In the “old days” people thinking about buying a home contacted a real estate agent first and the agent explained the process and guided the way from there on out. Now, potential buyers are wandering about the internet, possibly finding homes they are interested in but not sure of what to do next. Finding a home is just part of the process! You will need to see the property in person, you may end up looking at ten houses. You will need guidance and advice. You will need to talk to a human. Who you choose to work with is up to you, try and find someone you know, like and trust. Know that most agents can show and sell you any listings, not just their own and not just those listed by their company.
Know what you can afford.
Using a mortgage calculator on websites such as firstweber.com may let you see that the monthly payment would be less than your current rent (a good start!) but there is more to the picture. Talk to a bank or loan officer. Do you have a downpayment? How much? What kind of loan would you qualify for? You need solid answers to these questions before getting serious about househunting.
Ask questions of your real estate agent.
What contingencies should I or should I not use when writing an offer? How do escrow and taxes and home insurance work? What are closing costs? Looking at condos? What does the condo fee cover? What happens at a home inspection? What happens if my offer is rejected? These are all things your real estate agent will explain to you.
Take the step.
Once you have explored some real estate websites and have an idea of what you like, contact a mortgage professional and a real estate professional. They will walk you through all the steps you can’t research online. While much can be bought and sold over the internet with shopping carts and credit cards, real estate is more complicated.
We hope you will contact one of our First Weber agents for real estate assistance all over Wisconsin.
First Weber sells real estate throughout Wisconsin: Metro Milwaukee and Southeastern WI, South Central Wisconsin, Southwest Wisconsin, Central Wisconsin, Northeast Wisconsin and Wisconsin’s great Northwoods. You can start searching for Wisconsin real estate and Wisconsin real estate agents at firstweber.com
Thanks for reading the First Weber Wisconsin real estate & Wisconsin living blog. For more information for homebuyers, see our homebuyer category of this blog.