Tips for Buying a Dallas Home

By dallasrealtor | October 26, 2008

Today is a great time to buy a Dallas home. Interest rates are low and housing prices are lower than they have been in a long time. This is a reality. Whether you are in the market for the first time or the tenth time, there are a lot of issues surrounding the home buying process. The key is to know what you want before you start actively viewing homes. If you do this, it will save you a lot of time and money.

First and foremost, get your credit evaluated at a mortgage company or your banking institution before you even start this process. Banks and lending organizations are cutting back and getting more rigid with today’s economy, so you don’t want to waste your time or a Realtor’s time if you have any credit problems. Address any credit problems you may have first. Actually, if you went to see a Realtor first, they would probably tell you this anyway. They are more than likely not going to waste their time or yours showing you homes before they know what your budget or credit standing is.

Next, sit down and make a list of the things you would like in a home. Split the page in half. On one half write down the things you “must” have. On the second half write down the things you would “like” to have. It may sound a little silly, but it helps tremendously when tapering down the list of homes that are currently on the market. And, there are a lot of homes on the market due to the current economy. It’s a buyer’s market and you want what you want.

Once you have your list, you’ll want to use the internet. The internet is your best friend when searching for the type of home that you desire. There are links to active multiple listings, virtual tours and numerous websites to neighborhoods in your desired area. Enter your search criteria from the “must” have list. Once you have pulled up the listings that have these items you can weed through them to see if any have the items from your other list.

You can present your findings to your Realtor or go out on your own to view the properties. If you go out on your own you may find that some of the listings you find on the internet have expired or have already been sold. The positive aspect of having a Realtor is that they will have the MLS information and will be able to tell you if a property is still on the market. Tell your Realtor exactly what you want and they can set up an automatic email for you to receive the listings that come on the market with your specifications. This is a great tool to use, as you will have the information the first day the house is listed.

These tips will help you tremendously with your home search. It also lets your Realtor know that you are serious about finding and purchasing your home. Don’t be afraid to keep looking on your own, even if you are set up on the automatic email. If your Realtor is open minded they will welcome your input on things you have found on your own and it allows them to simply look them up to see if they are still available. Good luck and happy house hunting.

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