95% of buyers start the buying process by looking for homes during Open Houses just to see what is on the market before they do research on the buying process. Once that process starts they usually never look back until they have found the property they want to buy.

The problem is, they have skipped many important steps that could have saved them time, money and a lot of headaches. This will likely be the biggest investment you ever make, so taking the time to make sure you do it right the first time can save you time and money. (I have highlighted the most important first step)

Realize that whether the market is fast or slow, “dream” category homes are always hot properties as soon as the for-sale is planted in the yard. When you find THAT home, make your offer fast. Timing is everything. For an undesirable or over-priced home, you might have the luxury of viewing it several times–even dragging your relatives to see it before you actually made an offer. But who wants an ugly or over-priced home!?

1. Want a FREE way to make your offer more attractive to a homeseller, get that home for less, and more importantly make sure you can afford it? Unless you’re paying all cash, make sure you’re financially “Pre-Approved” by a lender and prepared to document this fact to a seller.

Specifically, you’ll need a “pre-approval letter” from a lender. I can arrange this for you-just call me…or email me.

If you are “Pre-Approved” it says a few things.  1. You are serious enough about buying a home because you have taken the necessary time to give your personal information to a lender to have it verified.

2. By giving a “Pre-Approval” letter, the lender is basically saying that they will give you a loan for up to the amount the put on the letter, so long as the property conforms to the loan guidelines.

3. It also says, you already have an idea that you can afford the property, you have a good idea of what your monthly payment will be, and you aren’t going to back-out due to the monthly payment.

If you were a seller, who would you choose to work with? Someone who has their finances in order, is willing to document it, and show you they are ready to make things work, or someone who submits an offer but hasn’t even spoken to a lender yet?

If a seller needs to sell quickly, then price may not be the main reason for accepting your offer!