Buying a home is an exciting experience, but there can also be a lot of stress. In this selller’s market, buying a home in Markham can be very competitive, which can lead to frustration and disappointment. The following tips will give you some ideas on how to have your best buying experience.
Get pre-approved
Your first step before you even walk in that first door is to get yourself pre-approved. By doing this, you’ll know exactly what you can afford and you can walk into showings with confidence that you can make an offer on the spot. Already having your finances in order inspires confidence in the seller that you’ll be able to get approval on your financing and quickly, which is exactly what any seller wants – their home sold quickly.
Be connected
Working with an agent you specializes in the neighbourhood that you are searching in, or even better, lives there too, is one of the sure-fire ways to find out about listings before the competition. If your real estate professional is on the ball and getting you a showing a listing just hours on the market, you’ll have a better chance of having your offer accepted before other buys come in and make their offers.
Be available
For the same reasoning, you want to be available at a moment’s notice to look at a home and/or present an offer. Clear up your schedule during the time you are looking for a home so you can give the home-buying experience your full attention.
Be realistic
Home prices have drastically risen. In order to avoid disappointment, it is best that you know what you can actually get for your dollar. Work with your real estate professional to decide what you are willing to sacrifice (and not sacrifice) to get your into your dream home. Perhaps you don’t want to sacrifice location, but are willing to take a smaller home or one that is dated. Maybe location isn’t as important and you need those four bedrooms for your family. Be prepared to know exactly what you want and what you need and what it will cost to get you there.
Be open to trying something new
You may have your heart set on a detached two-story home near Markham’s Main Street. You’ve dreamed of a historic home with character your whole life, but do you know what that will cost you? Work with your real estate professional to see what else is out there in your price range. Maybe the character home will come – in a few years. In the meantime, that townhouse in a fabulous, family-friendly neighbourhood might look pretty juicy. Keep an open mind when looking for a home and you might be surprised what you’ll find.
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