Alexandria, Lorton, Woodbridge Virginia Real Estate: Top 5 Things To Do Before Previewing Homes For Sale in Woodbridge VA

Prospective home buyers are usually eager to begin previewing homes for sale. After months ofsearching online for the perfect home, many are anxious to begin their house hunting adventures. To make the most of your house hunting endeavors, here are my top 5 things to do before heading out to preview homes for sale in your area.

Attend a buyer interview. Meet with your real estate agent to discuss your housing needs. In turn, your agent will discuss the housing market in your area and will thoroughly explain the home buying process so that you understand what to expect and when to expect it.

Get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. Establish your purchasing power before you head out to preview active listings. This will ensure that you maximize time spent by looking at only those homes that fit into your desired price range. Looking at homes outside of your price range is an ineffective use of everyone's time including the seller.

Determine your desired location. It is important to determine where you would like to live before heading out to preview homes. Your location should be narrowed down to a single city, neighborhood or subdivision. The more definitive you are about your location, the more productive you will be in your house hunting adventures.

Commit to working with a single agent. Now that you are ready to begin your house hunting activities, it is time to commit to working with an agent. Working with an agent is very important as you will need someone to represent your interest during the sale. In most cases, the fees for hiring a buyer's agent are paid by the seller. Therefore, you should take advantage of this benefit by hiring an experienced real estate agent to protect your interest during the sale.

Ensure that all decision makers are available for showings. The decision to purchase a home is often made by multiple decision makers. All decision makers should be present during property previews. This is very important as it is often difficult to coordinate schedules for a return visit to the property. In addition, even in this difficult housing market some properties are receiving multiple offers, which means the decision to purchase must be made almost immediately. To ensure that decisions can be made in a timely manner, please make certain that all decision makers are present when previewing homes for sale.

Interested in buying or selling real estate in Alexandria, Lorton, Woodbridge or any of the surrounding areas in northern Virginia? Contact me for assistance! My expertise include first-time home buyers, home sellers, luxury homes, short sales, foreclosures, divorce, and relocation.