10 Valuable Home Buying Tips
Recommendations for a good buying experience

These valuable tips come from our experience helping our clients buy and sell property in the Ozarks. Most of our new clients do not know this basic information and find it very helpful. Get the most from your home buying or selling experience! We are here to help.

1. We recommend a Home Inspection by a professional inspection company. This should include a termite and well/septic inspection if applicable.
   
2. If there is not a current survey of the property and it is important to you to know the exact boundaries, the property should be surveyed.
   
3. If the property is in a subdivision, you should have a copy of the covenants and restrictions and a plat which shows the entire development.
   
4. Home Warranty Plans are available for purchase by either the buyer or the seller.
   
5. Be knowledgeable about your financial situation - gross incomes, minimum monthly payments on current debt. (Credit cards, car payments, student loans, etc.)
   
6. A job change within the past two years, major purchases such as a car, unexplained gaps in employment, etc. impact your ability to buy a home.
   
7. Home loans are available through locally owned banks (for example, Bank of Kimberling City), local banks owned by national corporations (such as Bank of America), mortgage companies (Countrywide, Wells Fargo, etc.) and mortgage brokers who typically place loans with national lenders (Capitol Commerce, etc.) We recommend talking to more than one lender and talking to people who have worked with the lenders.
   
8. You, the buyer, make the choice as to the amount of representation you want from the real estate agent. If you choose Buyer Representation you must enter into a written agreement. If you choose not to be represented by an agent, the licensee may be working for the seller in the transaction or may simply be acting as a transaction broker (does not represent either party, does not advocate the interest of either party).
   
9. When choosing an agent the agent should
   • work in real estate full time
   • be knowledgeable about the area and marketplace
   • provide you with information that will help you make an informed choice
   • be willing to provide you with a list of references
   • be a professional with strong personal and work ethics
10. Looking at "For Sale by Owner" property? You pay the same price for the property when you buy it directly from the owner as you would if you were working with a Realtor. Sellers price their homes to include the commission - why else would they do all of the work, pay for the advertising, etc.? Next time you want to look at a For Sale by Owner property, call a Realtor. You will have representation in the transaction and you won't pay any more for the property.