Home Buyer Information:
Below are a couple helpful links to school districts and a zip code map of Las Vegas. We’ve also included some personal thoughts on the home buying process, steps to home buying, and information on having the right mindset before beginning your search. Please look over the information below, and hopefully you will find it helpful while conducting your home search.
When buying a home I cannot stress enough the importance of having specific goals and an overall plan before doing anything else. I understand that the urge to look at homes can be very strong, and sometimes we get very emotional when buying a home, but these two factors alone can often throw you off-course from finding a home that’s truly right for you. To avoid the trauma of finding the perfect home only to not be able to purchase it (even if you Can afford it), you must have your goals and your plan determined first. A perfect example is the person who needs a loan to purchase a home but has not completed the loan approval process before house hunting (it’s unfortunate that some Realtors allow home buyer’s to be put in this position when the loan pre-approval process only takes a couple of days in most cases). Although it still happens with over-anxious agents that fail to understand that without loan approval (or cash verification) any offer submitted to a seller is automatically rejected. Some Realtors fail to understand this very simple step and it has become the basis of many problems that could have been easily avoided. Obtaining loan approval is a fairly easy process and it should only take a few days to complete. Remember, this is just one many examples of not having your goals and your plan together upfront.
First step: Talk with an experienced Real Estate Broker who will help you organize your goals into a solid plan so you can move forward in a clear direction.
Second step (if you need a home loan, if buying cash skip to #3): If your goals are doable at this time you should immediately secure your financing (your real estate broker can provide you with the contact information for a couple of loan specialists to assist with reviewing the various financing options). You want to choose someone local to the area you’re buying that’s experienced with a variety of loan programs so they can find the best loan for your situation. Loan programs are very specific to each buyers situation and there are a number of factors that need to be considered when evaluating your options so having a good lender is extremely important to walk you through all available programs.
Third step: Now that you know what your purchase price & estimated monthly payment will be it’s time to locate properties that fit your criteria. This process will require making a list of wants & needs so that your real estate broker can search for homes based on your requirements. As we all know our wants & needs often extend beyond what our finances will allow. This will require some prioritizing of items until we arrive at a realistic expectation so we can begin previewing homes that check as many boxes as possible.
Fourth step: Once we’ve narrowed down our selection of homes that appear to fit your needs we’ll begin previewing those homes and submitting offers with your loan approval letter. It’s not uncommon that we find ourselves submitting numerous offers before receiving a seller that accepts our offer. It’s very common in the Las Vegas market that many homes will have multiple offers on them, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a few offers or more before you have one accepted. Sometimes it happens on your first offer, or it could take more than 5 offers, but eventually the right home will come together for you.
Fifth step: (after receiving an accepted offer) We’ll open escrow with a third party title company, submit your “Good Faith” deposit (aka EMD) into escrow where it’s held until closing (this deposit will go toward your down payment and/or closing costs), schedule whatever inspections you feel necessary, arrange the appraisal, review any applicable disclosures that pertain to the property the property (including HOA bylaws), and coordinate the signing of all remaining paperwork.
Sixth step: Once everything is signed, the appraisal is completed, your loan funds are sent to escrow, they’ve recorded the deed, and all other requirements are met you will receive the keys and begin enjoying your new home. This is the “in a perfect world” scenario, and there are a number of factors that could take place during this process that may alter the flow somewhat, but if everything goes as planned the above scenario should be a realistic expectation.
Your ability to control your emotions throughout the process will help you tremendously. This is a tough one, and easier said than done but if emotions are not under control you will likely lose many hours of sleep and plenty of discouragement in your house-hunting process. You should be confident that when you write an offer on a home you are pleased with the home. Although, if for some reason your offer is not accepted, don’t become too discouraged or feel that this home was your long lost soul-mate. Many buyers have their first offers rejected simply because they thought they could bargain with the seller only to find that may not have been the best course of action. Sellers want top dollar and buyers want the lowest price. These two expectations can obviously not happen without proper negotiations and compromise. Home buying is not an exact science and you must understand that buyers & sellers are just people and they don’t always do what you expect. This is why it’s so important to know what you want, what you are able to afford, and what your overall goals are before beginning the home buying process. Being clear on that will allow a much smoother and pleasant process from start to finish.
Some questions to consider asking yourself regarding your next real estate purchase could be:
Why am I purchasing real estate?
What am I willing or able to invest in this purchase, down payment & monthly payment?
What specific needs or wants am I looking for?
How will this purchase fit into my long-term goals?
What is my timeframe for purchasing a home?
Are my goals realistic in the current real estate market?
These are just a few questions that you might want to answer before getting too involved in your next home purchase. Real Estate in my opinion is the most secure investment that I’ve ever made. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t make that first investment. I thought the real estate market (when I started out) was at its peak in the late 1990’s, but I still invested, going against what other’s warned me of. That first property alone tripled in value in less than three years. I took a chance; I wasn’t a savvy investor, I didn’t know what the market was going to do, I was warned by the “experts” around me I should wait, but I decided to just take a chance. I share this with you because you may very well be where I was and not sure of what to do. You may have heard stories from friends or family about how they lost their home during the housing crash or how they wish they wouldn’t have bought a home when they did. However, we’re in a new era now, and though the market has changed a lot in recent years, the same rules still apply. You want to find a home that you can afford, enjoy transforming your house into a home, build equity through appreciation, and hopefully someday in the future you will have nice nest-egg built up for yourself or possibly something to leave your children.
Just remember to always make decisions based on your goals, with a clear head, knowing exactly what you want, and just go for it. On the other hand; if you decide not to own a home, you can be certain that you will always live in someone else’s property, never have control to customize your home, and ultimately be forced to move-out whenever the owner decides. This was not acceptable to me personally, and I’m so glad that I’m in a position to help other people break-free from that lifestyle and experience the feeling of owning a home of their own.
Feel free to call or email me to discuss your goals, questions, or review current options. I would be happy to review your situation, provide you with accurate professional advice, and help you develop a plan to purchase a home in the future (if you’re not currently ready or able). We provide all of our buyer services at no cost to you and we have many helpful resources that we can refer you to help along the way (credit repair, home financing, contractors, landscapers, etc.).
We look forward to helping you now and in the future.