Charlotte Homes | Buying A Home

1. Find a Realtor that will represent you the Buyer in the transaction. This is important because the Realtor that you call to show you a home that they have listed is working for the interests of the seller. The seller wants to get as much money for the home as possible, so the listing agent has a legal responsibility to help the seller get as much for the home as possible. A buyer's agent represents only buyers in real estate transactions and legally acts in the buyer's best interest, not the seller's. If you hire a buyer's broker, your agent's goal will be to get you the best house for the least money at the terms most favorable to you.
2. Get pre-approved for your home loan before you start shopping. Have your lender confirm your loan approval in writing. Don't worry about locking in at the right moment. Many lenders are offering "float down" loan programs, which allow you to choose the lower of the rate or the current interest rate at closing time. Your Realtor (Buyers Agent) can help you choose a lender.
3. Looking for a new home can become a time consuming and overwhelming experience that'll test your patience. The hours and homes can quickly blur into one hazy memory. Here's how to optimize your house hunting hours and make the process manageable and memorable. Use your Realtor to locate homes and have them show you the homes you’d like to see. Some suggestions to narrow the search:
   • Start with the neighborhood. Could you get more for your money elsewhere? Is it a neighborhood where you'd be happy? What about buying in an up-and-coming neighborhood, or on the edge of your neighborhood of choice?
   • Create a wish list: Write down your housing wants and needs. Include all the physical characteristics you want or need, such as style, size, layout and room configuration, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, garage and the basic amenities you must have (e.g., central air, fireplace, basement or yard).
4. Once you find the home of your choice its time to submit an offer to the current owner. This is another area where the Realtor representing the Buyer can really help you out. The Realtor will walk you through this process, filling out the necessary paperwork, offering you advice on what to offer and ensuring you get the best deal possible with your hard earned money. The Realtor (Buyers Agent) will be the middleman in this process to make negotiating easy for you. Usually this process has many counteroffers until both parties finally accept one. At this point the Realtor will make sure all the paperwork gets completed, helps set the date for the completed sale of the home, gets your home inspection completed, helps you find an insurance agent for your home, contacts the lawyers who will work on your behalf in the closing and transfer of the property.
5. The closing date will be the date chosen by both parties to complete the sale. At this time you will usually go to the lawyers office (this is where most closings happen in North Carolina unlike other states) where all the documents that need to be signed are signed and the home becomes yours.
6. Get all your friends together so they can help you MOVE IN!