buying your first home - what you should know

Shopping For A House? 3 Things Your Real Estate Agent Needs To Know

Sometimes when people start looking for a house, they are apprehensive to share information with their real estate agent, largely in part because they may not know the person. However, sharing information with your real estate agent is in your best interest, since they are the person that can help you to find the house you will call home. Here are three things your real estate agent needs to know, and why you should tell them. 

1. Your Mortgage Pre-Approval Status

Home financing is commonly one of the biggest hurdles towards homeownership, so talk with your realtor about whether or not you have been pre-approved for a mortgage. Talk with them about how much you want to spend on a home and whether or not you have sat down with a mortgage broker to discuss the details of your finances. 

If you have gotten pre-approved, bring a copy of the letter to your real estate agent. With an understanding of your finances, your real estate agent will be able to help you to find properties that meet your criteria—without obliterating your budget. 

2. Your Plans

It is also important to talk with your real estate agent about whether or not you plan to live in the home for a long time since plans can change. For instance, you may decide to have children, adopt a pet, or rent out rooms or the basement of your home to other people, which could change what you need in a house. 

Talk about how many bedrooms you need, whether you plan to have any more children, and whether or not anyone else could be staying with you for an extended period of time. 

3. Your Feelings About A Commute

After learning more about your budget and preferences, your real estate agent will start looking for a home. However, to make sure that you have easy access to your employer, talk about how far you are willing to travel to and from work each day. Think about how far homes you are considering are from your office and whether or not they would work with your daily schedule. 

Are you ready to start looking around for new houses? Talk with real estate agents in your area to see what kinds of properties are in your target market. Before you know it, you might find exactly what you need that is well within your budget. 


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