Tips to Make the Right Decisions When Buying a Home

Buying a new home can be very exciting; it can also be scary at the same time. You want to make sure that you're getting exactly what you want and not wasting your money. There are some key things you need to know, so here are some tips to help you as you walk through that process.

I've been in the real estate industry for over 20 years and I'm finding out at this point in my life that I'm older than most of my customers so I kind of adopt them as being "Uncle Monte." It's like having a family member who has a lot of knowledge who sincerely cares about your well-being.

One of the things you need to be looking at is your financial picture.

It's really important to understand that the financing world has totally changed in today's economy and it's really important to go out and get pre-approved for a loan before house hunting. To do that you must have your credit checked, you have to find out what you can truly afford, making sure that you have the finances that are required to make the down payment; all of these criterion are important to get pre-approved.

You want to get pre-approved so that when you go out and look at homes you're like a cash buyer if/when you decide to make an offer on a home; that's really important.

You need to have a game plan when you're looking at homes because it can be really overwhelming to focus on the task.

Try to create your "perfect list" or your "dream home list." Of course this is governed by the financial part of it; we all have champagne tastes and maybe not that budget. But in addition to that list, you can sign up for a program online that will automatically send you property alerts so you can stay on top of the market. There are several places online that where you can fill in your criteria and save your search; then every day that a home hits the market that matches your criteria, in the area you are looking in and so forth, you will be notified.

What are some reasonable expectations that a home buyer should expect from their agent?

Experience is probably one of the most crucial elements that somebody wants to look for in a real estate person. Experience is so absolutely crucial because what you have to understand is - and what most experienced buyers know - is that you make your money in real estate when you buy the home, not necessarily when you sell it. You've got to buy it correctly and that means buying it not only at the best price, but buying it in area that's got good, solid appreciation. So I think everybody should look for an experienced agent - and who also though, is not dependent upon that next transaction. As real estate people we live on commissions and sometimes when you haven't had a closing in a while, the temptation is to only be interested in selling a home.

You've got to make sure you find someone who's got plenty of business in the pipeline so they are more interested in making sure that you're happy and taken care of really well, than they are in just trying to sell a home. You don't want an agent that is desperate to make a deal that you don't want.

As a home buyer, how much time should someone expect to get from their agent?

Well I think that it's really important that the agent you choose be available all the time. I work 7 days a week - this is my passion - this is all I do. Find someone who really loves helping people.