1. Keep an open mind when looking for a home. Make a list of a few "Must Haves" and be flexible with the rest. You may miss out on a great home if you don't open your options.
2. The amount of paper work is mind boggling. As a buyer, when your lender is calling and needing something out of the blue at the last minute or escrow is asking the same thing, it can be very stressful and I can see how a buyer may just lump the lender, escrow officer and realtor into one and get frustrated at everyone. I have always tried to prepare my buyers of what is to come and potential outcomes but no one can predict all the odd scenarios that can arise when buying a home so I will continue to work hard at communicating with my clients about being as proactive as we can possibly be.
3. I've said it and written about it but it is so important that when buying a home, that you over-inflate the amount of cash out-of-pocket that it will take. Between all the inspections, appraisal, lender fees, escrow fees, moving fees and other things here and there, you will need much more than just your down payment to make it through the home buying process. So when looking over your numbers, give yourself lots of cushion room for anything you may not be thinking about when buying.
4. And last but not least, work with a great agent that is open to answering all your questions and someone that you feel comfortable talking with about any and all concerns. If you don't fully trust your agent, you aren't going to get the most from them and you really need to be as open with them as possible. So find someone you feel very comfortable with and are able to ask questions, get answers and trust that they are doing the best they can to help you in the process. I try to start every relationship with my clients by letting them know that I am aware how confusing the process may be and that no question is "dumb" or unimportant and I am happy to go over everything with them till they completely understand what is going on.
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