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Thumbnail image for Buying a Home – Get Your Home Financing Approved Now

Buying a Home – Get Your Home Financing Approved Now

by Sara Driscoll August 19, 2010 Blog

Making application for your home financing prior to getting serious about a property is a must. You’re going to search high and low for the perfect home to buy. Once you find it, you want to be sure you can actually buy it.

There are two important limits to your purchasing power. One is the payment the lender will approve. The other is even more important, and that’s the monthly amount you are comfortable with. Many buyers find that they can qualify for a higher payment than they really want, given their lifestyles.

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Thumbnail image for Buying a Home – Real Estate Agency Relationships

Buying a Home – Real Estate Agency Relationships

by Sara Driscoll August 18, 2010 Buyers

Agency is one of the most important concepts in the Home Buying Process. An agent can work exclusively for the buyer, the seller, or as a “dual agent”, in which case, both parties are represented either by the same agent or the same company. It’s important to understand what you can expect in any of these scenarios before you make an offer on your ideal home. Begin your relationship with a personal consultation, which should last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. The best agents welcome the opportunity to make sure you’re a good match for working together.

You can also choose formally to have your agent represent you exclusively. A Buyer Brokerage Agreement is similar to a listing agreement, in that you have a written contract outlining your agent’s responsibilities to you and yours to them.

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Thumbnail image for Buying a Home – The First Key Steps

Buying a Home – The First Key Steps

by Sara Driscoll August 18, 2010 Buyers

What’s so hard about buying a home, right? People do it every day. If you talk to people who have completed a home purchase, some will tell you it was easy, some will say there were a lot of disappointments and a lot of things they wish they had known going in. Your first key is knowing what to expect.

Buying a home can be easy and accomplished with little stress, if you have a plan. Each of the following steps of the plan have a blog post devoted to it, but here’s the quick overview:

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Thumbnail image for Buying a Home – Choosing a Lender

Buying a Home – Choosing a Lender

by Sara Driscoll August 17, 2010 Buyers

Choosing A Lender. This is one of your most critical decisions when buying a home. Many home buyers have fallen prey to internet lenders who can’t and don’t deliver the loan programs promised…and the unsuspecting buyer discovers this right before the closing is to occur. If the rate and terms seem too good to be true, trust that instinct. You’re right. It is essential to work with a lender who is available personally to explain the financing options available to you, make recommendations based upon your specific circumstances, answer all of your questions, and keep you informed at each step of the process. You are looking for a seasoned professional, not a computer program. So how do you find this person?

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