Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself When Buying a Home

When house-hunting fever strikes, it can hit hard. You’ll probably download a home search app or two and jump into the car, ready to explore a new neighborhood. Before you do, here are answers to some questions that might pop up along the way.

You pick a random site, and click a link to find a random agent, not a good plan. 

You get relentless calls and your contact information is sold for a profit. Did you know agents pay for that spot and give up to 40 percent of their commission to that site? Ramsey, Angis, Yelp, Realtor.com, all these sites charge a fee to recommend “top agents” and all charge these agents.

All real estate agents are licensed by the state in which they operate. The title “Realtor” is a trademark held by the National Association of Realtors; it refers to agents who are members of a local real estate association that is NAR-affiliated. 

Connie agrees to comply with the association’s ethical standards. The sales practices of all licensed agents are guided by the laws of their state.

What is the MLS?

A multiple listing service, or MLS, compiles properties for sale by individual firms and sellers into one comprehensive database. It’s a generic term and not really one centralized service, but rather a cooperative effort among real estate professionals.

Before the Internet brought the same information to the masses, access to MLS information was one good reason to hire a real estate agent. Now, you can tap the latest listings from multiple sources on the web.

What about open houses?

The NAR reports that only 9% of buyers in 2014 discovered the home they eventually purchased via an open house. Most people start their home buying process online these days, looking at slide shows and taking virtual tours. But wandering through an open house or two can still inspire new ideas or help you explore neighborhoods you hadn’t previously considered.

Find a lender to get preapproved

What are some home search tips?

Here are some pointers for looking at properties, whether at open houses or private showings with an agent.

• First, get pre approval from a trusted local lender who provides their mobile phone number to you for questions while you are searching for homes. Wait to look until you’re fully approved….Then don’t look at homes over your budget. Without preapproval, it’s just frustrating. Once you see more expensive homes it’s just not a good feeling to go down in budget, once you’ve seen what’s out of reach. Set your search parameters within your budget, and remember to leave some wiggle room if you’re in a hot market and might have to bump up your offer.

• I will find out why the seller is leaving. The circumstances may provide useful insight, especially regarding how motivated the seller may be — such as when a job relocation or divorce is involved.

• we will walk through the home twice. You’ll be surprised by what you notice on the second go-round.

• we will open every door, even if you think it’s just a closet. Hey, it might be a closet! You know how important those are.

• please take notes, keep a list of the things you like and don’t like, and compare them to your list of what you need and want in a home.

• ask me for a tape measure. That way you’ll know if your dining table, bed or sofa will fit in a room.

• If quiet enjoyment of your home is a priority, stick around long enough to get a sense of what you’ll hear in the neighborhood — whether it’s noisy neighbors or landing airplanes.

• use online search to check for crime, quality of schools and sex offenders, your agent shouldn’t do that as it’s subjective and could be called steering—-an ethical violation. Use Google Maps to check the neighborhood view from above. (Yikes! There’s a landfill/railroad tracks/drainage ditch right there?) Google Earth has a “light meter” feature that shows sun exposure, too.

• pay close attention to the location and number of electrical outlets, storage and other modern conveniences that are sometimes in short supply.

• Remember that do-it-yourself projects can be more hassle than you think. Don’t assume you can fix everything that’s wrong with a house.

• I will be showing you houses, neighborhoods and price ranges you specifically said you are interested.

The home stretch

When you have more than one house you think you’d like to write an offer on,  break the tie by driving your morning commute from each location, visit the neighborhoods at night, and get out of the car and walk the streets. You’ll know when it’s right.

Connie serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway, and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Muskingum, Perry, and Ross counties.

Contact Connie Sadowski, Realtor with questions 614-943-0025 Search for homes ConnieSellsOhio.com

 #1 Team Top 1% of Realtors The Powell Buehler Group Coldwell Banker Realty conniesadowski.com