| 3 Secrets to Buying the Best House for Your Money
1. Get "Pre-Approved" - Not "Pre-Qualified!" Do you want to get the
best property you can for the least amount of money? Then make sure you are
in the strongest negotiating position possible. Price is only one element
in the negotiations, and not necessarily the most important one. Often other
terms, such as the strength of the buyer or the length of escrow, are critical
to a seller. This process takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending
on your situation. It's VERY POWERFUL and a weapon I recommend all my clients
have in their negotiating arsenal.
2. Sell Your Property First. Contingency sales aren't nearly as strong
as one that comes in with a ready, willing and able buyer. The bottom line
is that buying before selling might cost you THOUSANDS of dollars. You loose
all negiotiating power with a contingency sales, and most of the time will
have to pay the full asking price before the seller will agree. If you're
concerned that there is not a house on the market for you, then go on a window-shopping
trip. You can identify possible houses and locations without falling in love
with a specific house. If you feel confident after that then put your house
on the market. Another tactic is to make the sale "subject to seller finding
suitable housing".
3. Don't Be Pushed Into Any House. Your
agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements.
Don't make a decision on a house until you feel that you've seen enough to
pick the best one. Don't forget to check into the SCHOOL DISTRICTS of the
area you're considering.When house hunting, keep in mind the difference between "STYLE
AND SUBSTANCE". The SUBSTANCE are
things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot, noise
in the area, school district, and floor plan. The STYLE represents easily
changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color, and window coverings.
Buy the house with good SUBSTANCE, because the STYLE can always be changed
to match your tastes. I always recommend that you imagine each house as if
it were vacant.
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