10 Tips on Buying Your Home

1. Your Credit Rating. Run a credit check on yourself and verify that the info is correct. Paying off high interest credit cards as soon as possible will make it easier for mortgage approval.

2. Get Pre-Approved. Talk to your mortgage professional about how much you can afford and get pre-approved before you start looking.

3. Sort Out Your Needs & Wants. Determine what factors are most important to you. Create a list of what you want, need & don't want in a home. This checklist will allow you to objectively assess different homes according to your needs & wants.

4. Check Out the Neighbourhood. Make yourself a "home value expert." Investigate the areas and price ranges for the type of home you are looking for. If you find yourself becoming interested in a particular neighbourhood, familiarize yourself with the local amenities, schools, property taxes, crime rates, and other neighhourhood features. Talk with different people in the area and visit at different times during the day. The characteristics of the area may change dramatically during different hours of the day. Go to the local planning office to find out about the plans for the area. Research is half the battle. Remember, you're getting more than just a home - you're buying the entire neighbourhood package!

5. Hire a Real Estate Professional. A Realtor's knowledge and guidance are crucial to a successful buy. It costs you nothing since the Seller pays the commission. A Realtor can help you with your search for the right property, evaluate the pros and cons of properties, negotiate price and terms and provide advice to help you make informed decisions.

6. View Top Choices a Second Time. After touring homes for a few days, you will probably instinctively know which one or two homes you would like to buy. Ask 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 agent should 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.

7. Make Lots of Notes. You may want to come up with some sort of rating system and make notes on each property you see and assign a point value so that at the end of the day you aren't asking yourself what house was it that you looked at that required a new deck.

8. Make an Offer. Once you have found what you've been looking for, its time to write up an offer. Let your Realtor guide you through the home buying process. Because you and the Seller have different goals, rely on your Realtor's experience and expertise to help both parties reach a favourable outcome.

9. Home Inspection. When you think about how big of a purchase your home is, it only makes sense to have it professionally inspected. Taking possession then finding it is in need of major or unexpected repairs can very quickly turn a new dream home into a money pit. Hire a Professional - it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

10. Close. Before your closing date, make sure you've made all necessary deposits and completed the paperwork - mortgage, title, homeowner's insurance and anything else required when home buying. Your Realtor will be there to help you with the process in completing that closing checklist.