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BUYING/SELLING
INFORMATION
Buying
Information
| Once
the decision to buy a home has been made, take the time to
prepare before
you go on your home search. |
| 1.
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Get your
financial house in order first, It will save you an enormous
amount of time, aggravation and heartache. |
| 2.
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Determine
what your budget will comfortably allow and stick to it. Don't
spend yourself into a "house poor" situation. |
| 3.
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Get pre-approved
for a mortgage. This will not only give you a clear idea of
how much a lender will approve for you, it will make your home-buying
process a great deal easier (and save a lot of time later). |
| 4.
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Get
familiar with the different housing types available to narrow
your search. |
| 5.
|
Determine
your minimum requirements as well as any desired additional
features--your needs and wants. |
| 6.
|
Take note
of any items that you don't
want in a house. This can be just as important as knowing what
it is you want in a home. |
| 7.
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Determine
the desired location (schools, work, public transportation,
etc.) |
| 8.
|
Familiarize
yourself with the mortgage process. |
| 9.
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Use all
resources available in looking for homes: Friends, relatives,
a good Real Estate Agent, advertisements. |
| 10. |
Don't
just buy a home for your present needs. Make sure to take into
account future considerations. |
| 11. |
Get
familiar with the inspection process--especially the personal
inspection aspect, so that you can weed out unacceptable
houses quickly. |
| 12. |
Maintain
your perspective--and your cool! You may find an acceptable
house on the first day--or the tenth. The important thing is
to get the home that is best for you! |
Selling
Information
| 1. |
Prepare yourself
to sell your house. Do your best to see the house, no
longer as your home, but as a product to be marketed. This
takes some work, especially if you have been in the home for a
number of years and have many memories there, but it is
necessary if you want to maximize your potential.
|
| 2. |
Stand back and look
at your house as objectively as possible. Would you buy this
home? Ask friends and neighbors to do the same, asking them to
be totally honest. Overlooking flaws could cost you money! Get
them fixed before you put the house on the market.
|
| 3. |
Do what is
necessary to make your house stand out from the competition.
Make certain that your house is fresher, cleaner, and better
maintained.
|
| 4. |
Remove most of
the "imprint" that you have made on the house.
Having a few family pictures around is fine, but if your house
is a "shrine" to your family--walls full of personal
pictures--you should take some steps to depersonalize it.
Buyers must be able to envision themselves in the house, which
is nearly impossible if everywhere they turn they stare at
you!
|
| 5. |
Give all family
members assigned jobs in advance that will go into action when
a short-notice showing is scheduled. Everyone must know their
duties and carry them out, so that you don't end up banging
into one another trying to get everything done quickly.
|
| 6. |
Open every window
covering. All drapes, curtains and blinds should be positioned
to let in maximum light. Buyers like a house to be "light
and bright," so accommodate them! Turn on as many lights
as possible.
|
| 7. |
Make sure the house smells
good. Baking cookies, often recommended, may be overdoing it,
but pet odors, smoke, or greasy cooking odors definitely will not
work! Air out the house just before the scheduled showing, but
close the windows (unless it is a perfect day) before they
arrive.
|
| 8. |
Six very important
words: no clutter, no clutter, no clutter!
|
| 9. |
Make sure that
everything is spotless. Pay particular attention to the
bathrooms and the kitchen. In the bathrooms, towels should be
fresh and clean, sinks and baths scrubbed, and the floor
freshly cleaned. In the kitchen, make sure all dishes are put
away and countertops and sinks cleaned.
|
| 10. |
Check the thermostat
to make sure that the house is at a comfortable temperature.
|
| 11. |
Remove pets from the
house, or at least, keep them outside. Pets under foot will
quickly put a damper on an otherwise positive showing.
|
| 12. |
Make sure fact
sheets are available and easily accessible. (The dining
room table is an ideal place for them).
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