Utilities must be on for inspection and appraisal review!

Plumbing, heating, electrical must be in working order

Sewer, well, landscaping

Structure, basements and foundation

Walkways, porches, patios, driveways

Roof ? missing or damage shingles

No flooring in home

Interior walls and ceilings

Steps and stoops for all external doors

Mold, mildew, moister in crawl space or basement

Termites and damage, exterior rotten wood, detached gutters

No electrical wiring exposed

Peeling Paint ? Built before 1978

Broken windows, doors, garage door

Fireplace, chimney, fire detectors

Missing stove, sink, tub, toilet, hot water heater, copper piping

Next Door Neighbor

Homeowners Association

Planning & Zoning

Sex offender´s web site

Schools, Medical facilities

Drive to work

Previous Insurance claims

Home warranties companies will not honor their coverage within the first 90 days of ownership if a home
inspection was not performed prior to closing.

Today is a great day to buy a home.  Interest rates are at a all time low, 100% financing is available, plenty of home choices in the area where you want to live, and Sellers are willing to negotiate and offer a variety of concessions.  A loan commitment letter from your lender as well as earnest money will be required prior to submitting an offer to purchase.  We can not make an offer on a foreclosed property without a letter of commitment.  The bank may insist that you get pre qualified with their loan officer.  This is a requirement but does not mean that you can't use your lender.

There are a variety of  sellers marketing property today. Each seller will have various requirements in submitting an offer to be considered.   Each seller today has different policies and procedures with many time sensitive areas of performance.

We may look at a home that is owned by the Federal Government i.e. a HUD Home.  HUD will pay up to 3% of closing cost if you need it, allow you 45 days to close, an inspection period to learn about the property, and all their homes have had a property condition report and an FHA appraisal performed prior to releasing for sale. These homes are listed today at a fair market value based on its current condition.  The price on HUD homes are a closer to what they will take as they have already done the appraisal.

As a registered selling agent with HUD, all offers are submitted online through during a priority bid period.  I do not have an opportunity to meet with HUD in person to present your offer.  Today you can purchase a HUD Home with FHA financing as an owner occupant with only a $100 down payment. It is important to make your best offer first as you may be competing with others.

We may see a home that is owned by the Veterans Administration. We will have to take extra time to get acquainted with this property because VA does not have an inspection policy in their contract for sale.  You will be buying this home in an "AS IS" condition meaning what you see is what you get, what you don´t see you are going to get that as well and after closing what you discover, it is yours and VA does not want to know.  No recourse back to VA if you are unhappy with the property after closing.

Other  properties that we may preview will be marketed by a homeowner that has negotiated direct with their lender for a discount on their mortgage payoff for a quick sale due to a hardship. This transaction is called a "Short Sale". You will buy the property direct from the lender.  If you need to move right away, a Short Sale may not be a candidate, because it sometimes takes 2-6 months to complete this type of sale. Short Sale properties have had an appraisal and BPO´s performed and listed at today's fair market value.

We may look at a brand new homes.   I like to work with builders and developers.  They have their own sales representatives that greet you at the front door.  They present their models in detail, talk about the builder and developer, explain special features of the home and community. Most builders have a relationship with a local lender that can save you money on the financing. New construction contracts are different from a resale. However the new home sales representative will walk us through the entire process.

Today, Seller´s policies, procedures and timelines vary.  In many cases the Seller is not local and can take 7-10 days to get a response back after you have submitted an offer.  During that time, others can submit offers that may have better terms than your offer.  It is important to present your best offer first along with a loan commitment letter.  Properties on the market today have had an appraisal and BPO´s (Broker Price Opinion) performed in advance of establishing a fair market value list price. We have over 100,000 properties for sale today in the metro Atlanta area.  Properties are not overpriced today and those owned by a bank or lender are being aggressively marketed by a local real estate professional for a quick sale.

 
If  you see a home and you like the floor plan, the community, and the sales is in approval price range however you do not like the carpet or wallpaper, not to worry. We have a "Buy & Repair" financing program that will allow you to finance into your loan amount limited repairs and upgrades that can be completed after closing.  For every $1,000 you add to your loan amount will only affect your monthly mortgage payment around $6.00. 

The State of Georgia has "Agency Law" requiring agents to disclose who they represent.  Buyers have choice to hire a real estate professional as their exclusive representative that will discuss, explain and share resources throughout the buying process as a client.  However you can choose to be a customer, which basically places all burdens on you to retrieve and do your homework on your own during the home buying process. We would like to represent your interest 100% in your home purchase process since we have so many different types of sellers today with different contract policies and procedures.  If you do not want to sign a 30 day agreement, you can hire us for just today so that we may lead, guide and answer all questions, concerns you may have. If we do not find your home of choice today, then you can hire us again tomorrow.