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 process including marketing, financing, negotiations and more.Handles all showings. Brings a network of known, trusted real estate professionals. If your agent doesn't have the answer, he or she likely knows someone who does. Always has your interests in mind so you always have someone on your side. Can handle and advise on all price and contract negotiations. Provides you with all the possible options and opportunities without holding back. Gives an unbiased, realistic view of your home and your op... 09/02/2007

#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 owning a home. Neighborhood Association fees, landscaping costs, and annual taxes should be budgeted for throughout the year to keep from getting into a financial bind.   Your agent can save you time and money by helping you coordinate the set-up of these local services. No doubt your agent already knows who the local vendors are for such services as water and electricity, as well as others, so he or she can help provide you with a list of contacts.     For more information contact Stephanie Antes 61... 07/28/2007

#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 closing officer coordinates the document signing and the collection and disbursement of funds.   In order for the closing to go smoothly, each party involved should bring the necessary documentation and be prepared to pay any related fees (closing costs). There may be more than one form of acceptable payment for your closing costs so ask the closing officer which form of payment will be required and to whom it should be paid.   Sellers sometimes pay for a portion or all of the closing costs, dependi... 07/28/2007

#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 location so they can be reviewed and that they will be ready on the appropriate date. At this point, you should find out what form of payment you will need to bring to the closing for any unpaid fees. Make sure that your payment is made out to the appropriate party.   Your agent can save you time and money by coordinating the necessary documentation with your closing officer. They can work with the closing officer as your consultant to insure thoroughness, accuracy, and timeliness. Making sure th... 07/28/2007

#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 environmental inspection may also need to be completed to make sure that the property is up to the standards set forth in your written agreement. If there are issues or inconsistencies brought to light during this time, it may delay or even nullify the contract depending on the contingencies set forth in the contract. Having these procedures done in a timely and professional manner is a must. Investigate each vendor to make sure that they are reputable and have a clean operational history.   Homeowne... 07/28/2007

#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 information and you use it in an appropriate manner. Some of the things that you may have to negotiate on are:   - The price - Financing - Closing costs - Repairs that need to be done - Appliances and fixtures - Landscaping - Painting - Occupancy time frame   The key to successful negotiating is keeping in mind that the end result must make both you, the buyer, and the seller happy. Otherwise, negative feelings will persist throughout the remainder of the process and someone may walk away feeling th... 07/28/2007

#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 willing to pay for the home?   Make sure that you have everything down in written form... no verbal agreements. Present the seller with a written document detailing what needs to be done by both parties to execute the transaction. The contract should protect the best interests of all parties involved and should be comprehensive in nature. Once it is accepted by the seller, it may be too late to make any changes, so make sure review your offer thoroughly before submitting it. The contract, though not... 07/28/2007

#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 that you feel would meet your needs. Driving around a particular area looking for a home that is for sale is good because you can actually see the house, but it can be very time consuming and very "hit or miss."   Your agent can save you time and money by keeping up-to-date on available properties that possibly meet your criteria and your agent will screen these properties for you. You can eliminate the haphazard searching through papers and the Internet and let the listings come to you through ... 07/28/2007

#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 house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a neighborhood that was not to your liking, would you make an offer on it? Most likely the answer would be, "No."   So, you will need to make another list of what type of neighborhood you want to live in. You will most likely want to consider things like how living in the neighborhood will effect your drive time to and from work, what amenities are offered (swimming pool, tennis courts, park, etc.), and, if you have child... 07/28/2007

#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 a mortgage. Either way you will need to contact a mortgage company.   There are some key differences between prequalification and preapproval for a loan that you need to be aware of. Loan prequalification is a simple process. It takes into account very basic information regarding your financial status and gives you an amount for which you may qualify. This can be done strictly on a verbal level or electronically over the Internet. The prequalified amount is based solely on the information you pr... 07/28/2007

#1 Needs Analysis   Congratulations on your decision to purchase a new home. Your first step toward buying your new home will be to analyze your needs. By analyzing your needs you will be able to get a clear picture of exactly what you want your new home to look like and how it should function for you.   First, you should write down why you are looking for a new home. For example, are you currently renting and would like to have a home where you can begin building equity? Maybe you recently married and have outgrown your current residence. Or, maybe you have just gotten a promotion which requires you to move to a new city. These factors will all have a bearing on how you approach your home search.   Second, establish a time frame that you would like to stay within for buying your home. ... 07/28/2007

Lavish Salon, Located in Champlin Minnesota...There's a new sheriff in town...ah I mean business in town. And boy at Lavish Salon do they "mean business". As an Aveda concept Salon, Lavish Salon upholds a high standard of excellence in the artistry of their craft and there purpose. Aveda products are very earth friendly and very safe for humans and the enviroment. I talked to the owner Lisa Mills and she commented it to be very important to protect our environment for future generations.I stopped by one day to see what all the commotion was about with this new business and decided to write about my experience at this fabulous new Salon and place it here on Localism. Upon entering I was greeted with a friendly smile by several of the staff. I noticed a very pleasant aroma in the salon of... 04/21/2007