FACTS ABOUT BUYING A HOME IN CARROLL COUNTY
FINDING AND BUYING A HOME IN CARROLL
COUNTY
BEGINS WITH MEETING YOUR HOMEFINDERS.COM REALTOR
WHAT MAKES HOMEFINDERS.COM AGENTS
DIFFERENT?
OUR CARROLL COUNTY AGENTS LISTEN TO YOUR NEEDS
When you work with a Homefinders.com agent, you work with an agent of
a Real Estate Broker,
HOMEFINDERS.COM, that represents ONLY
home buyers. We are an EXCLUSIVE BUYER AGENCY COMPANY
OR EXCLUSIVE BUYERS BROKER. We NEVER
represent home sellers. What that means to you is that we concentrate
on YOUR needs when selecting homes to show to you. We listen.
NO FEE TO OUR BUYERS
HOW ARE WE PAID?? Your HOMEFINDERS.COM
agent will be paid just like any other agent, through the transaction
by a split of the listing agent's fee to the seller for the listing. This
is known as a Co-op. When a listing agent lists home for sale in the Multiple
List Service, MLS, that listing includes an offer to buyer's agents that
they will pay a percentage of the sales price of the home, to us. Our
services cost you nothing out of pocket you'll have an agent devoted completely
to your needs and interests.
Agency has no relationship to who pays the fee.
YOU CAN SELECT THE HOMES TO PREVIEW
We offer our home buyers access to the Multiple List Service ( MLS ) through
access to our Regional MLSs unique Internet Data Exchange ( IDX ). What
that means to you, a home buyer is that YOU
can see what is on the market for sale. Since this Internet site is a
live link to the MLS that we agents use, you have access to listed homes
for sale in Carroll County as soon as the home for sale is entered into
the listing system.
We're pretty nice people Our Carroll County buyers agents are all dedicated to the needs of home
buyers. All HOMEFINDERS.COM buyers agents are
all members of the National Association of REALTORS
®. Our buyers agents have access to homes offered for sale
in the MLS and For Sale By Owners. Our Carroll County buyers agents can
show and sell HUD and VA Foreclosed homes offered for sale.
If you find that there is not a home that meets your needs in Carroll
County, our agents have full access to homes offered for sale in all Maryland
Counties. Since we don't list properties for sale, our agents are trained
and experienced in Maryland real estate for sale in Anne Arundel, Baltimore,
Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and any other area of Maryland real estate
where we can find the very best home for you and your budget.
THE HOME BUYING PROCESS IN CARROLL COUNTY, MARYLAND
Whether your HOMEFINDERS.COM agent selects homes
for a tour or you select a home or homes to preview, appointments must
be made through the listing office. So, please don't wait until the last
minute. Give your agent time to arrange for the appointment or tour of
homes. Some homes, especially in the higher price ranges, require at least
24 hours notice to visit a home for sale. Give us time and we'll plan
a wonderful tour for you.Allow sufficient time to preview homes so that
you and your agent will have an opportunity to look at the entire home,
all of the nooks and crannies.
YOU'VE FOUND THE HOME YOU WANT TO BUY
What an exciting moment. You finally see the home where you want to live.
It has just about everything you hoped for. What now? If this is the first
time you've viewed homes with your HOMEFINDERS.COM
agent, we'll know what to do. In order to present a contract offer in
our fast moving market, you will need to have a written pre-qualification
or pre-approval letter from a reputable lender. If you've spoken about
this process with our HOMEFINDERS.COM agent,
you know that you must be ready with a "lender's letter" stating
that you meet the income, credit and money to close requirements to be
competitive when the contract offer is presented to the seller. We believe
in being prepared, but often home buyers, especially first time home buyers
don't understand these matters and simply want to look at homes for sale.
That's fine, but when you see what you want, you should be prepared to
move quickly. So, let your HOMEFINDERS.COM buyers
agent guide you through the process and you'll stand a much better chance
of being successful.
WE'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO A LENDER.
While Homefinders.com has no affiliation with any lender, title
company, insurance company, survey company or home inspection company,
we do know and recommend reputable service providers who will help you
on short notice and who are experienced and know how to get the job done.
After all, our company sells a lot of homes and we meet many service providers.
Some we recommend regularly and some we would not ever recommend. Buyers
often select lender or home inspector or have received Recommendations
from friends or family. Some of the best lenders we recommend were introduced
to us by past home buyers. Results are the only criteria for success in
selecting service providers.
CONTRACT PROCESS
You've selected the home you want to buy and it is still available,
meaning no contracts are in place. Your HOMEFINDERS.COM
agent will write the offer, arrange to present it to the seller and make
sure your interest are protected. Our HOMEFINDERS.COM
agent know how to vigorously pursue a contract and will work day and night
to accomodate the needs of the buyer/seller/listing agent in pursuit of
the home you want to buy. That's our job. HOMEFINDERS.COM
agents are HANDS ON agents. We only work wtih
one or two buyers at a time in order to be available to serve the needs
of our clients. We'll be there for you.
WE GET THE CONTRACT
But, it's not over yet. If it's included in your Contract of Sale, we
now have the schedule a home inspection. Home inspections are particularly
important for large homes with inground basement foundations. Below is
a scenario of a thorough home inspection.
Structure
The home inspector will look for structural integrity, They will evaluate
the quality of construction and materials used.
Exterior
A thorough inspection of the roof should reveal any past or present leaks.
The exterior finishing will be inspected for cracked bricks, loose siding,
improper grading and anything else suitable for your purchase.
Interior
The interior will be observed for signs of movement. A good home inspector
will look for signs of unusual cracking, separating, shifting in the house.
Mechanicals
The heating and air conditioning will be tested, temperature permitting,
and since this is an expensive appliance, the inspector may recommend
servicing of the unit if it appears that the present owners have neglected
this important duty.
Appliances
All kitchen appliances will be run through their cycle to make sure that
they function properly. The refrigerator will be tested for temperature
and seals. The range, microwave, disposer will all be run to make sure
they know what to do.
Plumbing All bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, exterior plumbing will be tested and
inspected. This task has become very important since builders have been
downgrading building materials for several years to compensate for escalating
land costs.
Electrical
All visible wiring, panel boxes, fixtures, switches, outlets will be tested
for operating condition and safety. Often we find home owner repairs will
be the most hazardous. If the homeowner did not obtain a permit and have
work inspected, it may be defective and dangerous. A good home inspector
spends a lot of time looking at electrical components of a house.
What happens after the home inspection?
YOU MAY NOT WANT TO BUY THE HOME AFTER THE INSPECTION. If the
home inspector finds serious problems such as structural defects, you
will have to make a decision as to whether or not to go through with the
purchase. If the home inspection shows defects that are repairable or
replaceable, your agent will write an addendum requesting the repairs
to be made by the seller prior to settlement. The seller may agree, refuse
or negotiate a cash settlement to compensate you for the defects found.
The Home Inspection Contingency used by HOMEFINDERS.COM
provides for the buyer to void a Contract of Sale if the home inspection
reveals a serious defect.
THE HOME INSPECTION IS DONE. GET READY FOR SETTLEMENT
Your HOMEFINDERS.COM agent will schedule
settlement with a title company convenient to the sellers of the home
in Carroll County. The title company will order a title search and survey
to make sure that the seller can convey good title. The survey is your
assurance that the present owner is conveying the lot to you as you understand
it and that there are no easements other than utility or county/state
encroachments on the lot you are buying. If the next door neighbor has
installed a fence a foot over the property line, this is the time to find
out about it.
SETTLEMENT MEANS PAYING YOUR MONEY AND GETTING THE KEYS
TO YOUR NEWLY PURCHASED HOME. Your lender will have prepared you
with the need for a Cashier's Check for settlement and the amount needed
to close. This will be an amount to cover your down payment and closing
costs - less the earnest money held in escrow, probably by HOMEFINDERS.COM.
NOW THE WORK REALLY BEGINS
MOVING INTO YOUR NEWLY PURCHASED HOME IN CARROLL COUNTY,
MARYLAND
If you've hired a well insured and experienced mover, you can leave a
lot of the work to the moving company. But, we all know that there is
still a lot of work involved in moving a home. Home, in these pages, means
where your heart is. When a family (even a family of one) moves, they
move the heart of their home. So, it's important to take good care and
plan your move to preserve your belongings, your time, your money and
your peace of mind.
ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE THAT MOVE
If you have special "priceless" items to move, whether it be
furniture, works of art, jewelry, or a special toy. Value in dollars doesn't
always determine whether an item is priceless. Tag items of special value
and importance with bold tags that will make them easily tracked and identified.
Be sure to notice the movers of items of value.
ORGANIZING YOUR MOVE WILL SAVE YOU MONEY
Movers charge by the mile and by the hour. So, if your belongings are
well organized, tagged and/or labeled, it will save time for the mover
to determine on-loading and off-loading to save time.
BE SURE TO ARRANGE FOR MOVE OF ITEMS NOT INCLUDED IN
THE MOVE
Plants, perishable foodstuffs, favorite toy for the little ones to occupy
time during the move, If you're moving your home in Carroll County or
from a nearby location, you'll probably be packing carloads of belongings
for several days. Take provisions for the children to keep the cranky
spells to a minimum. PACKING YOURSELF?? Can
save you a lot of money. But, if the mover is transporting these items,
be sure to check to make sure that the mover's insurance covers containers
that they didn't pack.
MAKE A PRELIMINARY FURNITURE PLACEMENT PLAN
Try to have an idea about where you plan to place large furniture to save
time once the movers off-load these pieces. Planning ahead can save time,
money and injuries.
DON'T WAIT TILL MOVING WEEK TO ASK FOR FRIENDS TO
HELP
Moving is hard work. Don't assume that your best friend will really want
to move that sofa or piano.
FEED THE FRIEND THAT CARRIES THE DRESSER
Be sure to plan for refreshments for friends and family during the move.
It will keep them refreshed and save time in the long run. Sometimes it's
a good idea to make a child the "keeper of the food" to give them
something to do while keeping children out of danger.
PLAN TO HAVE TRASH CONTAINERS AVAILABLE. Try to keep trash accumulation
to a minimum. Have trash bags, containers at the ready to collect packing
materials, boxes and food containers. You've organized the packing, the
move, and now it's time to organize the unpack.
WE SUSPECT THAT YOU'RE A BIT EXHAUSTED AT THIS POINT. CALL
HOMEFINDERS.COM
WHEN YOU'RE READY TO TAKE A TOUR. WE'LL HELP YOU FROM SEARCH TO SETTLEMENT.
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