Guidelines On Buying Your Very First Lake Minnetonka House At The Most Suitable Market Conditions

The status of the economy, interest costs as well as market pattern all of these carry out a role on the final value of your own perfect Lake Minnetonka home, yet it is never that easy to know whether now is a good time to be a house owner. First-time house buyers are typically nervous about getting into the homebuying market since they honestly can’t tell the difference between a the buyer’s market or just a vendor’s market.

Within the shopper’s market, housing price levels are highly beautiful and also interest rates might be not up to the common. You may even find an increased number of ‘For Sale’ boards in several areas moreover sellers might be ready to cut back their prices considerably in order to sell the home.

With a seller’s market, it could be very hard to discover attractive charges concerning properties. You could learn about lotteries that permit selected potential buyers to actually invest in exceptional properties, and also the housing industry could possibly be having ‘crisis’ mode.

In case you might be a novice homebuyer, landing the best economic cycle can create a vital big difference in the total price you have to pay along with the worth you get from the purchase. The book Barron’s Smart Consumer Guides describes the idea “cycle phases are much easier to pinpoint long after the fact.” Even so, “if you know what to look for, it’s easier to figure out the state of the market.” Take into account these extra essential signs to gain the ideal choice with regards to investing in a household:

In a shopper’s market, you can expect to notice: many ‘For Sale’ indicators across the community; a lot of listings involving repossessed residences and also significant discounts for formerly costly homes and also properties; owners offering concessions and also bonuses to draw in strong potential buyers; a swift rising volume of foreclosures; many selling price deals as well as lower-than-average costs for top quality Lake Minnetonka homes.

For a vendor’s market, you’ll probably notice: hardly any ‘For Sale’ indicators throughout the area; relatively increased fees as well as aggressive advertising methods within the very same area; most people ‘flipping’ properties where they purchase a Lake Minnetonka home and then refurbish them to sell them within a brief span of time; media stories which specify out exactly how expensive it can be to buy a property; numerous rental buildings to be transformed into condominiums.

Evidently, the best opportunity to become a home-owner is actually within a shopper’s market while marketers are usually committed to sell their particular properties with their advertised price tag as well as offer discounts for an easy deal. You actually could hop to the home-buying market with a lot more trust any time houses are being publicized using drastic rate reductions and also offering you added incentives to create an offer. Nonetheless, it’s continually important to work with a skilled real estate agent to get the best home that fulfills your preferences – specifically if you will be a first-time property owner.

Buying your own very first Lake Minnetonka real estate can be challenging and you are likely to come with lots of concerns about the whole system. Educating yourself in regards to the market, seeking signs involving good market factors and dealing having a professional can assist you get started on your quest as well as offer you with all the best possible selections in your own neighborhood chosen.

New Lake Minnetonka Home Purchasers: The Things Anyone Should Be Aware Of With Regards To The Acquiring Process

Buying a Lake Minnetonka home for the first time is definitely an exciting encounter. It can also pack a person together with inhibitions regarding your decision when you are not familiar with the purchasing procedure. Even so, arming your own self by means of info on crucial matters sorts raising budget, understanding your credit report or exactly where and the way to begin your search with different factors can save you loads of problems. This will likely provide you with a possibility to know your personal demands and how ideal to suit those expectations whenever you are shopping for your own best house. The following tips can assist you prepare your buying process on your initial property.

Additional Expenses Associated With The Mortgage

When going into an agreement regarding the particular charge of mortgage loan to get a Lake Minnetonka home, many first time house buyers forget to consider extra costs including property fees or simply insurance and repairs and maintenance expenses that are that comes with that mortgage loan. Moving forward when using the deal with no knowledge of all these extra expenses included may come as a shock for most newbie buyers. This can raise plenty of money issues, and most families end up extending their personal resources in an attempt to have the monthly obligations. This can be one of the reasons which can lead to people missing out on making their own mortgage payments in time.

Understand Your Credit Track Record

Financial institutions and banking companies consider the credit score with the customer before granting consumers for any mortgage loan.The interest fees for the loan are once more based on the overall performance of the credit history. Even though having authorized for a mortgage loan, you could end up having to pay high interest rates. An awareness plus awareness of your credit rating puts yourself in the much better situation to understand the actual procedure for obtaining authorized for a loan.

Getting The Ideal Property

First time shoppers usually get caught up into making a purchase even when the house is out of their very own budget. Oftentimes your wait for a ideal home might be stressful. On the other hand, over time, nothing affects more than a poor money choice! An ideal residence should not simply fulfill your own requirements but also match the budget. In case you’re undecided where to choose a house, enlist help from area agents. They can give you facts about the area, educational institutions, and also other facilities which can be beneficial if you are searching to make an informed selection.

Negotiating The Deal

The discussing procedure is an important part of buying a property for both parties involved. The owner fixes a cost when considering several factors. Even though maximum income may be the top purpose, the majority of home sellers will be ready to accept negotiations on prices. If you’d prefer a residence, don’t worry to be able to negotiate for this. It may take several counter presents, and several wait before you get to be able to secure the offer. However, towards the end t, a good home along with a economically seem provide are usually really worth wait.

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka homes for sale in Minnesota, as well as Lake Minnetonka property for her MN real estate clients.

Guidelines When Purchasing A Lake Minnetonka Property: Knowing Final Fees

A crucial aspect of the sales process for home buying and closing a sale in buying property is the final fees. Some first-time buyers of home would see that final charges may be as much as fifteen percent of the sales cost and also that a lot of lenders will require you to pay out this final charges in advance. Although Certain loan companies may roll the final fees in your loan, being aware of what these are ahead of time might help to prepare your current spending plan more effectively and negotiate down the closing contract price to ensure that you can pay for the entire final costs as part of the offer.

It’s essential to keep in mind that the highest possible mortgage loan amount provided by the lenders is actually dependent on the contract cost and not the net price (sales value less closing fees) which will be paid by the buyer of the home. Final charges can be allotted in a number of different methods, that of which you could go over with the help of your agent as well as your loan company to sort out the best approach to work with your approved funds and still be within your budget.

Step one when learning about final charges will be to understand all the things buyers would be answerable to. The book ‘Smart Consumer’s Guide to Home Buying’ discusses in detail how it is always very essential to realize that customary practice – and not law – dictate how final costs are generally given and the things that the buyer of the house and one selling the house are generally obligated to spend on as part of the deal.

The buyer would be traditionally the one in charge to take care of each and every single one of the expenses and also discount points of the credit line. Such expenses will be added in at the end of the contract by the loan provider, which would also differ significantly by loan company. A few lenders could sometimes even take out such expenses for their desired clients or even as an element of your contract, but it still is important to have proper estimate of this fee at the beginning of the mortgage negotiations.

The buyers of the house also are liable for paying out the insurance policy of the home owner’s title; which usually, the ones buying the house would be required to settle prior to the actual real estate purchasing procedure can even commence. It is generally an excellent idea for one to include additional finances around to pay out the premium therefore it would not be included in your loan, and also, this premium cost varies by the insurance plan company you choose to work with. It would definitely make sense to research on prices, so it’s ideal that you also do some researching in the market with regards to homeowner’s insurance policy charges as well as alternatives prior to putting your signature on just about any contract.

In some cases, these costs are the liabilities of the seller:

Commission Payments for the Agent – these are given to each of the buyer’s as well as seller’s realtors, and this may vary a lot by the broker you and also the original owner has signed-up with.

Bills concerning inspection – such bills of termite inspections in addition to other testing that are generally needed for the actual real estate for sale before the sales contract can be finalized should be assumed by the seller.

Insurance for the Property Title – this might be a usual oversight by several first-time homebuyers as many believe that they will not need to handle any kind of bills concerned with the title. In a lot of of these cases, title insurance bills tend to be taken as a closing charge therefore should be the liability of the seller.

Awareness of the breakdown of closing expenses might ensure that you get a detailed understanding of what the final price will be upon signing. Many loan companies should be able to give you a good estimation ahead of the determined closing date and a lot of them would be prepared to explain each of the costs, discount points and some other issues with concerns to your mortgage early on in the mortgage process.

About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is a Lake Minnetonka real estate agent that helps people to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka homes and properties for sale in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

How To Negotiate Contract Price As A Lake Minnetonka First Time Home Buyer

After spending enough time learning as much as you can about your future Lake Minnetonka house and you’re ready to be working with the seller, then it is about time to make an ofer. However, the you making an offer isn’t the last part of the sales process; you could still be discussing prices after making the offer in case the owner refuses it, so you are going to need to have a plan to get the price you are hoping for – or simply anything within that range – well before you stretch your initial offer.

Having knowledge of just about all of the terminology of any contract and working on a backup plan are just a few ways to make sure you really do get the best price possible for your potential new house. The ‘Consumer’s Guide to Home Buying’ by the Barron’s series really encourages all prospective homeowners to create a list of things they should know how to do well before the sales negotiation process takes place. Listed here are several things to think about as you begin negotiating the cost of your new home:

1.Who are the key decision-makers involved in the transaction? Knowing who the decision makers are would benefit a competent negotiator simply because this allows you to understand who makes the majority of the influence in the buy and sell negotiation. A basic question you should know the answer to is, for example,, is the seller working independently or is he/she working with a real estate agent? Knowing the parties involved in any transaction you will be a part of will help you determine the most suitable strategy for discussions and also give you a chance to evaluate the trustworthiness of the selling party.

2. What is your contingency plan? If your offers are not accepted by the seller, what are your options? It can be quite disheartening to not be able to get what you wanted from any negotiations, but you have to know when to back off and pursue another direction. Outline specifically the maximum price you are prepared to pay for the property and do not move beyond that decision only to win the price war.

3. Are you aware of the details of the contract? It is crucial to make sure you appreciate every term and condition of the contract so you are not left with any surprises at closing. Take the time to review the contract and all the terms that go with it and make a note of anything that is not 100% clear to you. Sit down with the seller or agent to review anything that doesn’t seem clear to you so you don’t have any hesitations that you may have on signing the contract in the event that your offer is accepted.

4. Are you comfortable with your real estate agent? Your realtor can offer assistance and also decent real estate advice about the entire process of negotiation for your home purchase, but you need to feel like you can trust them. Make sure you have spent enough time talking to them for you to create a mutually respectful relationship with each other and discuss your thoughts or reservations about the home that you are about to buy well before the negotiating process begins so that you are able to make a decision based on facts.

5. Are you ready to handle challenges? Miscommunication with the realtor, hostility from the seller and other undesirable exchange of words which can arise during the sales process can make it difficult to come to a fair deal. Make sure you keep your cool and be ready to say that you don’t want to make the deal anymore in case you don’t think it is the right one for you.

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka homes, as well as Lake Minnetonka real estate property for her realty clients.

How To Buy Lake Minnetonka Homes – Starting with the Inspection Of Properties

The first thing you need to do is to prevent yourself from any big surprises when you are thinking of getting a new property, so contracting a specialized home inspector may alleviate a lot of the stress about your prospective property early on in the process of buying a Lake Minnetonka homes.

However, you aren’t necessary to have an actual home inspection before the signing the initial sales deal, so it really is probably best to know as much as possible about the condition of the home through an genuine dialogue with the seller as well as performing your own ‘mini’ inspection by which you could examine if there are any fundamental physical problems.

A large number of sellers will probably be open to having you examine the home prior to the signing of any type of sales deal, which gives you the leveraging influence when you are bargaining the closing price. Barron’s ‘Smart Consumer’s Guide to Home Buying’ recommends all prospective home buyers to make an inspection list where he/she can note whatever problems and areas of concern immediately. The books’ authors explain that, “If you are thinking about buying a house that will need renovation or upgrading, the more value will be derived from your mini-inspection.”

Think about making a list for a home examination report in order to do a good checking of the real estate as well as record the look and overall condition of the said house. The following are some critical areas to cover:

Learn about how old the home is – you will have to find out exactly howl ong since the property was constructed, what types of renovations took place on the home site, and if there are any architectural plans on hand.

Check out the groundwork for potential issues – be on the lookout for large cracks or maybe obvious water conditions in the house as well as in the basement. Inquire about flooding issues or any other potential problems caused by weather which have resulted in problems, big or small, on the home in the past.

Examine the details of the property, especially the interior, for potential problems and other damages – you’ll need to ensure that all of the doorways do not have problems and that all the rooms’ walls and partitions are still stable and well-grounded. Take note of any and all signs of deterioration and take a picture or two of anything that stands out. You will need to examine potential problems of odor and/or molds and even ensure all water entry areas are properly maintained and also working.

Examine the external details of the house for damages and other potential problems – do all the doors and windows have adequate insulation? Are they well-maintained and properly functioning? Be sure that all of the siding, windows and doors do not have chips as well as any noticeable damages.

Look at heaters and air conditioning systems – inquire with regards to the average cooling and/or heating costs each month, and also find out how long the appliances have been in place. You have to know these things as sometimes, you might need to buy a new heat and air conditioning systems.

Besides the written examination survey, you may consider having pictures or short video clips using a digital camera so you can go over everything again in more detail later on. The extra coverage and footage might also provide you an upper hand in the course of the negotiation process with the seller.

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka homes, as well as Lake Minnetonka real estate for her realty clients.

How To Choose A Lot As A First Time Lake Minnetonka Homebuyer

Did you ever consider building your own dream Lake Minnetonka homes? The first thing that you have to do to achieve this dream is to find the right piece of property. There are some things that you have to take into consideration aside from where it is located, there are different types and styles of Lake Minnetonka real estate properties to choose from. In addition to these, it is best that you are aware of such things such as the lots accessibility to power and other important amenities and the natural features that are found in the area.

In the book, “Tips and Traps When Buying a Home”, written by Robert Irwin, the author recommends using a checklist when searching for a lot as a first time home buyer. This checklist will help ensure that critical details are not missed when you go about finding the right property. Here are some essential tips on how to choose the right property:

1. Map out the nearest cities and towns. If the lot that you are interested in is located in a rural area, find out how near the towns and cities are. You may have the need to commute from your new home to work or bring your children to school. Knowing what the access roads are and the distance of your commute to places that you need to go will allow you to see what kind of lifestyle you might have if you choose to buy that lot.

2. See what the natural features are. If you are planning to buy a lot, you would have to find out what are the natural features in and around the property you are interested in. Are there many trees in the lot and in the adjacent lots? Is it near a water form like a placid lake or a bubbling brook? You would have to take into consideration that your new home might be affected by flooding if you live near water or you might have to deal with wildlife if your place is very near a forest.

3. Check the water source. If you build a home in an urban area, you may not have to worry about where you will get your water from. If you decide to build your home in the countryside, you may need to find a private water company or find alternative solutions to be able to get water into your home.

4. Find out the soil quality. When you plan to build a new home, you have to know the quality of the soil you will be building on. This is an important factor as it will ensure that your new home is going to have a solid foundation. There are professionals you can hire to assess the soil quality of the lot if you do not know how to check it.

5. Review building options. If you are located near a national forest, a wildlife preserve or other major landmark, there may be restrictions on what you are allowed to build in the area, and how much you can renovate or remodel. Make sure you understand all of these restrictions (if any) so you’re not investing in something you might regret later.

Aside from the physical features of the property, buyers should check the land title. Make sure that the title of the property is clear and that are no easements of any kind on the lot. This will make the process of building your home a lot less complicated and make it easier for you to purchase the lot for you to build your dream home.

About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is a Lake Minnetonka real estate agent that helps people to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka homes and properties in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Determining Worth Of Property As A First Time Lake Minnetonka Homebuyer

First time  Lake Minnetonka home buyers can make the task of finding the right home for sale a lot less complicated by having an awareness of the steps in the home buying process. Once you get to know these easy steps, you will be able to make the best new home purchase to suit your needs and budget. Valuation of the home or determining what the home is worth from your perspective is one of the most important steps in the home buying process.

In the book, “Home Buying for Dummies”, authors Eric Tyson and Raymond Brown specified that the true value of the home does not only consist of the price. Since value means different things to different people, there is a need for the individual home buyer to be able to identify what are the most important elements that they would like their new home to have. What the true value of your new home is based on what it is worth to you and the benefits that you will get from making the investment.

When you begin the valuation process of any of the homes for sale, the first step that you can take is to review its actual dollar cost and compare it to the other homes for sale in the same neighborhood. This can be done by studying the MLS listings of the area and discovering how much the seller had paid for the home, if possible. Finding out how much was paid will give you a baseline amount to use in your assessment, whether or not it is lower or higher than the seller’s current asking price. Other factors that you have to take into consideration is when the seller had bought the home because if more that 3 years has elapsed, an estimate based on the purchase price will no longer be accurate.

The second step that a home buyer can take is to figure out how much repair work is needed and what the cost will be. Ask yourself a few questions like “If I move in next week, what has to be done to make it livable and lovable?” or “What needs to be fixed and how much will it cost?” Sometimes, the cost of repairs is factored into the asking price but if it is not, it is to your advantage to know what the add-on expenses you may be facing in the near future.

The final step in determining the true value of any of the homes for sale is to project what the real estate value of your investment will be 5, 10 or 20 years from the date of your purchase. Is the home for sale located in a brand new subdivision or in a historic part of town? What is the average appreciation price of the homes in the neighborhood that you are interested in? Home buyers must be aware of the fact that investing in real estate property in an area where the price steadily appreciates will be to their advantage in case they ever decide to sell the home that they have purchased.

When searching for your ideal home, make a studied assessment of the different homes for sale in the various neighborhoods. The true value of your new home is not just what the actual asking price is because of the things that have to be taken into consideration, like repairs, price history, the benefits you will get from living in the area, and what the property will be worth in the future. Find out more about the new homes for sale and what neighborhoods have good appreciation rates so you can make the most out of your investment.

Alexandria P. Anderson is a Lake Minnetonka homes for sale specialist who helps First Time Lake Minnetonka real estate Buyers In Minnesota to find and purchase properties in MN. Get a free copy of “The Investors’ Rental Guide” at GreatInvestmentProperty dot com.

Doing Neighborhood Research as a First-time Lake Minnetonka Homebuyer

If you are a first time home buyer, the excitement of finding your dream home may turn into a chore because of the number of things that have to be kept track of and the important decisions that have to be made. Any undue stress and headaches in your property search and purchase can be eliminated by going about your search in an organized manner. It is of utmost importance to spend some time to assess new neighborhoods and looking at prospective homes. It may also be necessary to do your own research to discover which neighborhood is the ideal area for you to live in.

One important thing that a first time homebuyer can do is to explore at least a five-block radius of their ideal neighborhoods to see all the available homes for sale. You can choose to drive around the area or use an online mapping tool to navigate around the area. This will greatly aid in identifying the areas you would like to purchase any of the homes for sale and give you a relatively large inventory to work with.

As a first time homebuyer, it’s also a good idea to find out where the nearest gas stations, public library, grocery stores and access points to the interstate or major highways are. Remember, you need to imagine what it would be like to actually live in this neighborhood. Make a mental note of the locations of different stores, service centers and roadways so you can be confident about running errands and commuting to work with peace of mind.

You may also want to learn about zoning laws in your particular neighborhood, especially if you’re considering moving to an entirely new area. While some first time homebuyers are satisfied with the layout and structure of their new home, others are determined to start remodeling within months of moving in. Make sure you understand basic zoning laws and regulations for building pools, decks and extending your home out into the garden or yard so you can make the best decision for your needs.

It is best to find out in order to be prepared to budget for expenses like that of association fees, taxes, and other fees that have to be paid before deciding which among the homes for sale to purchase. Local county tax collectors usually have a website from which you can get tax information by entering an address. For association fees and other fees related to the purchase of any of the homes for sale, contact a local lender or a licensed real estate professional for an estimate.

Doing your homework about the prospective neighborhood is an important step as a first time homebuyer. You can uncover some important details about taxes, zoning laws and fees associated with a property purchase by doing some basic research online and making a few calls to local real estate or mortgage professionals. Compile all of this data and organize it in a way that you can reference later. You will need this information to be available at your fingertips as you start narrowing down your decision for your new home!

Alexandria P. Anderson is a licensed Minnesota Realtor that uses the Lake Minnetonka real estate to help her clients to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka Homes for Sale.

Closing Costs Essentials For First Time Lake Minnetonka Homebuyers

Beginning Lake Minnetonka homebuyers need to understand one essential aspect in the process of owning a house and sales contract, which is ‘closing costs’.Some are not aware that closing costs are typically set at 15 percent of the sales price, and most lenders would require for them to be paid upfront. Achieving your goal of efficiently projecting your available funds and discussing your preferences in the arrangement of final price means being more prudent to identify them earlier, even if some lenders can roll them into the loan package.

It may be best to keep in mind that the lender base the maximum amount offered to you not on the net price (the sales price minus the closing costs) but from the actual sales price paid by the buyer. There are various ways in which closing costs are allocated and this may need the help of your realtor and lender if only to come up with the most agreeable plan for you to stay within your budget limit.

As a home buyer, being knowledgable about your responsibilities is the first crucial step to understanding what closing costs are. The ‘Smart Consumer’s Guide to Home Buying’ book’s author, Barron, explicated how important it is to be aware that contrary to the belief of many, custom prescribes how closing costs are allocated as well as the buyer and seller responsibilities as stated in the contract, and not the law.

All the fees and discount points of the loan are part of the buyer’s responsibilities. The lender, on the other hand, adds all these at the end of the contract (but may vary significantly according to the financial institution concerned). Bankers typically assign this fee as part of your contract or may be waived for important customers, yet it is best that you have an exact idea what the estimated amount will be.

The buyer is also responsible in paying the premium of the homeowner’s title insurance policy and has to ensure that this be settled before the purchasing begins. An extra cash in your hands will be useful when paying for the premium so that it won’t get rolled into the loan. Note also how premium cost may vary from one insurance company to another. Before signing the contract, it may be wise to do a little research particularly on the insurance policy rates of homeowners or try to scout around for other possible choices. These costs constitute the seller’s obligations.

Sales Commissions – refers to the fees allocated to the agent of both the buyer and the seller. But these may be dependent upon the agent you are working with.

Inspection Costs – pertains to the expense of having various inspections and those that are required for homes prior to purchase.

Title Insurance – there is one misconception about title insurance since many first time homebuyers think that they will need to take care of any costs associated with the title company except it. However, title insurance costs are included in the closing cost and thus becomes the seller’s responsibility.

When you know what closing costs are, you can have a better idea as to what your home’s final price will be during the signing. In fact, in doing so, lenders can already provide you with information you needed earlier in the financing process such as the fees you will have to pay, the discount points, and everything else you need to know.

About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is an Lake Minnetonka real estate agent that helps people to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka homes and properties in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

6 Ways to Get Started with Buying Your Lake Minnetonka Home Online

To make it easier for you to find homes for sale or any other real estate property in the US from any point you are in the globe, a number of licensed real estate agents and professional realtors have created websites with a database of the latest real estate property and homes for sale listings. This was done to make it much easier for real estate buyers to be able to find prospective homes for sale in the location of their choice by being able to accessing it easily with the aid of the real estate website listing search.

This can be a very valuable opportunity when you are considering moving out of state or across the country, but there are still several important things to consider as you proceed with an online search. Whether you’re a first time homebuyer or looking for vacation home property, here are some important considerations when buying your Lake Minnetonka homes online:

1. Set a limit on how many homes you will browse in a given day. The Internet opens up thousands of listings in a given area, but there is only so much you can take in on a given day. Avoid getting into a situation of ‘brain overload’ by limiting the number of properties you are willing to research on any given day.

2. Search for a website that will give you access to Lake Minnetonka real estate property listings by state. It is possible to search for individual properties, but that would take up much more of your valuable time and might be even a waste of time if the property is no longer available and ad is still there. By finding a website that has an adequate number of updated listings, you will be able to have a more effective search.

3. Get an aerial view of the property. It is possible to a bird’s eyes view of the neighborhood and to take a closer look at your prospective homes for sale buying using Google Maps satellite images and other tools. You will be able to get to see the look at the outside of the home you want to purchase, the garden space, the garage and see the surrounding areas.

4. Don’t rely solely on listing pictures. Make a list of the Lake Minnetonka homes for sale that you are interested in purchasing and make an appointment with the licensed real estate agent or professional realtor of the website that you found the property in so that you can get to conduct a home inspection when you visit your prospective area. This will be able to get a ‘feel’ of the home, take a better look at its advantages and disadvantages, and help your be better prepared to make the purchase of your new home.

5. Assess the real estate agent. If you get to find a good real estate agent, you will have an invaluable aid to your home buying search and purchase as a lot of the headaches associated with the home buying process can be handled by a professional. Do a background check on the real estate agent by finding out how established they are in the business, if they have credentials, what their track history is, if they are licensed, and what kind of listings they have.

6. Use a variety of search tools. Shelley O’Hara and Nancy Lewis, authors of the book, “The Complete Idiot’s Gide to Buying and Selling a Home” encourages prospective homebuyers to use several different sites and home buying tools when doing their research. For targeted search engine results, type in the name of the state you would like to buy property in, and then type in the words ‘buy homes for sale’ to ensure more accurate results. You may be able to find your perfect new home right away.

Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase Lake Minnetonka Real Estate as well as Lake Minnetonka Homes in Minnesota.