Finding the right agent
You want to find the right home, in the right location, at the right price - and you want to do it quickly, with minimum hassle. The best way to do that is to work with a professional realtor who understands your wants and needs, your time frame and your financial boundaries.
Why work with an agent?
Working with an agent
Let your real estate agent do the searching for you. The best buys aren’t in the newspaper ads; most great opportunities are on "hot sheets" that are available every morning to salespeople with access to MLS information.
An agent’s job is to:
Qualifying for a mortgage
Your Royal LePage agent can arrange to have you pre-qualified for a mortgage before you start shopping for a home. It’s easy, and you’ll avoid possible disappointments down the road if you fall in love with a place, then find out you can’t afford it. Plus, once you do find the perfect home, it will mean you can make an offer immediately.
Here’s how mortgage approval works: the amount of money you qualify for, plus the amount of cash you can put down equals the amount you can afford to spend on a home. Most lending institutions won’t allow more than about 30% of your income to support a mortgage. If you have other debts, they usually won’t allow your debts and your mortgage to exceed 40% of your income.
Finalizing your mortgage
Once you’ve found the home you want to buy, you’ll need to finalize your financing. You’ll need to provide your lender with the following documents:
1. A copy of the real estate listing of the property. If the home is still to be built, the mortgage lender will need to see the architect’s or builder’s plans and details on lot size and location.
2. A copy of the offer to purchase or the building contract, if this document has been prepared.
3. Documents to confirm employment, income and source of pre-approval.
4. If you have a pre-approved mortgage, it’s a simple matter of finalizing a few details with your mortgage specialist.
Choosing a neighbourhood
You’re not just buying a home - you’re buying a location. And even the most perfect house won’t feel right if you’re in the wrong neighbourhood. Educate yourself about the area so you’ll choose wisely - and end up being happy with your decision.
Protect yourself with a home inspection
That gorgeous house on the corner lot may look great, but it could be hiding all sorts of expensive, annoying problems, from a leaky roof to faulty wiring to a mouldy basement.
Make sure your home is solid and secure inside and out before you buy it. A home inspector will determine structural and mechanical soundness, identify problem areas, provide cost estimates for any work required, and generate a report. It’s a great way to avoid headaches and costly problems that can turn a dream home into a money pit.
If you decide to go ahead and buy a home with issues that have been flagged by your inspector, you can base your offer on how much potential repairs and upgrades may cost.
Home inspection costs range according to size, age and location of the home. Your Royal LePage sales representative can recommend a reputable home inspection service or arrange for an inspector to visit your property.
Determine what you can afford
Buying a home involves both one-time costs and more regular monthly expenses. It’s important that you take both into account when you’re figuring out how much you can spend on a home.
The largest one-time cost is the down payment, which usually represents upto 25% of the total price of the property. Then, in addition to the actual purchase price, there are a number of other expenses that you may be expected to pay for.
Typical One-Time Expenses
Protect your home with insurance
When you purchase a home, you have several insurance options that will protect your investment in different ways.
Homeowners’ Insurance
Most mortgage lenders insist on fire insurance coverage that is at least equal to the loan amount or the building value, whichever is less. You should also consider a homeowner’s policy that combines fire insurance on the building and its contents with personal liability coverage. Consult your general insurance agent for professional advice.
Mortgage Life Insurance
When lenders refer to mortgage insurance, they’re referring to coverage that’s provided by CHMC or MICC for a high ratio mortgage. Mortgage Life Insurance (MLI) is optional, inexpensive coverage on your life, which protects your beneficiaries by paying off your outstanding mortgage in the event of your death. MLI premiums are based on your age and mortgage amount. The premium is added to your mortgage payment so there’s no extra paperwork, and it remains the same until your mortgage is paid off.
Disability Insurance
Disability Insurance provides replacement income if an accident or illness prevents you from working.
Job Loss Mortgage Insurance
Job Loss Mortgage insurance covers the mortgage payments in the event that you involuntarily lose your job.
Understanding market conditions
The real estate market is always changing, and it helps to understand how market conditions can affect your position as a buyer. Your agent can provide you with info on current conditions and explain their impact on you.
Buyers’ market
The supply of homes on the market exceeds demand.
Characteristics
Figuring out classified ads
Are you mystified by some of the abbreviations and terms that you see in newspaper real estate ads? Take a quick look at the list below, and you’ll sail through the classifieds.
air conditioning - a/c
apartment - apt
appliances - appls
bachelor - bach
balcony - balc
basement - bsmt
bathroom - ba, bath, bth, bthrm
bedroom - br, bed, bdrm
building - bldg
bungalow - bung
cathedral ceiling - cath ceil
central air conditioning - c/a
central vacuum - cvac, c/vac, central vac
condominium - condo
detached - det
double - dbl
exposure - exp
exterior - ext
family room - fam rm
fenced - fncd
finished basement - fin bsmt
fireplace - fpl
floor - fl
garage - gar
hardwood floors - hrdwd flrs
included - incl
kitchen - kit, kitch
large - lrg, lge
luxury - lux
parking - prkg
penthouse - ph
piece - pc
private - priv
renovated - reno, reno’d
room - rm
separate entrance - sep entr
solarium - sol
spacious - spac
storey - stry
subdivision - subdiv
suite - st, ste
townhouse - twnhse
wall to wall - w/w
washer/dryer - w/d
w/o - walkout (generally refers to basement)
workshop - wkshp
yard - yd, yrd
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