YOUR HOME-BUYING TEAM

Buying a home requires an entire team of industry professionals to guide you throughout the process. This team of specialists will be able to answer questions in their area of expertise. Here is a list of the key players you need to have on your team to ensure a smooth transaction:

• Real Estate Agent: The role of the realtor is to act as your advocate from searching for a home, helping you find a lender and get pre-approved, educate you on what you are buying and the paperwork involved, write a competitive offer, negotiate on your behalf, and make sure you meet all the deadlines outlined in the contract.

• Lender: Your lender will work with you to determine your home-buying budget and will make sure you are preapproved. The lender will ask for a variety of paperwork from you in order to complete that pre-approval and again when the home is under contract.

• Attorney / Title Company: A real estate attorney will run an ownership and permit history search on your home to make sure there are no issues with ownership as the property changes hands. Along with all that, the real estate attorney handles all the paperwork, creates the final set of documents to sign by both parties, and coordinates the transfer of money between buyer and seller.

• Inspector: The inspector will inspect the property for defects, usually after the offer has been accepted by both parties. Depending on what was agreed in the contract, we will work to determine what you want the seller to fix before the home closes and negotiate with the seller.

• Appraiser: The appraiser, hired by your lender, will conduct a physical review of the property to make sure you are paying market price for it. This protects both you and the bank.

REFERENCE: Investopedia Blog