Renting comes with the flexibility to change your living situation, less responsibility to take care of maintenance tasks, and a greatly reduced financial commitment. However, your rent can be increased over time, there's no guarantee of not losing your home to your landlord deciding to not continue your lease, and restrictions on being able to customize your space.

Buying gives you more stability in being the sole decider in what happens with your home. It's also a financially sound decision, as it's an investment that grows over time, and can provide tax and credit benefits, as well as increased privacy. As for downsides, you have less ability to move quickly, vastly more financial investment, and you have to deal with all of the maintenance and repairs yourself.

Realtors are experts in the real estate market, have access to many resources to aid with buying or selling, and have extensive knowledge of the local markets, allowing them to provide insights into the actual value of homes, the best areas for your needs, and can even show you homes that aren't even listed yet. They can also handle all of the technical details in the buying or selling process, making it much less of a headache to conduct such a critical financial task.

It's almost always a good idea to discuss a potential home purchase with your bank or lending institution before you start looking. They can help you get pre-approved for a mortgage, allowing for a preplanned budget to target homes you can afford. Your bank also has mortgage experts that can help you understand all of your options and fees that can affect your home purchase so there won't be any surprises and you can go in prepared for anything.

Pre-qualification is a less in-depth process, but it is also less accurate, and you can still not be approved when you do apply for the actual mortgage. Pre-approval is basically the same process as a full mortgage application, making it more extensive to complete, but it will guarantee your mortgage when the time comes. It also shows that you're a more serious buyer when putting in offers.

Searching for a home to buy can take anywhere from a few weeks to months, depending on the current market conditions, how restrictive your budget is, where you're looking, and how specific the features you're looking for in your new home.

How many homes you view before making your decision to buy is a personal choice, but can also depend on the local market. Some people can make a snap decision to put in an offer on the first home they see, while others may look at dozens of homes before finding the perfect one.

Traditionally, the standard down payment is 20% of the total price, but in recent times, a down payment of 3-5% may be all that is required. Be aware though, that if you take a conventional loan with less than a 20% down payment, you may be required to have private mortgage insurance. A realtor can help you navigate on making a reasonable down payment, based on your financial situation.

While the down payment is usually the biggest upfront expense, but there are other fees and expenses to be aware of. Closing costs are usually around 3-6% of the home's total price, and are usually paid by the buyer. You may also need to pay for credit reports, appraisals, home inspections, and mortgage originations.

You can make your home offer look more serious by offering an earnest money deposit. This is a deposit on a home made before closing to protect the seller in the event that you need to back out of the final purchase for a reason that isn't covered in the purchase agreement. If you decide to decline the purchase because of something that is covered by the purchase agreement, you'll get your earnest deposit back. If you do complete the purchase, the deposit is applied to either the down payment or the closing costs. Earnest Money Deposits are usually 1-3% of the purchase price.

Generally, a seller's agent will respond to an offer within 24-48 hours, but there's no set timeframe for a response. It can of course take longer if they have many offers to review, and if your offer is very low, you may not receive a response at all. It's recommended that you set an expiration on your offer, so that you hear back quickly.

In highly competitive markets, home buyers might waive a home inspection, but having one before closing is a very good idea. An expert will visually inspect the home's structure and condition, and let you know of any issues that are present or may arise in the future. This could allow you to renegotiate or walk away if there are problems that may have been a surprise, or if the potential repairs are more expensive than you'd like to handle.

Once your offer is accepted, it usually takes 30-45 days to get to closing. Sometimes, you'll get the keys and can move in immediately after closing, but it can take longer if the seller needs more time in the home after close, usually because they're in the process of buying a home themselves. The seller could request 30, 60, or 90 days after closing, and this will be contracted within the acceptance letter.

The listing agent has a fiduciary duty to the seller by signing a contract with them first, you as a buyer are a second interest. If you went to court, would you use the other person’s attorney? Of course not! It is the same exact situation when you are buying a home. You want an agent representing YOUR best interest and negotiating and advocating for you. No matter what real estate company a home is listed for sale with, I have the ability to show you that home and write up any offers.

It is a similar scenario when buying a new home. The new home sales rep has the builder's best interest at heart and represents the builder. Additionally, I can often negotiate better terms or upgrades in your new home that the builders donot tell buyers about because they have the builder’s best interest and profit in mind, and not yours. I can also recommend which upgrades to do now with the builder, and what would make more sense to do after you move in. I am also happy to recommend vendors who can do upgraded work post closing, for less costs than the builder will charge.

Though many foreclosed homes are perceived as an excellent investment due to lower than average pricing, there are a few stipulations to consider. Many foreclosed homes are in a rough condition due to previous owners being forced out of their homes. With this in mind, the properties are rarely left in “move-in” condition and are always sold as-is with an extremely rare chance to have the home fixed prior to purchase. An additional bit of info to understand is that just because you found it online listed as a pre-foreclosure doesn't mean it will actually ever hit the market for sale. Sometimes those homeowners are refinancing, get caught up with their payment, or the home gets sold all cash at an auction. If a foreclosure home is for sale on the market, I still can help represent you in the purchase of that home. You do not have to bid online on your own.

• Advise and negotiate on your behalf through our offer strategy to ensure you get the best deal or to have your offer accepted in a multiple-offer situation
• Perform a free market evaluation prior to writing any offers to ensure you are comfortable with our offer strategy
• I can connect you with lenders who have financing options for buyers, including down payment assistance and low down payment programs
• I conduct “reverse prospecting” to proactively go after sellers looking to sell the specific type of property you are looking for
• Updates on searches daily In the multiple listing service so that you get the most up-to-date homes and do not miss any opportunities
• I use e-signing for all contracts and offers in order to get an offer submitted quickly and efficiently
• I have an extensive referral network to help give you the best deal and any discounts when it comes to the maintenance and long term care of your new home
• I love to celebrate this incredible milestone with my clients, and can't wait to celebrate with you too!