Long Island is the home to some of the finest real estate, so even the thought of moving can be overwhelming due to the vast range of properties to consider. And with about a thousand other items on your home-buying to-do list, which includes choosing the right neighborhood, selling your current home, and getting pre-approved for a mortgage, it’s only natural to want a little help.
Although you might prefer to do everything on your own, the entire process could drag along until you find yourself walking away from the whole ordeal unsatisfied with the selling and purchasing price for both properties.
One way to avoid an unpleasant experience when buying your Long Island home is to use a realtor.
Salvatore I. Prividera Jr., Director of Communications for the New York State Association of REALTORS®, states "For buyers, REALTORS® will guide them every step of the way through the largest financial investment most will make in their lifetimes."
Realtors are experts in the housing market—sometimes they specialize in specific towns or neighborhoods—so they can help their clients find the most affordable homes in their areas of interest. You may be tempted to find a home yourself by going online, but why give yourself more to do when there is someone who is happy to take on the task for you? All you have to do is communicate what you’re looking for and let your realtor do the rest.
As Prividera points out, "The Internet offers a great deal of information about buying and selling homes, some accurate and some less so." However, "As with all knowledge, your ability to interpret and apply it to the task at hand is a key factor in a sucessful outcome," he continues.
Similarly, working with a realtor also takes pressure off you when it comes to selling your current home. You won’t have to be in charge of hosting open houses and finding potential buyers.
Besides relieving you of certain responsibilities, using a Long Island realtor can also quicken the process, because he or she can help narrow down your house-search and take the lead in negotiating the final price.
Prividera explains that realtors "are your local housing market experts who understand the process and how to guide a consumer through it. For example, they can interpret market trends and data to help sellers set the rght price, offer suggestions on preparing the home for sale and market it to bring in the best offers."
Many realtors work with mortgage lenders as well, so asking about the various mortgage loans offered, like multi-family loans and FHA loans, won’t be so challenging. Getting a mortgage pre-approval is a vital step in the home-buying process because it indicates how much you should actually spend on a new home, so you know the right price range to stay within. This crucial information can be relayed to your realtor to make your search more fruitful.
When you’re purchasing a piece of real estate on Long Island, you must complete many important steps. Fortunately, working with a realtor can make the entire experience go much more smoothly and lift a huge weight off your shoulders in the process. So, in the end, all you’ll need to worry about is looking forward to settling into your new home.
To learn more about Contour's programs for home buyers, click here.