Purchasing a home is probably
the second largest personal transaction
you will make in your lifetime.

The largest should be when you sell your home.

Home Ownership has always been the American Dream - to have a place of your own. Now is a great time to buy because interest rate are low, prices have settled and a buyer's selection is the best it has been in a very long time. This adds up to a strong Buyers' Market.

If you are reading this page, you are probably giving some thought to purchasing a home. First, you need to determine whether purchasing a home is right for you, (if not sure, perform the Buying-vesus-Renting comparison now).

If your situation leans toward buying, there is good news; there is FREE* professional help available to you that will guide you through the process and safeguard your best interests. The person who can help assure you buy a comfortable home and not a financial headache is a Realtor. The Realtor that you select will represent you, provide you with a wide selection of possible homes and fight (diplomatically but firmly) for the best deal. More importantly, your agent will have you prepared each step along the way.

* FREE - All Realtor fees are designated by the seller to be paid out of the proceeds from the sale of the property - at settlement. In essence, as a buyer, it costs you nothing extra to have your Realtor safeguard your interests.

Preparing To Buy A Home

Today, home buyers have many sources of potential financial assistance. There are government grant programs, community development funds, first time buyer saving just to name a few. One size does not fit all but I can steer you through the course and help make home ownership a reality for you. (Even in cases of former bankruptcy or credit problems, we can guide you to a solution - but you have to be willing to do the work).

Speaking of credit, it is always wise to stay current and aware of everything on your credit reports. Check them periodically. You are entitled to one FREE credit report (1 from each agency) each year -- take advantage of it. I've had hopeful buyers whose credit reports contained information that the buyer knew nothing about; information that had been posted erroneously. It delayed the process several months before we were able to get it straightened out. You do not want surprises. For that reason I refer my customers to a mortgage lender early in the process, so there are no surprises.

The Home Buying Process:

1. Before you go shopping for anything, you probably check your wallet to see how much you can afford to spend. The same holds true when you are shopping for a home; you must have a firm handle on the financing. By "a firm handle" I mean to have met face-to-face with the mortgage officer of the bank who will be pre-approving your loan. The more senior the loan officer and the more reputable the bank, the firmer the handle. Some banks have a sterling mortgage reputation; others do not.
   
   When buyers select me as their Realtor, I refer them to meet with my preferred lender who has always been on top of each deal he has handled. Each deal went through on schedule WITH NO SURPRISES.
   
   The points listed below are items that need to be addressed by, or for, the buyer. I have a specific processes for guiding my customers through these tasks. However, I cannot document too much because I am not writing this web page to serve as a procedure manual for other real estate agents. We all must develop our own methods.
   
2. Give thought to your “Wants” and “Needs” for your new home. This should be a Team Project – enlist the entire family.
   
3. Develop a effective and efficient work mode with your agent. Leads should get to you in a timely manner so you can check out and react promptly when your future home comes on the market. I once scheduled an appointment, submitted the buyers' offer and obtained a ratified contract at 12:32 AM, before the property had been on the market one full day. The sellers were leaving town for awhile and we got the offer to them just before they left. We won the deal before the other offers were even submitted because my buyers reacted quickly.
   
4. Prepare a very effective offer, complete with all the magical ingredients.
   
5. Eliminate concerns about the worthiness of the property.
   
6. Assure against any problems throughout the process - up to and through settlement. There are a multitude of things that can disrupt and/or prevent settlement. I help guard against those last minute surprises.

One last note: as a Realtor, I have nothing to sell. I carry no inventory, nor do I conduct clearance sales. My job is simply to help you reach your real estate goal, whatever that may be. I work hard to provide the best service possible with the hope that you will be so so impressed by the level of service that you will recommend me to all of your family and friends. That is how my business will continue to grow.

For additional buyer information from Century 21 Click Here

My contact information is listed below. As a Full Time Agent I take pride in being available to my clients. I do everything in my power to remain accessible to my clients but there are times (settlements, classes, meetings, etc.) when I may truly be beyond reach. If you encounter such a time, please leave a message. I return phone messages as promptly as possible. Both phone numbers below have voice mail.

Mark Swiss
Realtor
Century 21 Horizon Realty
3117 East Joppa Road
Parkville, Maryland 21234
Office: 410-882-0021
Home Office: 410-866-8508
Cell: 443-474-6412
e-mail: markswiss@century21.com

Privacy Statement || Contact Webmaster || Ask a Question || Site Map