What Buyers Need to Know

1. Get prequalified with a Lender. You won’t know how much buying power you have until you get that prequalification letter from your lender. The other good thing about doing this first is that if you have a problem or mark on your credit history, you can get that all cleared up before you’re ready to put an offer in on a home.
   
   
2. Find the REALTOR that’s right for you. You’re going to be spending an awful lot of time with your REALTOR so make sure you feel comfortable with this person. Also, it’s important that you find an Agent that knows the area that you want to move to. We would call that an “Area Specialist”. Make sure that person understands what your needs and wants are, and they’ll be able to partner with you to find the right forever home for you and your family.

Understand the contract you’re going to be signing before you sign it. The Residential Purchase Agreement is the contract that you will write and sign with your REALTOR when you are ready to put in an offer on a home. There are lots of legalese in the contract and it’s really important that you understand what your responsibilities are, the milestone dates, and what you need to do during escrow. Understand what this contract means before you sign it and before you put an offer in on a home.