It's not uncommon for a first-timehome buyer to say to me, "Gosh, just last week I called you about buying an
Evanston home and now I'm in escrow! How did this happen so fast?"
The answer is it didn't. First-time
home buyers start the search long before most even realize it.
Here's what you can expect from your
home shopping experience.
Benefits
for a First-Time Home Buyer
You should buy an Evanston home.
That's what you've been hearing from friends and family, right? So, by now you
have likely already weighed the benefits and decided that Evanston home
ownership was the best decision for you. That's a major hurdle now passed. You
are focused and certain. Good.
Defining
Search Parameters for a First-Time Evanston Home Buyer
Almost 80% of all home searches
today begin on the Internet. With just a few clicks of the mouse, home buyers
can search through hundreds of online listings, view virtual tours, and sort
through dozens of photographs and aerial shots of neighborhoods and homes.
You've probably defined your goals and have a pretty good idea of the type of
home and neighborhood you want. By the time you reach The Thomas Team realestate agent's office, you are halfway to home ownership.
How
Long Should It Take to Buy Your Evanston First Home?
In sellers’ markets, often we show
only one home. After all, how many homes does one family need? A few buyers will look for years, but buyers
who do that aren't motivated. A motivated buyer will find a home within
two weeks. Most of our buyers find a home within two days.
Good Evanston real estate agents will listen to your wants and needs and arrange to show only those homes that fit your particular parameters. Your ThomasTeam agent should preview homes before showing them to you as well.
Good Evanston real estate agents will listen to your wants and needs and arrange to show only those homes that fit your particular parameters. Your ThomasTeam agent should preview homes before showing them to you as well.
How
Many Homes Will a Home Buyer See?
Studies show that your memory
dramatically improves after consumption of carbs and slows upon consuming
sugar. So, lay off the soft drinks and have a hearty meal of carbs before
venturing out to tour homes. The average number of homes that we at the ThomasTeam show to a buyer in one day is five. Any more than that, and the brain
is on overload. Therefore, don't expect to see 20 or 30 homes; although it's
physically possible to do so, you probably will not remember specific details
about any of them.
The
"Red Shoes" Experience for an Evanston Home Buyer
Women will relate to this. Say, you
need a new pair of red shoes. You go to the mall. At the first shoe store, you
find a fabulous pair of red shoes. You try them on. They fit perfectly. They
are glamorous. Priced right, too. Do you buy them? Of course not! You go to
every other store in the mall trying on red shoes until you are ready to drop
from exhaustion. Then you return to the first store and buy those red shoes. Do
not shop for an Evanston home this way. When you find the perfect home, buy it.
How
a First-Time Home Buyer Can Rate Inventory
·
Bring a digital camera and begin
each series of photos with a close-up of the house number to identify where
each group of home photos start and end.
·
Take copious notes of unusual
features, colors and design elements.
·
Pay attention to the home's
surroundings. What is next door? Do 2-story homes tower over your single story?
·
Do you like the location? Is it near
a park or a power plant?
·
Immediately after leaving, rate
each home on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.
View
Top Choices a Second Time Before Buying That First Home
After touring homes for a few days,
you will probably instinctively know which one or two homes you would like to
buy. Ask the Thomas Team to see them again. You will see them with different
eyes and notice elements that were overlooked the first go-around.
At this point, your Thomas Team agent will call the listing agents to find out more about the sellers' motivation and to double-check that an offer hasn't come in, making sure these homes are still available to purchase.
At this point, your Thomas Team agent will call the listing agents to find out more about the sellers' motivation and to double-check that an offer hasn't come in, making sure these homes are still available to purchase.
Making
the Selection To Buy an Evanston Home
I'll let you in on a little secret.
We generally know which home a buyer is going to choose, and I suspect most
other agents operate the same way. It's an intuition. But we at the ThomasTeam make it a practice not to steer buyers, and we insist that buyers
choose the home without interference from us. It's not our choice to make.
Real estate agents are required, however, to point out defects and should help buyers feel confident that the home selected meets the buyer's search parameters.
Real estate agents are required, however, to point out defects and should help buyers feel confident that the home selected meets the buyer's search parameters.
If you have any questions about buying your first Evanston Home, please let us know. We’re here to help in any way we can and would enjoy the opportunity to help you make Evanston your new home!
We look forward to hearing from you!
The Thomas Team
@ Properties
@ Properties
Chicago's #1 Real Estate Brokerage
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