Here are a few tips to help you make educated home buying decisions:

• Plan your Finances
  • Make an appointment with your bank or mortgage broker and find out exactly what you can afford.
  • This process will take a few business days, but at the same time you can obtain a pre-approval
• Prepare to Buy
  • Make sure your bank account is ready (do you have enough money saved for lawyer fees, land transfer taxes, a down payment, a deposit)
  • Make sure you are mentally ready – the buying process can be time consuming and a mixed bag of emotions
  • Hire a LOCAL, knowledgeable REALTOR who you feel comfortable with – you’ll be spending a lot of time with this person
  • Have an open and upfront conversation with your REALTOR to determine your budget, your needs and your wants. These details will include preferred location, new build, fixer upper, rural, urban, size of home, size of land etc
• View properties
  • Congratulations, your REALTOR is now your best friend! A good REALTOR will keep on top of the market for you – let you know trends, what’s available and actually showing you properties that interest you
• Make an Offer
  • This is where the fun begins
  • When you find “the one” the next step is to make a formal written offer. You are able to dictate the offer price, deposit amount, desired closing date, inclusions, exclusions and include any conditions you wish (most common are Financing, Home Inspection, Water Sample, Insurance, Lawyer Approval, documents relevant to the property – this is just to name a few)
  • This is where your REALTOR will shine! Once you sign the offer, the offer will be presented to the Sellers. Once presented the Sellers will most likely sign back with desired changes to your offer. These negotiations are sometimes frustrating however a good REALTOR representing your best interests will make this process as painless as possible.
• Close your Purchase
  • Once both you and the Sellers are happy with the offer, the offer is accepted and it is now your job to fulfill your conditions stated within the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.
  • Your REALTOR will help you complete this process until your conditions are waived and your purchase is FIRM
  • At this time it is advised to a hire a LOCAL lawyer to represent you and your purchase