For Buyers
If you have never bought a home, it seems simple--just find a home you like, make an offer, obtain financing and show up at the closing with the money. Those are some of the basics, but in practice, there are a huge number of properties available at any one time, and you will find that the photos don't always tell the whole story. An experienced agent who personally knows the properties in the area can use your criteria and their own knowlege of specific properties to match you up with all of the properties that are likely to be what you are really looking for.
Create your own web link. We are happy to prepare a personalized web link for you that will send you listings by email of available properties that fit your criteria. This web link will also email you information about appropriate new listings as soon as they come on the market, and about any changes in the prices.
See listings of all appropriate properties. Once you tell us what you are looking for, we will show you ALL of the properties that seem to fit your standards. As members of the Pikes Peak MLS, we can help you find and purchase almost any of the properties for sale in our area. We also have cooperative agreements with other agencies in other MLS organizations that overlap our area, and with most of the rare gencies that are not in the MLS. We can even represent you and protect your interests in purchases of properties that are "For Sale By Owner." We will never limit you to just our own agency's listings, or to try to steer you to higher priced properties if we know of less expensive ones that would be a good fit for you.
Look at all of them you want to see. Let us know what properties look most interesting to you. We will tell you what we know about them that is not in the ads. For example, we may be able to tell you more about the location, any homeowners' association or covenants, how close the neighbor's houses are to the one that interests you, how steep the land is, whether or not there are lots of trees or meadows on the property, or what the kinds of roads are in the area.
When you have found the perfect place. We will prepare the offer for you and help you to negotiate the price of the sale. We will be sure to include the "additional provisions" in your contract that meet your individual needs and protect your interests. We will make sure that you receive additional information about the boundaries or condition of the property. And we will work with you and your lender to make sure that the lender receives all of the information that is needed to finance your purchase smoothly and on time.
What if inspections show that repairs are required? If you are buying a home, we strongly recommend that you have it professionally inspected. Ideally, you would be present during inspections. The inspector will tell you of any current problems with the home that he can see. Often a professional inspector can also tell you about situations that are not currently a problem, but that might require attention later. In addition, they may give you their perspective on whether the construction of your home is typical for the time it was built, whether or not it is up to current codes, and whether the construction methods of your home are typical, unusual, potentially problematic, or exceptionally good. This gives you a good idea of what to expect with your new home purchase. Although the buyer usually pays for this inspection, it is well worth the cost. Should your inspector find any problems, we will assist you in preparing an "inspection objection" and negotiating with the seller to have important problems fixed. If the seller refuses to fix them, your inspection objection gives you the right to cancel the contract without losing the "earnest money" deposit that you have put down.) In addition to a general home inspection, you might want additional inspections, such as a well test, a septic inspection, or an energy efficiency audit.
Before You Start Looking For Your New Home:
- Check your credit rating. Straighten out any errors before its too late.
- Determine a comfortable monthly budget for your new purchase, including down payment and monthly payment.
- Find a loan program that meets your needs and get pre-qualified (preferably pre-approved).
- Choose a REALTOR® that you trust and who understands your needs.
- Determine what type of neighborhood best matches your needs. Do you want to have neighbors nearby, or would you prefer a more remote location with more privacy? Do you want property that allows (and is suited for) horses or other livestock? How much land do you need? How close do you want to be to a large city such as Colorado Springs, or a smaller town with shopping, doctors, etc?
- Identify important features you need your new home to have.
- Lender fees include charges for loan processing, underwriting, preparation and establishing an escrow account.
- Third-party fees include charges for insurance, title search, and other inspections such as termites.
- Government fees include deed recording and state & local mortgage taxes.
- Escrow and interest fees include homeowner's insurance, loan interest, real estate taxes, and occasionally private mortgage insurance.
