If you are reading this, you might be someone who was thinking of buying a home in the new year.  You began to browse listings, maybe even found a few that you liked.  Perhaps, you took the step of calling the agent, only to discover that after only one or two days on the market the home had multiple offers, and was already under contract.

You continue to browse, and you see this phenomen happen time and time again.  "Well, I guess I'll just wait for another time," you say to yourself.

It is definetly a reality of the current housing market that things are moving fast, and if you hesitate, even for a day, someone else will jump in ahead of you.

But don't give up!  You can still move, buy that first home, and even find what you want.  And with interest rates where they are, it's a great time.  However, you do need to put yourself in position to act when the moment and the house are both right.  Here are a few tips to do just that.

1.) What's your why?

Simply, why is now the right time for you to purchase?  Maybe you are coming up on the end of a lease, you have young children and your targeting a specific school district, maybe you need more space, maybe it's a new job.  It doesn't really matter what it is, but it must be something that motivates you.  People in this market that are "just looking around," for the sake of looking around, will rarely if ever be successful even if they do find the home of their dreams. Having that why gives you a definite timeframe you need to act in. It gives you the motivation to put the best offer on the table for the home you really want.   It doesn't matter what the reason or timeframe is, just that you know what it is.  This may seem elementary, but many buyers don't have this.  Sharing this why with me will also help you find what you are looking for.

2.)  GET PRE-APPROVED!!

For those who have read my posts before I probably sound like a broken record.  However, I cannot possibly emphasize this enough.  In this market waiting until you find the house you like until you obtain a pre-approval letter from a lender will more than likely result in you loosing the home to another buyer that was pre-approved.  Pre-approval can take a day or two to complete soometimes, and in this market that will probably be a day or two too long.  Remember, with most lenders the pre-approval process is free, and does not obligate you to anything.  When you have that letter, you have the ability to have an offer on the table within just a few hours of seeing the home. 

(If you need help find a lender reach out to me, and I can connect you with a good one in the York area.)

3.)  Make a list of what you are looking for.

I know this too seems elementary.  But let me explain why this is so important in this market.  The more you can be specific about exactly what it is you are looking for the less houses you have to filter through before deciding on ones to tour.  This will save you time, and filter out what you are not interested in so we can eliminate them quickly.  Leaving us with the 1 or 2 houses that really meet your needs and wants.  I like to sit with home buyers, or over the phone if you prefer, and ask about 3 pages of question.  This is not to make you feel like you are experiencing an interrigation but to get to exactly what you are looking for so we have the best chance of finding it quickly.

4.)  Avoid asking For seller's assistance if at all possible.

With government loans (FHA, VA, USDA) and some conventional loans, a lender will offer the buyer the ability to request that the seller give a certain percentage of the sales price (usually capped at 6%) to assist the buyer in paying for closing cost.  In our current housing market this is not a good negotiating strategy for a buyer.  Simply put, sellers know that if they receive even a full price offer with a seller's assistance request, if they just hold out another few days, an offer of full price and no seller's assistance will be on the table.  Thus, your offer will be turned countered, or just rejected flat out.  The removal of a seller's assistance request in the terms of your offer becomes even more important when there are multiple offers on the table for the home.

Now, for that disclaimer, "if at all possible."  Sometimes some buyers NEED to have some seller's assistance.  If this is you don't despair.  There are some options.  Maybe we can find some creative terms to encourage the seller to give you the help at closing.  But remember, if you don't NEED it, it's best not to ask for it.

Keeping these things in mind will help you find a home, and put a winning offer on the table in a market that is currently stacked toward sellers.