Today’s real estate market can offer more opportunities, yet can be filled with more risks than ever before. There is a multitude of factors to consider and decisions to make. When buying, having all the available resources is one of the keys to making the buying process seamless and enjoyable. It is important to enlist the help of a trusted, experienced real estate professional who will provide you with expert guidance at each buying process step. This holds true whether you have bought many homes or you are looking to buy your first home.
We want BirminghamWelcomeHome.com and our team of experienced real estate agents to be a resource for you throughout the buying and selling process, as the two often go hand in hand. This guide will answer many of your questions, show you the details about the current market's status, and bring up a few things you likely haven't thought about yet.
BirminghamWelcomeHome.com is your resource for the latest information about the Birmingham Metro Area. Those new to Birmingham may enjoy reading why Birmingham is an incredible place for your next home. Ready to explore the Birmingham area? We have made searching easy for you with our one-click searches throughout the website. With each click, dive deeper into the cities, schools, zip codes, neighborhoods, and amenities of each area. Whether you're new to Birmingham or have lived here all your life, we hope you will enjoy the ease of searching for homes and the seller tools on BirminghamWelcomeHome.com. Below are our one-click searches for homes for sale in Birmingham and in the cities surrounding Birmingham. Become familiar with your next place to call home!
The first step is outlining must-haves in your next home and determining areas and neighborhoods with the types of homes you're looking for. Therefore, you will want to start searching for homes virtually. Begin by using BirminghamWelcomeHome.com's one-click searches or setting up your own searches. If you have specific neighborhoods in mind, you may want to set up your own market report to be familiar with that subdivision's market values.
In regards to selling your current home, become knowledgeable about your home's value, identify improvements that will sell your home quickly, begin thinking about staging, and create a timeline for when you want to sell your home. Read our seller's page or contact us, a team experienced in helping people get their ducks in a row as they move from here to there.
Also, become knowledgeable about your current situation. Start by researching about your buying power, loan costs, and financing options. As you begin thinking about your move, follow a moving planner that guides you from 8 weeks before your move to one month after. Plan ahead and remember we are here to help!
Contact us today for a detailed plan, answers to your questions, and expert help. The knowledge is closer than you think. Our team is happy to share our knowledge with you to help you get from here to there with a plan in hand.
Buying real estate is a complex matter with many factors to consider since no two homes or transactions are alike. Moreover, with all the unique opportunities of the current market, it’s more important than ever to contact a real estate professional once you’ve decided to buy.
When choosing a real estate professional to guide you through the property search, financing, negotiation, and transaction processes, you should consider their local market knowledge, experience, and track record. Our team is experienced and ready to guide you through the entire buying process. Click here to see our testimonials.
We recommend that you get pre-approved for a loan before you start viewing homes with the serious intention of buying. The pre-approval process involves meeting with a lender and authorizing them to examine your current financial situation and credit history. On the basis of this examination, the lender may provide you with a document detailing the amount you can borrow to buy a home. We have a list of lenders that are knowledgeable, service-oriented, and offer reasonable closing costs.
You’ll know what you are eligible to receive and be able to plan accordingly. As a qualified, motivated buyer you’ll be taken more seriously when you make an offer. Lenders can tell you if you qualify for special programs that will help you afford a better home (particularly if you’re a first-time buyer).
Real estate financing is available from many sources, and an experienced real estate professional will be able to suggest lenders with a history of offering excellent mortgage products and services.
Simply put, the key to the home search process is knowing what you’re looking for. Among other things, that means distinguishing between “must-haves” and “like-to-haves.” A recent study found that the top things homeowners would like to have included more space, additional natural light, a home gym, an extra bathroom, and an updated kitchen.
That said, here are a few recent facts about the search process that might put your experience in perspective:
There are many benefits to starting the search process at BirminghamWelcomeHome.com. Create an account to save your favorite properties, get new property email alerts, save your searches, and view all detailed property information.
It’s also important to view homes in person. While the property details may seem similar online, homes can be very different in terms of layout, design, workmanship, and other aspects. Ideally, you should view homes with the help of an experienced real estate professional who’ll notice things you might miss, provide expert analysis, and act as an impartial sounding board.
Once you’ve found the home you’d like to buy, it’s time to make an offer. Your state or local real estate association likely has contracts that are generally used for transactions in your area. These contracts enable you to specify a sale price and also allow the inclusion of clauses specifying various terms of purchase, such as the closing and possession dates, your deposit amount, and other conditions.
You should carefully review these clauses with your real estate professional to be sure that they accurately express your intended offer. In addition to drawing up the contract, your real estate professional will be happy to address all of your questions about the offer process.*
Once you’ve written the offer, your real estate professional will present it to the seller and/or the seller’s representative. At that point, the process will vary somewhat depending on the market you’re in.
Generally speaking, the seller can accept your offer, reject it, or counter it to initiate the negotiation process.
Successive counter-offers, with deadlines for responding and meeting conditions, may be exchanged between you and the seller until a mutual pending agreement is reached or the negotiations break down.
Once you have a pending agreement, it’s time to return to your chosen lender to finalize mortgage details in order to close the deal. This means finalizing your down payment, interest rate, regular payment schedule, and all other financial conditions associated with the closing.
Once everything connected with purchasing your new home has been completed, taking ownership should be a positive joy with no surprises. Key steps to the closing also referred to as the “escrow” or “settlement,” include:
Getting a title search– you will need a historical review of all legal documents relating to ownership of the property – to ensure that there are no claims against the title of the property. It’s also necessary to purchase Title Insurance for protection in the event of errors in the records or mistakes in the review process.
The final walkthrough– you will be given a chance to look at the home one last time to make sure it’s in the same condition as when you signed the sale agreement.
The settlement– typically, on the Closing Date you’ll meet with a lawyer, real estate professional, or escrow agent to verify and sign all the paperwork required to complete the transaction. The settlement will include paying your closing costs, legal fees, property adjustments, and transfer taxes. At that point, you’ll receive the property title and copies of all documentation pertaining to the purchase.
In most cases, Possession Date will fall within a few days, and you will be able to move into your new home.
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