Buyers & Sellers

Click on the title of the article you would like to read: Get "pre-approved", not "pre-qualified" / Sell First, Then Buy What I Want/Don't Want List / Don't Be Pressured Into Settling

GET "PRE-APPROVED" Make sure you're in the best negotiating position possible so that you will get the BEST house for the LEAST amount of money.  How?... Many Real Estate agents have recommended that buyers get "pre-qualified" by a lender.  After answering a few questions over the phone with a lender, he will issue you  a certificate showing that you are in that category.  Unfortunately, sellers know that this certificate doesn't mean a thing!!  The reason is that none of the information about you has been verified! Instead, get "pre-approved."  After you've given out all the information, everything is checked into and verified.  In fact, you are actually APPROVED for the loan. top of page

SELL FIRST, THEN BUY From our own combines Real Estate experiences (which is a very large number), if your deal to buy a new-to-you house depends on the simultaneous selling of your old house, the failure rate is about 99%!! Let's say you find that perfect house, you make an offer to the seller (you get him to negotiate the price down some), and now you have to wait until your house sells first to go through with the deal... The seller sees that this is a risky deal, since he might pass up a buyer who DOESN'T have to sell a house.  Many times, the seller will say OK he'll do it--at the original full price!  You can see how a contingency can cause you to pay more.  In fact, it will likely screw up the deal and you'll miss out on the "house of your dreams." top of page

THE "WANT/DON'T WANT" LIST We recommend you make a list of at least 9 things you want and 9 things you don't want in the new place before going out house hunting.  Keep track of how the houses you look at compare on your "scorecard."  This will help you make the more correct choice for a house deal coming closer to your preferences.  Keep in mind, also, that the things that cannot be changed (location, lot size, view, area noise, school district, floor plan) should weigh heavily in your decision.  Things that can be changed (color, carpeting, wallpaper, etc.) are not as big a deal in your final house-buying decision. top of page

DON'T BE PRESSURED INTO "SETTLING" A Letsinger Realty agent will show you everything available that meets your requirements.  Regardless of that fact, don't decide to buy any house until you've seen enough to pick the very best one for you.  We will make sure you get to see the Multiple Listing deals so that you're getting a complete list of houses in the area. Too many people "settle" before they've really exhausted the potential list of choices for them.  Checking out, for instance, facts about the school district in the area of the house you're considering.  Information is available on every school, class sizes, % of students going on to colleges, SAT scores, etc.  Your Agent can make sure you view these facts (online or otherwise).