Top 3 Buyer Questions

First of all, people ask questions. Whether they are experienced at something or not, you’ll never know everything. Every single buyer, and especially first time buyers, ask a TON of questions and I love it! They also ask if it’s ok to ask…which is weird because yes, I expect it and frankly wonder if you even care about the process if you don’t ask. You’re totally normal for asking lots of questions. Let’s hit it!

1. How many houses do most people look at before buying?

Sometimes when you are looking to find your perfect house it can take a few showings before you find it. Now, like many things in Real Estate there is no magic number of houses you will view before you decide to make an offer. 

For some buyers “When you know, you know.” Some people look at one house and know that’s the one while others may have to look at 20. To narrow it down, in my experience most buyers will look at an average of 6-10 houses before they find one that checks all the boxes.

However, it is important to note that after looking at approximately 10 houses, if you STILL haven’t found one that you are confident in making an offer on, it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate. Maybe you’re not looking in the right neighborhood or city, maybe you’ll need to sacrifice some things to stay within budget, or maybe you’ll need to up your budget (if you’re able to) to really find what you want. 

No matter how many homes you look at, your real estate agent will be there every step of the way guiding you in the right direction. And, after viewing many houses if you still feel lost your real estate agent will offer suggestions to get you back on track. 

2. What is this process like?

So you found a home you love, now what? You would be surprised how many buyers don’t know what buying a home entails. 

• BEFORE you even begin looking at homes you need to meet with a mortgage agent, explore mortgage options and get pre-approved. This leads into the next step…

• Know your budget. This will help you to see what kind of homes you can afford. Big, small, garage, lots of property? Some things you may have to sacrifice to stay in your budget but you might not have to either, so get that pre-approval done to find out. 

• Choose a real estate agent that's right for you. Find someone who you feel comfortable with, who you know will be honest with you every step of the way and someone who is an expert in real estate in that area. 

• FINALLY! Start home hunting. You can send your realtor homes you want to view or your real estate agent will keep their eyes peeled for you and send you homes you might like that you may have missed. 

• Schedule showings. Your realtor will map out showings for you. Remember, don’t overwhelm yourself with too many in one day. I recommend looking at no more than 4 homes per day so you don’t get confused. 

• Make an offer. Your real estate agent will help you make an appropriate offer. They will do research to suggest a fair price, advice on what conditions you may need in the offer, and any other special protection clauses. They will also negotiate on your behalf, which is the #1 reason you’ve hired them in the first place!!!

• Get a home inspection. I always recommend getting a home inspection. REALTORS(R) are not home inspectors. If you really want to make sure your home has no major issues, enlist the help of a qualified home inspector. 

• Close the deal. This will be done through your lawyer. You will give the money to them and they will transfer funds and the title over to you then the house is yours! 

3. Can I bring my parents,friends, family to showings?

The short answer to this question is: YES! You can bring whoever you want to showings. Just try to keep the group no more than 3 people and make sure you tell your realtor ahead of time. 

Many buyers, especially first time buyers, like to bring family members or friends who they trust to their showings to help them with their decision making. Those people you bring will most likely have your best interest in mind and may be able to look at the home from a different perspective, which is always helpful. It's always great to bring supportive people with you, people whose opinions matter to you. But, remember to stay focused. It's your house, you're the one who’s in charge of this decision, and you’re the one who needs to live with the outcome. We have a natural tendency to assume that our loved ones, especially our parents, are always right. If we don’t agree, we assume that we’re wrong and this can lead to a lack of confidence, which is what we’re trying to avoid. 

When you have a clear goal and vision in mind with the right realtor guiding you who cares about those goals then your decisions will be easy and YOUR opinion will be the one that matters the most. Trust your GUT (and your REALTOR(R) ) and be confident that your decision is the right one.