HOMES + I N S I G H T
Hope for the FIRST TIME BUYER Julie D. Martin Real Estate Broker Century 21 Heritage House Ltd., Brokerage
Here are a few important tips:
HIRING THE RIGHT PROFESSIONAL There is just too much at stake to try and navigate through this market on your own. Enlisting a professional to help you make your way through the process is a must. Don’t settle for any random person with a real estate license and some free time, though. There are a variety of levels in skill and experience. Seek out someone with a proven track record and at least a few years of success under their belt. Interview a few agents. Start by asking your friends or family who have recently purchased who they used. If they would recommend their agent, include them in the ones you interview. It has to be a good fit. Making sure they’re full-time in the business is key. Properties move too quickly to deal with a part-timer. Find out what kind of availability they will have to help you in your search. Ask them how they will represent you when it’s offer time, and what kind of advice they would give you to help your offer stand out, in addition to just the offer price.
• Hire a professional — and the right one! • Listen only to advice that is well-informed • Focus on your situation, instead of comparing your situation to someone else’s • Do not delay — a better market to buy may not be around the corner
LISTENING TO THE GOOD ADVICE The news reports are often Canada-wide and aren’t even relevant to our local market. I have found that our local market is hotter and more stable than many other markets in Canada, and that’s because of a number of factors that make our market unique.
How are young people who do not currently own a home going to be able to afford to get into this market? This is a question that I hear on a regular basis. Things may appear hopeless, but that doesn’t mean that they are. The answer to the above question is simple: VERY CAREFULLY and VERY STRATEGICALLY. But, just because the answer to the question is simple doesn’t mean that the journey is. Those who are succeeding are doing so by understanding that the current market situation is not anything we have experienced in the past, and they know that this market is too tricky to navigate on their own.
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