Ready To Buy? We’ll Help Cross Your T’s and Dot Your I’s

Nothing could be worse than finding your dream vacation property only to have it scooped up by another buyer because you didn’t have all your ducks in a row.

Let’s get this done right, the first time.

1. Get pre-qualified for a mortgage: having your financing (or cash) ready to go means you’ll be able to make a firm commitment on a property with your offer. That not only makes your offer more attractive to the seller, it typically translates into a quicker and more seamless closing.

2. Watch the market closely: one of the first things we do at Team Donovan is add you to our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) alert system so that you get regular updates about new homes or reduced prices. Watch these notifications vigilantly; the early bird not only gets the worm, he gets the best “nest” as well.

3. Become price savvy: take a look at your subdivision of interest and become familiar with current listings and actual sale prices achieved. This will give you an idea of how competitive the market is in this area and whether you’re likely to end up with a purchase price higher or lower than the list price.

4. Be decision-ready: the best gift you can give yourself is certainty. Before you start looking to buy, take lots of time to consider your wants and must haves. Knowing definitively what your deal breakers are will make it much easier to buy (or pass) with confidence.  

5. Bid competitively: use the knowledge you’ve gleaned from the Community Report to submit an offer that says your serious but savvy.  

6. Keep contingencies to a minimum: restrictions, such as needing to sell another home before you move or wanting to delay the closing until a certain date, can make your offer unappealing. Sometimes the market leans towards the buyer and will allow for some hurdles, but sometimes it won’t and you could lose the deal.  

7. Don’t get caught in a buying frenzy: sometimes even the most sensible and levelheaded of buyers can get thrown when multiples offers for one property are on the table. Even though you want to make your offer attractive, never neglect inspections that help to ensure that your house is in appropriate condition. Better to lose the deal than lose your head.  

8. Be ready to negotiate: Price is not the only point that’s negotiable in a property sale. Timing of the sale, what goes with the property, closings costs, etc. are all open subjects. We have loads of experiencing advocating for our buyers to make sure they get the best possible deal.