Getting professional help when buying a home is the first step towards getting a great deal.
Buying a home is often one of the best investments anyone can make, but it can be complicated. The red tape involved, coupled with financing and third and fourth parties to the sale can make it difficult to negotiate the price and sale terms. Nonetheless, a buyer should always remember that she, not the person selling the home, is ultimately the person in charge of the sale. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Find a real estate agent you trust. Choose an agent with years of experience in the area in both buying and selling. Use the real estate agent's experience with local real estate to choose a lawyer with similar experience in local buying and selling.
2. Decide what terms are the most favorable for you. Use your real estate agent's knowledge of who has the most bargaining power in your area--either the buyers or sellers.
3. Schedule a thorough home inspection. Use your agent's connections to pick an inspector with a reputation for being picky and generating a thorough report. Use the report to negotiate a lower price for the items that need repair or replacing.
4. Make an initial offer on the house lower than the asking price in a buyer's market and slightly higher than the asking price in a seller's market. Consult your real estate agent for a realistic price estimate.
5. Counteroffer, if the first offer isn't accepted. Remember that if a seller is willing to counteroffer, he's open to negotiation.
6. Review the contracts before signing anything, and make sure that the terms are fair to you. Sign the contracts only after the real estate agent and lawyer have both explained the terms to you in language you can understand.
Tags: real estate, estate agent, real estate agent, your real estate, asking price, buying selling, than asking
