This is just one in a series of Posts For Localism By Jeff & Grace Safrin, F.C. Tucker Advantage Realty, Serving Northwest Indiana...on HOMES SOLD IN A MARKET THAT's NOT SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD....
We received a referral from a Lender recently, first time homebuyers looking to buy an affordable home, close to school .
On our first meeting, we went over the Buyer Information Packet with detailed FLOW Chart explaining the many steps along the path between LOOKING FOR A HOME and MOVING DAY!
After obtaining a signed Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement our work began.
Several properties came up on the MLS that matched our clients specific criteria and price range......we further investigated these homes specifically to find out more available detailed information on:
- property history
- disclosure forms
- neighborhood comparables of recent solds
prior to even scheduling a showing!
We explained our system of success which includes:
1) First and foremost, DO KNOW YOUR BUYING POWER !
....in this case, our clients came to us with this important first step already completed - A preapproval letter with specific conditions spelled out in writing and disclosure of closing costs on a Truth in Lending Estimate.
2) DO Weed out as many properties "on paper". We pull many homes in the requested Location and Price Range, then go over them together and eliminate some, based on your criteria. In this case, our clients did not want a fixer upper, or a home far from schools, or a home without their minimun bedrooms or square footage preferences.
3) Do not look at more than 5 homes at a time if at all possible...some first time homebuyers get overwhelmed and experince a phenomenon I refer to as BLENDING - inability to differentiate clearly.....mixing and matching the features of several homes they had just seen due to seeing too many at once!
4) Do not mentally move in. The first home you write an offer on May not BE THE ONE! We tell both our Buyers and Sellers, that the real work in Closing the Deal, starts after the negotiated & signed contract!
There are still steps on the Flow chart that may bring up issues to be resolved:
- Multiple Inspections
- Appraisal
- Title Search
- Survey
In our clients case, the Home Inspection on their first purchase agreement, reveled multiple major defects, that would take months to correct and remediate.......alas, it was back to looking all over again :)
Spring, however, is a good time to Shop for a Home, since there are NEW Listings coming onto the Market Daily!
So week 4 of House Hunting found us in front of an affordable and even more spacious home than the first !
with this view from the front porch of the home looking right at.....yes, you guessed it....the local Elementary School !!
Less than 30 days after this offer, with all the many steps along the path to the home buying process behind us...
Our clients now have a Home to call their own!
Sometimes, things happen for a reason. In this case the second deal was the ONE.
Give us a Call to help you Find Your Next Home in Northwest Indiana !
As Your Buyer Agent Respresentative, WE :
- Are CONFIDENT in our ability to find you a home!
- LISTEN to YOUR criteria.
- Share vital information, and keep you informed.
- Strongly encourage a multitude of Inspections.
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Communicate closely with Your Lender and the Co-Broker to make sure progress moves forward.
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All we ask in return, is your commitment to work exclusively with us during this process!
Other Posts in this series are: http://activerain.com/blogsview/458373/Reverse-Offers-in-Real http://activerain.com/blogsview/441172/Who-is-NEXT-Referrals http://activerain.com/blogsview/439592/1st-BORN-2nd-Wife http://activerain.com/blogsview/421935/Tri-Omino-Effect-on http://activerain.com/blogsview/421330/IN-A-MARKET-THAT http://activerain.com/blogsview/452527/A-Step-on-the Jeff & Grace Safrin REALTORS - "Spouses Selling Houses' TM
F.C. Tucker Advantage Realty
Serving Lake County, Porter County, La Porte County, Starke County, Jasper County and Newton County in NW Indiana.
Please feel free to Contact us @ 219-405-1232 or, click the below to read / subscribe to our email newsletter with valuable Relocation Information.
NW INDIANA remains a Great REAL ESTATE MARKET check our past---> SOLD HOMES !
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by The ActiveRain Network and it's members and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Jeff and Grace Safrin of F.C. Tucker Advantage Realty. Jeff and Grace Safrin and F.C. Tucker Advantage Realty are not responsible for the accuracy or content provided by The Active Rain Community.
Thanks for stopping by and reading our Blog about Life in NW Indiana, The Housing Market, Communities, Local Sports, Events, attractions & more.
Sincerely,
Jeff & Grace Safrin, Broker / Owners
F.C.Tucker 1st Team Real Estate
13 Lincolnway Suite # 203
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Office # 219-309-9930
serving Lake, Porter, La Porte, Jasper, Newton & Starke Counties in NW Indiana
Independently Owned & Operated
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Grace and Jeff,
It sounds like you do an excellent job for your buyers and they are in very good hands.....I'd certainly send buyers your way if I were a lender and if I were a buyer, you'd be the first and last I call!
Wonderful post.....congratulations to your clients on finding a home that meets their needs and is so close to the school.
Jo
Hello Jo-Anne thanks for your kind comments - and we likewise feel that any buyer we send you would be inthe best of hands :)
Hello Dave -thanks ... you can be confident we will take care of any referals you send our way and we will certainly refer to you - if buyers come to us without a lender.
Hello Carole - it is and the best part about it is living in the same town -we will be stopping by if we see them out & about this summer ( Jeff always looks for past clients doing yardwork outside and stops ans tlks with them to catch up on what's new) I love to to see how the personalization of their home is coming along :)
Hello Denise - my Mom always said don't believe everything you hear on TV - CNN had on that they can't keep IPODS and the new Iphone in stock - people are buying them up! That's not spending on necessities...buyers who know better know that this is a great time to buy a home !
Hello Duane - Yes thanks - great point....we do provide a checklist for them in our buyer information packet...with homes numbered one thru 5 :) for comparison points.
THANKS to all for taking your time to comment - appreciate it !
Sincerely,
Grace
Hi Jeff and Grace,
Another GREAT post. Everything I've seen and heard about you has been positive and of high quality. Although I still do some Porter and La Porte biz, I wish you were in Lake County where I do most of my business. I'd be on you like white on rice! :)
Keep up the GREAT work!
All Good wishes,
Larry Penilla
Larry@LarryPenilla.com
www.LarryPenilla.com
PS. Hope you're using the IHCDA for some of your FTHBs. If not you should check it out on my website in the First Time Home Buyer's pages...I'm doing one in Valpo now 164,900 FHA @ 5.125% 30 year fixed w/3% DPA (Genesis) and seller paying $2,500 in ccs. Very happy buyers!
Hello Larry - We know Lake County very well and we always accept Buyers and Listings there also - we lived there in St. John for years before moving to Valpo. I am a graduate of Bishop Noll High School as well and before Real Estate worked at Munster Comm and St. Margaet mary Hospitals in Dyer. Right now we have over a dozen listings for sale in lake County...including Munster, Merrillville (commercial and residential), Hammond, Hessville, Whiting, Lake Station and Hobart! we will check out your site. Thanks for the compliments and taking time to comment.
Sincerely,
Grace
Jeff and Grace, You have an excellent model. I tend to call it Providence when we are disappointed, then pleasantly surprised at a better turn of events than what we would have settled for.
Hello Suzi - thanks for stopping by and commenting - appreciate it. Priovidence to us is when one door closes another window opens :) sometimes with a better view!
Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Grace