I. Don’t Get “Pre-Qualified!

Do you want to get the best house you can for the least amount of money when buying a home in Hiawassee Georgia? Then make sure you are in the strongest negotiating position possible. Price is only one bargaining chip in the negotiations, and not necessarily the most important one. Buyer strength and length of escrow are usually critical to sellers.

In years past, we always recommended that buyers get “pre-qualified” by a lender. This means that you spend a few minutes on the phone with a lender who asks you a few questions. Based on the answers, the lender pronounces you “pre-qualified” and issues a certificate that you can show to a seller. When dealing with certificates that hold no value, sellers are becoming more wise, so let me explain why! None of the information has been verified! Oftentimes-unknown problems surface! Some of the problems I’ve seen include recorded judgments, child support payments due, glitches on the credit report due to any number of reasons both accurately and inaccurately, down payments that have not been in the clients’ bank account long enough, etc.

When you're "pre-approved," your offer is seen as coming from a stronger starting position. This occurs following the verification of all of the details. You are actually APPROVED for the loan and the only loose end is the appraisal on the property. Depending on the circumstances, the entire process can take anywhere from just a few minutes to a few days. Something we strongly suggest for all of our clients to have.

Since you are currently renting a home and don’t have a home to sell you may be at an advantage when competing with other buyers because many buyers must sell their current home before they are able to get financing for another.

2. Play the Game of Nines

Before house hunting in the Hiawassee Georgia market, develop a list of about 9 items you want in your new location Then make a list of the nine things you don’t want. I call this “NINE OF THIS AND NONE OF THAT”. You may utilize this list like a scoring guide in order to rank all the properties you check out. The highest final rating is the winner! This will help to prevent any misunderstanding and maintain a sense of perspective while making comparisons of many homes. When house hunting in the Hiawassee Georgia, consider the contrast between something called "SKIN AND BONES". The BONES are things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot, noise in the area, school district, and floor plan. The SKIN represents easily changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color, and window coverings. Buy the house with good BONES, because the SKIN can always be changed to match your tastes. Think of the house you are viewing as empty, without furniture. Consider each house on its underlying merits, not the seller’s decorating skills.

3. Don’t Be Pushed Into Any House

Your agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements. You should not make a decision on a house until you have seen enough to pick the best one. Your agent may not provide the complete list of homes for sale. By sitting with him at the Multiple Listing computer you can ensure for yourself that he will. Hiawassee Georgia and not just the home that the agent "wants" to show you.

In the late 1980’s, homes in Hiawassee Georgia were selling quickly, usually a few days after listing. In this type of market, agents recommended that their customers place an offer instantly if they were interested in the home. That was good advice at the time. Today there isn’t always this urgency, unless a home is drastically under priced, and you’ll know if it is. Remember the dangers of waiting too long; the property could be sold before your bid arrives. If you really like a house, get an offer written and make sure your agent writes in the proper clauses to get you out of the offer.

Don’t forget to check into the SCHOOL DISTRICTS of the area you’re considering. For more information about schools in the Hiawassee Georgia market you can visit my website at http://www.MtnPropertySales.com. Information is available on every school; such as class sizes, % of students that go on to college, SAT scores, etc.

4. Stop Calling Ads!

Take care - the agents in Hiawassee Georgia make the phone ring by creating ads Many of the homes have some drawback that’s not mentioned in the ad, such as traffic noise, power lines, or litigation in the community. What’s not mentioned in the ad is usually more important than what is. This is why we think it prudent for you to take great care when going over advertisements. Not you in most cases,and remember that the person writing the ad is representing the seller. The most important thing you can do is have someone on your side looking out for your best interests. Your own agent will critique the property with an eye towards how well it meets your needs and will point out any drawbacks you should know about.So whether you decide to work with us or not, pick an agent you feel comfortable with and enlist the services of that agent as a buyer’s broker. Then you become a client with all the rights, benefits, and privileges created by this agency relationship, and you’re no longer just a shopper. Did you know that many homes are sold WITHOUT A SIGN ever going up or an AD EVER BEING PUT IN THE PAPERQuestion: These “great deals” go to those people who are committed to working with one agent. When an agent hears of a great buy, who do you think he’s going to callQuestion: His client, who he has a legal obligation to work hard for you, or someone who just called on the phone and said “keep your eyes open”Question: To get the most bang for your buck, buy property in the Hiawassee Georgia Our highest recommendation is find yourself an agent you're comfortable with and stick with him or her for all your real estate market needs.

A plethora of data on the subject of selling, buying or investments is out there at no cost. Hiawassee Georgia property For complete information about the Hiawassee Georgia real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Hiawassee Georgia real estate. I would be happy to answer any questions about your mortgage when you contact me. Call me on my cell at 828-557-9206 I can be reached by email at MtnPropertySales@brmemc.net.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Hayesville North Carolina real estate. For complete information about the Hayesville North Carolina real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Hayesville North Carolina real estate at http://www.MtnPropertySales.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions.