Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Have a Question about buying Real Estate? Buying a home is fun. That's right, I said it...it's fun! A huge part of the buying process is asking a lot questions. Don't be afraid to do it. How else will you know? Sometimes you may think you have the answer to your own questions, it may come naturally, but most times you won't have a clue, and that's totally fine. I don't have all the answers either, but I'll get them. Oh and for the love of whoever you pray to, don't assume anything. That's where your trusted real estate agent comes in. If buyers aren't asking me questions, I honestly worry and my mind starts asking it's own questions: Are they invested in the process? Are they serious? How can I help them open up to feel comfortable enough to start asking? Easy, I tell them they're not the only ones who have ever, or will ever have a ton and a half of questions about buying a house. I let them know I'm well aware they have burning questions for me so let's hear it. :) Whether it's someone's first time or not, I encourage my clients to ask a lot of questions. I want them to bring questions with them to our first meeting. I want them to bring questions with them to showings...ask away. No one is born knowing any of this.
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 with your real estate professional and re-evaluate. Maybe you need a different neighborhood or city, maybe you’ll need to adjust 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 and need.
No matter how many homes you look at, your Realtor 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 Realtor will guide you back on track. We help you re-focus on the big picture and why you're doing this in the first place.
2. How does this all work?
So you found a home you love, now what? You would be surprised how many buyers don’t know what buying a home entails. There's a lot of steps, but here's a quick snippet:
- 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 and which area you want to live in. 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 adjust 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 and support 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 realtor 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 3-5 homes per day so you don’t get confused.
- Make an offer. Your realtor will help you make an attractive 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.
- Get a home inspection. I always recommend to get a home inspection. Realtors are not home inspectors. If you really want to make sure your home has no major issues, enlist the help of a certified 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 under 2-3 people and make sure you tell your realtor ahead of time. It doesn't look good to the seller is there's a group of people going through their home. Believe me, they will likely find out. I've experienced sellers hanging out at the neighbours house or the neighbour calls them during or after the showing to tell them two car loads of people showed up for a showing. It leaves a bad taste in their mouth and can affect future negotiations.
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.
When you have a clear goal and vision in mind with the right realtor guiding you who cares about those goals then you're decisions will be easy and YOUR opinion will be the one that matters the most. Trust your GUT (and your Realtor) and be confident that your decision is the right one.
Do you have questions about buying a house? Of course you do. :)
Call me directly at 289-686-5004 or email at amylayton@royallepage.ca
Let's get the chat going about what's best for you.
