(Part 1 in a Series)
Buying a home is always a huge undertaking. It matters little whether you’ve bought and sold numerous homes or whether it’s your first time.
When looking for a new home, many people believe they can do it all by themselves. This is especially true of home-buying “veterans.” While many have bought and sold several times, do these few experiences make them an expert?
The process is constantly evolving. Markets change. Lender and national underwriting guidelines change. Even real estate laws change. Are you sure what you did five, ten, or twenty years ago is still relevant??
Consumers today have a huge amount of information at their disposal. There’s more information online than anyone can ever hope to read. While I encourage consumers to educate themselves, I’m also keenly aware that a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous.
Consumers should learn the basics and know the questions to ask. They should then put together a team of professionals who can implement their plans and help them attain their goal of a new home.
“Why do I need ‘professionals’ to do the work?”
“How hard can it be?”
“Lots of people buy a home on their own. Why should I pay someone if I can do it myself?”
These statements are all too common. And unfortunately they’ve been reinforced by the bad experiences of home-buyers poorly served by not-so-professional realtors, mortgage loan originators, home inspectors, and yes, even attorneys, all who were NOT true experts at their craft, all who put their commission checks before the needs of their clients.
If you consider yourself amongst those who’ve been burned, I promise you, there are a great many exceptional realtors, mortgage professionals, home inspectors, and real estate attorneys out there. Your task is to sift through the rocks to find the true gems. And once you find them, let me assure you:
When you have an exceptional team of professionals helping you purchase a home, they are worth their weight in gold.
Superstars will save you time, money, and aggravation. Superstars will help you avoid problems and pitfalls that you wouldn’t find on your own – problems that would cost you tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of time, legal fees, repairs, and even lost opportunities, were it not for the sharp eye or keen experience of a superstar real estate professional.
So who are these rock stars and how do you find the right people to have on your team? Fear not my friend. All will be answered in my next article. Stay tuned…
Warren Goldberg is President of Mortgage Wealth Advisors, a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist®, and a published author. His interviews include Blog-Talk Radio, Newsday, and the Long Island Herald. Since 1992, he’s been sharing his financial knowledge and wealth-building strategies, including how to properly use your mortgage as a financial tool. His clients regularly express their trust and appreciation by recommending friends and family call when in need of mortgage, real estate, and financial guidance.
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