Frequently Asked Buyer Questions

What should I look for during my home search?

To put it simply, the big picture. It’s easy to fall in love with a kitchen layout or spacious closet, but it’s crucial to keep your most important priorities at the forefront of your mind. Make sure a property checks all of your budgetary, geographic, and scheduling boxes before you start thinking about paint swatches and furniture placement. And, if you could use a little help refining your priorities, real estate agents like [me/us] are skilled at showing you your options without squashing your dreams.

How long does it take to buy a home?

Unfortunately, there is no set answer to that question. On average, it usually takes around four months from the initial search to moving into your new address, but many circumstances can shrink or extend that timeline. Buying a home is a multi-step process that varies from person to person. A better way to ask that question is “How long do you have to buy a home?” If you’re in a crunch and need to buy a home in two months, you’ll likely need to limit your search. If time is on your side, you have the freedom to shop around as long as you like.

When should I start looking for homes?

It’s never too early to start shopping for a mortgage. As previously mentioned, having a cash offer is likely to make the buying process move faster and provide you with a concrete price range. Searching for homes once you’ve been pre-approved for a loan will make it easier to weed out any properties outside of your budget and confidently pursue the ones that are a good fit. In some cases, your agent may even be able to connect you to a lender associated with their brokerage, allowing for a more convenient and efficient approval process. Our Keller Williams provides several mortgage options, with Movement Mortgage, Own Mortgage and Keller Mortgage to find you a fast and favorable loan from the get-go.

What can I do to make my offer stand out from the rest?

If you find yourself in a multiple-offer scenario, there are several things you can do to make your bid the belle of the ball, but the best way to improve your odds is by working with a licensed real estate agent. Agents are the intermediaries between buyers and sellers, and they have a fiduciary responsibility to act on behalf of their client’s best interests. In fact, some seller’s agents won’t even entertain an offer from an unrepresented buyer. Once your agent discovers the seller’s priorities — be it money, speed, or ease — they’ll be able to show you how to put your best foot (and offer) forward.

Why should I use a real estate agent?

Most buyers don’t want to work with a Realtor to avoid paying commissions or costly fees, when in reality, this isn’t the case. In most transactions, the seller of the home you purchase, pays the commission of both agents. Which means, you don’t have to pay your professional buyers agent a dime! Working with a licensed Realtor can give you a competitive edge by serving as your hyperlocal guide in the area. With access the multiple listing service, a wealth of knowledge on the current market, they can help navigate you towards the right purchase for you.