How to Succeed as a Buyer Today

Incredible Market Recovery

Last year, in Spring 2020, there was so much uncertainty about the economy, jobs, stock market, and real estate market.  We have all suffered in some ways over the year--physically, emotionally, financially.  But it is nothing short of remarkable the way the economy is recovering--and perhaps in no other segment are we seeing this strength than in real estate.

Despite highs and lows, real estate always has been a solid investment; but, now more than ever we see the other benefits of being in the right home right now: more space; more comfort as we are all living and working differently now one year later.

If you want or need to buy a house--buy the house

With more buyers in the market than sellers right now, it is a competitive market for buyers. But we have been very successful with our buyers when we follow the simple steps below.

ONE | Get pre-approved

Before we look at any houses today, you must be pre-approved by a lender. If you fall in love with a house, we must give the seller evidence that you can afford the home. If there are other offers on the home, ours will not be considered without the pre-approval letter in hand.

I strongly recommend that you connect with a local lender. It is so much easier to have a conversation with someone we know and trust than with someone from a 1-800 number. If you need recommendations, let me know.

TWO | Make an offer that helps the seller

It's easy to think that the only thing a seller wants is the highest price--but this may not be the most important factor for a seller.  For some sellers having an extended closing may be more important, or the seller has already moved out of state and doesn't want to manage minor inspection items.

I will work with the seller's agent to try and identify how we can craft the offer to be most attractive to the seller's needs.

THREE | You may need to pay over list price

Many houses today are selling over the list price. You may need to be prepared for this. We will discuss what the market value of the home is and depending on many factors, you may need to increase your offer above the list price. Not every house will warrant this and we will make sure to stay within your budget.

Know what your personal budget is for the home and stick to it. Just because someone else is willing to pay more does not mean you should. We don't want you to pay more than you expected only to have buyer's remorse several weeks in.

FOUR | Be Flexible

If you find a house on Tuesday, you may not be able to wait till Saturday to see it. You need to be flexible with your schedule, especially if you are looking in an area of very low inventory.

Your wish list may also need to be adjusted. Really itemize what you NEED vs. WANT and we may need to re-prioritize.

FIVE | How to Find Houses

When you work with one agent exclusively, that agent has access to homes that are not yet marketed to the public. I can provide you with home that are in a "Coming Soon" status or that are still being processed by my colleagues in my office. If you are only searching for homes on a public site like Zillow.com you may be missing as many as half the homes available for sale. 

Make sure to get set up with me on my search engine for exclusive opportunities.