Avoiding common pitfalls in your Tucson real estate purchase

In today’s complex real estate and legal environment, it is more critical than ever to utilize the services of a real estate professional. Having eleven years of experience assisting buyers and sellers in Tucson, Sarah Ley can help you anticipate the plethora of issues that may befall your real estate transaction.

A few common mistakes that home buyers make include:

• Not having the right fit with a Realtor. Don’t stick with a real estate agent that you aren’t comfortable with just because you don’t want to hurt his or her feelings. Buying a home can be stressful and you need an agent who will work hard for you and be your advocate if and when things get tough. Sarah Ley will work tirelessly to make sure you have the help and guidance you need to ensure that you get the home you want- on YOUR terms.
• Not doing a home inspection. It may seem like an unnecessary step in the process to you, but a home inspection is a critical link to make sure that the home you are buying is a sound investment. Saving a few hundred dollars can end up possibly costing you tens of thousands of dollars in the long run. Even if you think you could do an inspection yourself, or you think it’s unimportant to perform one- unless you are an ASHI certified home inspector, you might miss something. For example, do you know what a pressure release valve is and how to tell if it is functioning? Do you know how to tell if a property has serious structural or termite damage?
• Finding your dream home before being approved for a Mortgage. Nothing is more heartbreaking than finding out your can’t afford the dream home you had your heart set on, or seeing a home go to another buyer when financing has not been properly arranged in advance. As your buyer’s agent, Sarah will make sure that you are pre-qualified by a lender before you begin your home search to prevent such heartaches, and to help you focus only on homes in your designated price range.
• Not giving yourself enough time to get through the process. Unexpected things can happen at any stage of the home buying process. For this reason, it’s essential that you pace yourself throughout your home purchase. Sarah will assist you in coordinating all of the important functions of the transaction (contracts, inspections, title companies, loan guidelines, movers, and more). As your real estate agent, Sarah is well versed in assisting clients to establish a time line that they feel comfortable with.
• Settling for less than what you wanted.  It’s true that you may not get everything you wanted in your home purchase, but don’t settle for a home that you are less than excited about just because you feel pressed for time to find a home. There are other options out there, and if you don’t find the right home to suit your lifestyle in a time frame you can live with, Sarah can help you explore your options. Maybe you would be better off to rent for six months on a month-to-month lease, in order to be able to give yourself more time to find the right home for you for the long run. That feeds into the final item-
• Getting cold feet and not doing anything about it. Let’s face it- buying a home is a big decision. One you do not make overnight. If you are under contract to buy a home, and you get cold feet, it is essential that you tell your agent right away. Sarah will make sure that you are fully aware of the deadlines of the contract. If you get cold feet during the inspection period, you can cancel the contract and get your earnest money back. If it happens after the inspection period, it may cost you your earnest money- or more- but if you truly changed your mind about the house, it may be worth it to have your agent or an attorney advise you on getting out of the contract.

  The bottom line is that hiring a Realtor to represent your needs is essential to making sure that you get the most out of your real estate purchase.  Please call Sarah Ley if you are interested in a no-obligation consultation of your real estate needs.