Today we’re pleased to launch a new article series, “How To Buy a Hone”.  This series will give you the information you need to win when buying your home, whether you’re a first time home buyer or a veteran of many real estate transactions.   This material is not a substitute for having a real estate agent and DOES NOT constitute an agency relationship between us, but we will try to give you the same sort of information we’d give you if you were working with us.

We’ll go into depth on a variety of topics that will help you save time and money.  You will learn about:

• Making the decision to own.  Get beyond the typical “now is a great time to buy” routine with techniques and information you should have before deciding if buying is right for you (because it’s more about you and less about the market).  Pros and cons of home ownership.  Market numbers and what they mean to you.
• How to get financing.  What different financing options exist?  What are the pros and cons of the different types of financing?  What should you look for when shopping for a loan?  Reading and comparing good faith estimates.  Deciding on a budget and sticking to it.
• Viewing homes.  Learning more about the neighborhood.  Working with an agent.  Why it pays to understand financing first.
• Writing your offer.  How to get the best price.  Get a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA).  What a CMA will show you you.  What you should know about the Real Estate Purchase Agreement.
• How much will it cost?  What down payment will you need?  What closing costs can you expect to pay?  You don’t pay to have an agent represent you, but what costs should you expect once you’ve written your offer?
• Disclosures, disclosures, disclosures — the mountain of paperwork and what it means.  The Transfer Disclosure Statement.  The Natural Hazard Report.  The Agent’s Visual Inspection Disclosure form.
• Home inspections — an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.  The pest inspection.  The whole house inspection.  Other inspections.
• What happens at close of escrow.  Coordinating your move.  Signing your loan documents.  Your final walkthrough.  When do you get the keys?
• After you move in.  Common questions new homeowners ask.

We’ll have a mailing list to make subscribing to the How To Buy a House series easier for you.  We hope you’ll join us!

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