BUYER TIPS
Remember, not all Realtors and Lenders are Equal!

Congratulations on your decision to purchase a new home!

Unlike many Realtors, I like to discuss your personal needs and wants BEFORE you talk to a lender! The reason for this is that until I know what you want in a mortgage (lowest rate, lowest closing costs, most flexible on credit, first time homebuyer programs, construction financing, etc.) how would I realistically know which lender to send you to?

I pride myself in keeping up to date with all of todays available creative loan options including:

2/1 buydowns

Zero Down Loans

80/20 Loans

Cross Collaterallized Loans

Bridge Loans

First Time Homebuyer Programs

Grants

HUD/VA Financing

ETC.

There are special loans for people that make 65% or less of the median income; other programs for 80% or less; special loans if you make under 100% (Currently $54,000 in Ada County for a family of 4); and even lenders that don't care what you make if your credit is good enough.

Once we figure out what loan is best and then what you would qualify for, you should log onto this site and click on my "Dream Home" link to enter the location and the style of home you want to buy. This way, you will receive daily email updates of homes that meet your criteria regardless of which agent/agency lists them!

Feel free to email me or call with any and all questions!




Through my website you will be able to view many area subdivisions, new developments, local builders, area schools and much more. So now when the weather is nasty or the kids are not feeling well you may still be searching for your Dream Home. If your life is a bit hectic you may chose to sign up for my Dream Home function and let your computer do some of the work.

Every day new properties come on the market, the Dream Home function will send all newly listed properties that meet your pre-set criteria in an email to you so you will never miss the perfect home for you and your family.




Fill out the following forms when looking for your new home.

Home Needs Worksheet
Home Evaluation Worksheet




Now that you have your list of features you want in your new home, you are ready to start looking! Well, not just yet. You are going to need to know in what price range to look. It is now time to go get pre-approved or pre-qualified for a mortgage. You will need to contact a mortgage company and I would be happy to refer a company or loan officer that I have worked with in the past who has the ability to make your dream home become a reality.

There are some key differences between pre-qualification and pre-approval for a loan that you need to be aware of. Loan pre-qualification is a simple process. It takes into account very basic information regarding your financial status and gives you an amount for which you may qualify. This can be done strictly on a verbal level or electronically over the Internet or by phone. The pre-qualified amount is based solely on the information you provide. In most markets, pre-qualified buyers usually hold little clout compared to pre-approved buyers due to the fact that the information given during the pre-qualification process is not thoroughly investigated and therefore may be unreliable.

Where a pre-approved buyer is actually approved for a loan of a certain amount, a pre-qualified buyer is only told that they might be approved for a certain amount. Pre-approval is a much more involved process. The lender will take all pertinent information regarding your finances and perform an extensive check on your current financial status. This will ultimately give you the exact amount that you will be eligible for (depending on what type of loan you decide to go with). Being pre-approved lets the seller know that you have gone through an extensive financial background check and there should be no unexpected obstacles to buying the home. You can see how being pre-approved would be more attractive to a seller than just being pre-qualified.


Negotiate

Once your offer is made, I may need to enter some negotiations in order to reach an agreement with the seller. Keep in mind that almost everything is negotiable when you are buying a house. This can give you a great deal of leverage in the buying process, that is, if you have adequate information and you use it in an appropriate manner. I have the market knowledge and negotiating expertise necessary to make sure that your offer will be accepted at the best price and terms possible for you.

Some of the things that you may have to negotiate are:
The price
Financing
Closing costs
Repairs that need to be done (who will pay)
Appliances and fixtures
Landscaping
Painting
Occupancy time frame

The key to successful negotiating is keeping in mind that the end result must make both you, and the seller, happy. Otherwise, negative feelings will persist throughout the remainder of the process and you do not want to walk away feeling that you were not treated fairly.


Pre-Close

After your offer has been accepted, I will supervise the coordination of all necessary vendors, serving as your advocate when working with each vendor. I will make sure that the vendors have access to the property at the appropriate times to perform their procedures and oversee the execution of those procedures on your behalf. For instance, the property will need a thorough examination. Working with your lender, you may need to have a formal appraisal and possibly a survey done on the property. A property inspection, a foundation inspection, and an environmental inspection may also be needed to make sure that the property is up to all standards as set forth in your written agreement.

If there are issues or inconsistencies brought to light during this time, it may delay or even nullify the agreement, depending on the contingencies set forth in the agreement.

Homeowner insurance is another very important item that will need to be taken care of at this point. Insurance experts recommend that you obtain insurance equal to the full replacement value of the home. Unless you have insurance coverage on the home, the closing cannot proceed. Having these procedures done in a timely and professional manner is a must. Investigate each vendor to make sure that they are reputable and have a clean operational history. My experience in this area will be valuable in making sure that everything is completed on time and in a professional and legal manner.


Find Your Dream Home
What Is Your Homes Value?
Need help moving?

Jim Paulson
Realtor / CRS, EPRO, GRI, Broker

Progressive Realty Corporation

Located Virtually Everywhere!
Boise, Idaho 83709
Direct: 208 573-0471
Cell: 208-573-0471
Fax: 877-Go.Own.It
EMAIL