Buyers Guide

Home Purchasing 

The purchase of real estate is one of the most exciting transactions a person will ever make. The first step is assessing your finances and deciding what you’d like to spend per month as well as how much mortgage you can afford.  

Set a Monthly Housing Budget

Setting a realistic monthly housing budget is essential, and it should be the first step on your checklist. Financial experts recommend that the total cost of housing, including the mortgage payment, real estate taxes, maintenance and upkeep, should be no more than a third of your gross income.

Resources for Buyers

A real estate agent will be your primary resource for information. While many sites allow you to view the MLS, you will need an agent to actually tour the homes. Also, many MLS sites don’t update information like when a home is under contract or has been taken off market. Beyond simply finding you a home, our agents can often help you find a good source of financing, construction, insurance and explain associated costs with particular homes and neighborhoods..

Finance

Financing is a crucial step in the buying process. It’s important to be pre-approved for a mortgage before preparing an offer. Pre-approval means that you have been fully screened by the lender and approved for a loan; this is a huge when the time comes for sellers to accept your offer. Most sellers will go with candidates that are pre-approved, since there’s less risk in the deal falling thru

Real Estate Agents

Your real estate agent will also be critical when it comes to negotiating and making your offer. The home buying process is long and involved, but with the right resources — an educated agent — it can be exciting and fun. The Massachusetts market is very competitive and you may face bidding wars.  In these situations you want a real estate agent who is passionate and educated enough to understand negotiations and can help your offer stand out above the rest. 

Home Buyer Checklist a Home

Buying a home is not something to be taken lightly - or something to be entered into without preparation. Whether you are in the market for a condo, single-family or a mansion, you need to prepare carefully and make sure everything is ready to go. Streamline sales agents can walk thru your ideal home features so you will be able to narrow down you search results. This will save you from wasting time checking out homes that are not likely to be your dream home or fit your needs.

Research the Local Neighborhoods

The first step is to pick out specific areas to focus your search in. When looking at neighborhoods, check out the quality of schools, the average home prices, the major employers, and the nearby resources (fire station, library, grocery store, etc). After choosing the best area for your family, then it’s time to start taking more proactive steps. 

You will probably be shopping in more than one neighborhood, so it is important to research the local area thoroughly. Look at things like school graduation rates, neighborhood parks, walking trails, nearby groceries and other basic amenities you frequent and determine if the distance from your home will work for you.  Also be sure to use Nextdoor and the Ring app to verify trends in violent and nonviolent crime.  This will also give you a good gauge on the kind of neighbors you will have. 

Find an Educated Realtor

Once you have all your ducks in a row and know how much you can afford to spend, it is time to start interviewing local real estate agents. You want an agent who knows the local area and has specific expertise in the type of home you have in mind.

All of Streamline Realty, sales agents the required licenses and has attained the necessary accreditations. On Top of that we have continued education for all of our sales staff and many of our agents are dual licensed as mortgage and/or insurance brokers. This ensures you have an educated agent who can promise to make you an informed buyer.  If you feel like you are ready, feel free to contact us today, or review our available agents. When you are ready to find your educated agent, we are here to ensure you are an informed buyer!