First time buyers in Columbia are often on the hunt for a great deal. And some of the best deals are found when buying your house directly from a seller. Learn more about the many benefits of buying direct in our latest post!
You might think you need to hire an agent and go through the traditional process in order to buy your first home, however, this simply isn’t the case. What you may not know, is that you don’t need to work with an agent at all. By doing some of the due diligence yourself, you will be able to work directly with a seller to buy your first house at an excellent price. Of course, it will take some work, and you will need to educate yourself on the local market and on real estate as a whole, but when executed correctly, you will be able to save thousands on the purchase of your Columbia house.
Get Prepared
In order to buy a house directly, you will need to know what you are getting into. Take the time to learn about how the process works and become familiar with the local real estate markets. Learn the real estate lingo and terminology used by the agents and investors you will likely be dealing with. Define what you are looking for and what you are willing to pay. Make notes of where you are willing to compromise and where you are not. Go into the process informed and knowing what you want to achieve and you will have no problem buying your Columbia house directly.
How To Do It
To buy a Columbia house directly, the process is really no different than it would be if you hired an agent. You can either choose to look for sellers on your own or choose to work with a professional real estate investment company such as Cash Home Buyers.
When looking for homes on your own, the first step is to drive the neighborhoods you like. Make notes on any properties for sale in the area. Even if you aren’t interested in buying yourself, you can learn a lot about the market by researching available properties. Sometimes you can find someone who hadn’t even considered selling, who is willing to take your offer. A house that looks a bit unkempt is a sign of a potentially motivated seller, just make sure the inside of the property has been taken care of. If you come across a home you really love, write down the address and use the property appraiser’s website to contact the owner. This should be done very thoughtfully as some people might feel as if it is an invasion oof privacy.
If you are sourcing the properties yourself, you might consider joining local real estate groups and putting the word out that you are looking. Finding off-market properties of value can be a bit of a challenge, especially for first time home buyers.
To Finance Or Not?
If you are financing the purchase, make sure to get pre-approved before making your offer. This will save you a lot of headaches down the road. If you have the means of doing so, be prepared to pay in cash. If the seller is also working without an agent, they are likely trying to sell quickly and keep costs down. Cash offers from your competition could be the difference in whether or not your offer is accepted.
What It Will Mean For You
By purchasing your house directly from a seller, you will be able to eliminate an agents commission and costs. Many sellers prefer to work this way, which will benefit all parties involved. If you are interested in buying a Columbia house directly, we have homes available now!