Excited about your first home? Here are some tips to make the process smooth and successful:

DO

• Hire a knowledgable and professional real estate agent to work with
• State your communication, responsiveness, and timeframe expectations to the realtor
• Sign a Buyer Brokerage Agreement so you can be fully informed
• Find a lender and get financially qualified immediately!
• Once qualified, explain your home needs and wants to your realtor
• Drive around to check out areas, traffic patterns to/from work, shopping, & schools
• Ask your realtor to send you homes that he/she feels meet your needs - review the data
• Give your realtor 24-48 hours leadtime to make viewing appointments
• Eventually make a decision - partner with your realtor and submit an offer to purchase
• Pay attention and meet all deadlines as stated in your contract
• Always have a termite and home inspection
• Remember to schedule utilities to be on the day of closing
• Arrive to closing on time with driver's license, funds, and the required paperwork
• Have money in reserve for incidental expenses that might surface

DO NOT

• Start your search until you have been pre-qualified by a lender
• Buy anything of substantial material value until after your home closes
• Go back and forth on your home requirements - try to stay the course
• Don't call a listing agent from a sign if there's a home you like - let your realtor work for you (the listing agent represents the seller)
• When you decide on a home, don't wait to make an offer - time can be of the essence

Casey Fauscett, Buyer's Agent, The Komar Team