It's time to buy! This is especially true for those who have been having trouble with competition. Interest rates are rising and so will completion as we move into the Spring and Summer buying seasons. January purchases will be your best bet for the lowest pricing of the year as most buyers are holding off until the Spring. Sure some sellers will wait to sell but there are always those who need to sell ASAP for whatever reason. Timing means everything so here are some tips:
Get Qualified with Your Bank
- Lenders typically request 2 years of tax returns, Employment History, Bank Statements, and a list of other Assets
- It may take a few days so having all your information ready will help speed up the process.
Once you get qualified with your bank you can then use their information to check with other lenders. We recommend you not let every lender run your credit for qualifying. Instead, ask that each base their numbers off credit scores given by your initial lender. Once you find someone you think will be the best, then let them run your information.
* Lenders present information in different manners to entice buyers. The most important questions to ask are: 1) What will my estimated monthly payment be. 2) What will my estimated closing costs be?
Set Up Your Search Area:
- Be as specific as you can for the best results are found with smaller search areas. Research schools, community amenities, traffic flow, potential airport, train, or industrial noise pollution, google search the area for any environmental hazards found in news articles. Knowledge is power so one can never get enough.
- Set aside time for your search but be open to see homes as they come to the market. This will be the best way to avoid bidding wars
Interview Agents
All agents will tell you they are the best, work hard for you, have years of experience etc. so it can be difficult filtering them out.
No, Real Estate agents are not all the same. We have different skill sets and degrees of concern for clients. Would you say that all Doctors or Lawyers are the same? Willing to risk your life on that? Buyers and sellers should ideally be looking for an attentive agent who is skilled in reading people/situations and extracting information. It's always recommended to research the agent's license to make sure there are no negative reports against them. Here is a link to research.
http://www2.dre.ca.gov/PublicASP/pplinfo.asp
I'm always happy to meet with potential buyers and sellers for a no-obligation explanation of my process. I've had much success helping clients into and out of homes when other agents could not. Every sales situation is different so having a knowledgeable partner to guide you can save thousands of dollars and valuable time. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you in the future!
Philip Keppel
REALTOR®
BRE#01875431
Media West Realty
1300 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91506
www.homesalesburbank.com
philipkeppel@yahoo.com
818.845.9703 Fax
818.516.7387 Cell
