Our Home Team's (ourhome4you) Blog

  A qualified, competent real estate agent will help you navigate the myriad of decisions that arise when buying and selling a home. An agent provides value to the homeowner in many ways: Pays for all marketing and advertising costs. Adds experience and expertise in all aspects of the sales proc...

#10 Post-Closing   Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! Now that you have taken ownership of the property you will need to have your local services such as electricity, cable, and phone set up. Also, you should already be aware of the expenses that are typically associated with ownin...

#9 Closing   Closing is where ownership of the home is legally transferred from the seller to the buyer. It is a formal meeting in which most parties involved in the buying/selling process will attend. Closing procedures are usually held at the title company's office or lawyer's office. Your clos...

#8 Pre-Close Preparation   A the closing date draws near you will need to be in contact with the escrow company or closing attorney and your lender to make sure that all the necessary documents are being prepared. You will also need to confirm that the documents will be delivered to the correct l...

#7 Vendor Coordination   After your offer has been accepted, the property will need a thorough examination. Working with your lender, you may need to have a formal appraisal and a survey done for the property designated in the contract. A property inspection, a foundation inspection, and an envir...

#6 Negotiating to Buy   Once your offer is made there may need to be some negotiating in order to reach an agreement. Keep in mind that almost everything is negotiable when you are buying a house. This can give you a great deal of leverage in the buying process, that is, if you have adequate info...

#5 Making an Offer                                         Now that you have found the home you would like to purchase, it's time to make an offer. Taking into account the recent sales of homes in that neighborhood which are similar in size, quality, conveniences, and amenities, what are you will...

#4 Home Search   There are a few ways to go about doing this. You can access local publications highlighting available real estate in the area, you can contact local Neighborhood Associations, visit the local Chamber of Commerce, look on the Internet, and you can even drive through neighborhoods ...

#3 Neighborhood Information   Now that you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses! Well, not just yet. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house, they buy the neighborhood the ho...

#2 Preapproval vs. Prequalification   Now that you have your list of features you want in your new home, you are ready to start looking! Well, not just yet. You are going to need to know in what price range to look. There are two ways to go about this. You can get prequalified or preapproved for ...