scramble to take care of at the last minute. In some locations, additional types of insurance coverage might be necessary.

6. Don't Become Best Friends with the Seller
While it's great to be friendly, but don't get into too many long discussions with the sellers, because it could cloud your judgments.

7. Don't Panic if the Appraisal Comes in Low
At least not at first. There are some things you (and your ERA Showcase real estate agent) can do to correct the problem.

8. Don't Go It Alone
It is our duty to track many of the day to day details that involve the lender, the seller, or the seller's agent. Your ERA Showcase sales associate will be there for you.

9. Don't Ignore Lender Requirements
Know what is expected of you and take care of it. Answer lender questions and provide required paperwork as quickly as possible--your closing depends on it.

Return to Top

Property Search

A Step-By-Step Look at Home Buying