Before you buy.....

• Establish your financial status:

  1. Familiarize yourself with the mortgage process. Do you have mortgage questions or need a mortgage specialist?  Just ask us!  Check out our LEFT MENU for HELPFUL TIPS FOR BUYERS on mortgages.

  2.  Begin the Mortgage Approval process. DO THIS FIRST. It will greatly facilitate the search for an appropriate home and will strengthen your position during negotiations. Many Banks and Mortgage Brokers can pre-qualify you very quickly, often by phone, so that you can proceed with confidence.  

3.  Develop a budget for your move, taking into account legal, closing and all moving costs. Don't get yourself into a "house poor" situation.

• Develop a TIMELINE for your relocation. We can help you establish a suitable schedule to allow sufficient time to plan an orderly home search and move.

• Determine your housing needs, giving thought to the location, style, size and features you want. Identify things you definitely don't want!. Don't worry, you can always adjust your preferences as the search proceeds.

• House Hunting Time! We can now search the market and find a selection of homes which best suit your criteria.  To Begin the Search for Your Dream Home! << click here. 

• During this phase, we will help you by:
  1. searching the Toronto TREB Data Base using PROSPECT MATCH  and keep you informed  by emailing new properties as soon as they are listed on a daily basis.
  2. reviewing suitable prospective homes with you and draw on our experience and other market information to help you narrow down choices
  3. make showing appointments to suit your schedule.
  4. assist in making a comparative evaluations
  5. preparing and negotiating the Agreement of Purchase and Sale
  6. assisting in the mortgage application process 
  7. attending to many post-purchase administrative details

• It is worth emphasising that the above house hunting services are all to your benefit, but are typically paid for by the SELLER of the home you buy! By working with your own Buyers Agent Realtor as compared to the Listing Realtor, who generally represents the Seller's interests, and not yours, you will have someone to protect YOUR interests. We would be pleased to send you information on BUYER AGENCY EXPLAINED, and how it really make sense to have your own Buyers Agent working for you from the very start when searching for a home!  

• Depending on circumstances, we will generally encourage you to engage a HOME INSPECTOR. Should we anticipate a multiple offer scenario, inspecting a home prior to making an offer may give you a significant edge during negotiations. A home inspection can address concerns that may arise relating to:
  1. Major components such as roofs, foundations, masonry, siding, eaves, decks, insulation systems etc. 
  2. Water penetration (leaky walls, foundations, windows etc)
  3. Electrical systems (panel size, aluminum or knob and tube wiring)
  4. Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing Systems
  5. Environmental Concerns (Oil Tanks, Asbestos, UFFI)
  6. Click >> Typical Home Improvement Costs to download a PDF file which outlines expenses you can expect in making renovations

• Start the process of selecting a Lawyer  One will be needed soon after, if not during the offer negotiations.

• Review in advance the following documents you will need to sign. We encourage you to read each one well in advance of making an offer, and feel free to ask us ANY questions you may have.  Not only will this save us all valauable time when you are anxious to put in an offer, but you will have the opportunity to get clear answers in advance.
  1. The WORKING WITH A REALTOR page provides a brief explanation of how Realtors can represent you.
  2. The BUYER REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT explains how we will typically be representing you in a particular home purchase.
  3. The AGREEMENT of Purchase and Sale is the Offer agreement. Pay particular attention to the last PDF page which is the Schedule A we often recommend.

Please ask should you need any assistance in finding the proper resource for any of the above.

Want to Begin the Search for your Dream Home?  << Click here. 

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