The best way to make sure that you choose the right house is to properly prepare yourself.  The purchase of a house is a tremendous investment, both monetarily and emotionally.  The purpose of this page is to provide you with some tips that will help your transaction progress smoothly and result in a positive homeowner experience.

Remember, if you have any questions I am as near as your phone or computer.

• Get help. Your home is likely to represent one of the largest investments in your life.  In order for the transaction to go smoothly it is of vital importance that you choose the right agent to represent your interests.  The right agent will be someone with whose experience and personality you feel comfortable. You should try to find an agent who is familiar with and knowledgeable about the area where you plan to move.  For more information about my services, just call or contact me by e-mail.
• Get pre-approval for financing.  Do you already know how much house you can afford?  There is nothing more frustrating than looking for a house, finding the perfect house, and then discovering that it is out of your price range.  Before you begin looking for properties, speak with a lender to learn about the different financing options available to you.  When you select a lender, get the paperwork processed so that you will be ready to buy when you find the right house.
• Avoid major purchases. In order to determine the amount of house you can afford to purchase, a lender uses your FICO score and your debt-to-income ratio to determine how much you will be able to borrow and what it will cost you to finance (the loan's interest rate).  The debt-to-income ratio consists of the percentage of your pre-tax income that you spend on debt and your debt (monthly housing costs, car payments, credit cards, student loans, and any other installment debt).  As a word of caution:  If you take on additional debt right before buying a house, it may have a negative impact on the amount of the loan that the lender will approve.
• Sign up for Property Watch.  In order to make an educated decision, you need to know what is available and the prices in areas you are considering. You can browse all the active listings from my website.  Once you have found some houses you like, save those searches and sign up for Property Watch so that new listings will be e-mailed to you. The best houses sell more quickly so you need to make sure that you check the available inventory frequently.
• Ask Questions.  By law, in most cases a seller is required to disclose everything known about a property being sold.  Nevertheless, there are other questions that can sometimes help you with negotiating the best deal on a house.  This period of questions is another area of my Value Service.  Questions are important because the resulting answers lead to information that allows you to make informed decisions. 
• Have a Home Inspection.  I will strongly advise you to have a home inspection by a licensed home inspector.  The last thing you want to discover after you have bought a home is that you have purchased a "money pit".  The seller's disclosed information, inspection(s), and questions will help you make a better decision about whether to walk away from a bad buying decision or negotiate better price and terms.