The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has dramatically increased the number of first time home buyers I have been working with this year. Helping people to buy their first home is such a rewarding experience for me. It can be very overwhelming to start the process in talking to a lender about all of the different programs and trying to find properties online. By the time most of my clients are connected with me they are completely overwhelmed with information and aren’t sure how to sort through it all.
My goal in working with first time homebuyers is to help them sort through all of the information on how to obtain the loan, connect them to the best lenders (from multiple banks) in the city that will help them to understand the process and get loan closed on time with minimal hassle. The lenders I refer business to will also offer them estimates that will allow buyers to compare different loans on the same form so they can find the best value for their purchase.
Calling multiple agents and having to search the internet and drive around the city looking for properties can be cumbersome. I can set up an auto search with the specific criteria so that you don’t have to waste time looking for homes without seeing the interior and without knowing what homes are within your price range. I can set the search up to fit any specific requests and it will send you an automatic email when the properties come on the market in your price range.
The negotiation process is an area where having a professional is important. I will always provide my clients with a comparative market analysis and give my professional opinion about the market conditions and level of inventory in the area compared with the Cincinnati area average to help a client determine if the property they have chosen is the best investment for what they are looking for.
Since buyer representation is paid by the seller of a property in almost all cases, it is always best to hire a professional who is experienced in working with first time home buyers and who is knowledgeable about the market that you are looking in.
I created a cartoon based on a conversation with one of the first time home buyers I knew in Atlanta.
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