The Town Broker

How I Work With Buyers

Buying a home can be one of the most challenging, yet most most important tasks in our lifetime. What makes it so difficult is that unless we’re a professional investor, we don’t do it very often. As a result, it’s difficult to become proficient.

In the “internet age”, finding property listings is becoming easier and easier for the consumer. That’s a good thing, but it can frequently lead to information overload. Whether a first-time or repeat buyer, there are several key tasks that I believe greatly enhance the buying experience. Here’s what I encourage all of my buyer clients to do:

1. Have a Buyer Consultation Meeting. Imaging asking financial counselor to come up with an investment strategy for you without knowing about your personal goals. Your plan could end up being totally inappropriate for your needs. Very few of us would ever consider doing this. But this is exactly what happens when agents begin to show houses to customers without conducting a proper consultation meeting. This leads to wasted time, effort, and missed opportunities. During our buyer consultation meeting we’ll review:
   • Lifestyle & housing needs;
   • Time frame for purchase;
   • “Gotta’ Haves” and Wish List Items;
   • Current market trends and opportunities;
   • Whether or not I am the best Realtor to meet your needs (and this is important- I respect both my dentist and my plumber. I never ask one to to the others job. If I don’t think I’m the right Realtor for you, I’ll tell you, and refer you to someone better able to meet your needs.);
   • What to expect from each other during the buying process
2. Have a Financial Consultation Meeting. For most of us, purchasing a home requires obtaining some type of financing. But which type of financing is correct for you? The news today is full of stories of people who chose the wrong mortgage product, and got in over their heads. Even in this challenging credit environment, there are a variety of mortgage products and special programs available to today’s consumer. Depending on which one you choose, your monthly payment could vary significantly. But each program has its own specific eligibility requirements. I can recommend knowledgeable mortgage professionals that I trust (and have used personally) of you like. Or, you can choose your own. The goal of the financial consultation meeting is to:
   • Determine your spending “comfort zone”;
   • Evaluate which mortgage products best suit your needs & desires;
   • Determine what price range home we should be looking in.