The process of buying a home or investment generally starts with determining your buying power; that is, your financial reserves plus your borrowing capacity. If you give a real estate agent some basic information about your available savings, income and current debt, they can refer you to lenders best qualified to help you. Most lenders--banks and mortgage companies--offer limited choices. Once you know how much you can and want to invest, the next step is to find the properties that most nearly fit your needs.

This is the time to choose an agent. We have many resources to assist you in your search. Sometimes the home you are seeking is available but not actively advertisted in the market, and it will take some investigation by your agent to find all the available properties that suit your needs. Your job is to make the final selection on which property is right for you. This is when excitement and emotions run high. We can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property. We have access to a variety of informational resources and can provide local community information on utilities, zoning, schools, etc. There are two things youll want to know first: First, will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell?

There are a myriad of negotiating factors, including, but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession, and often the inclusion of exclusion of repairs and furnishings or equipment. The purchase agreement should also provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required. With a negotiated agreement in hand, it is time to complete the evaluation of the property. Depending on the area and property, this could include inspections for termites, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. We can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports. Let us do all the work for you, you have better things to worry about...