Be Ready....

Okay....so you've toured the neighborhood...fallen in love with the Lifestyle, the amenities and, well....everything else that makes living here a dream for many.

So you make an offer....oops....there's already an offer on the table....with nothing to offer at that point, but a hastily drafted offer and a check drawn on funds from an out-of-town bank......you watch as your dream home vanishes before your very eyes.

The Best Buying Strategy is to be prepared.  Despite the "National" averages, we often see multiple offers on the "Hot" properties.  If you're a serious buyer, the wise move would be, take the necessary steps to jump start the financial portion of the buying process....with a pre-qualification letter in hand....you'll be perceived by a Seller as a serious customer and worthy of their attention....even amidst other offers currently on their table.

Here's what you'll need:

1. Personal info: names, address and SSAN for all parties applying for loan.

2. Assets: Source and amount of down-payment monies, bank names, account numbers for both checking and savings, along with Balances.  Also any additional assets, i.e. stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.

3. Income: Gross monthly income, employment info, including name, address and phone # of employer as well as dates of employment. 

  a. other sources of income or obligations are also taken into account: child support, alimony, social security, retirement, dividend or interest income.

4. Liabilities: Any financial obligations, such as loans, credit cards etc.

*** This is all a necessary part of the home-buying process.  Taking these steps prior to your search, will help you position yourself strategically when you make that decision on the perfect home.

***One Special Note:  Over the course of my career in Real Estate, I've found that the small local banks can offer competitive terms...many times...BETTER terms...than the larger lending institutions....and offer you the personal-warm-bodied-service.  It's worth the call.