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Nashville Homes for First Time Buyers

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Kim , Darla and Kim Your Real Estate Specialists
Phone
(615) 851-0888
Fax
(615) 851-0079

Contact Me
Crye-Leike Realtors®
917 Conference Dr.
Goodlettsville, TN 37072
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First Time Homebuyers Programs

Kim Blanton, Darla Nickens Hunley and Kim Pennington serving the Middle Tennessee and Nashville area

5 Powerful Buying Strategies

 

  • DON'T GET PRE-QUALIFIED, GET PRE-APPROVED!

    Do you want to get the best Nasvhille, TN area home you can for the least amount of money? Then make sure you are in the strongest negotiating position possible. Price is only one bargaining chip in the negotiations, and not necessarily the most important one. Often other terms, such as the strength of the buyer or time until closing, are critical to a seller. Getting "pre-qualified" by a lender means that you spend a few minutes on the phone with a lender who asks you a few questions. Based on the answers, the lender pronounces you "pre- qualified" and issues a certificate that you can show to a seller. Sellers are aware that such certificates are WORTHLESS, and here's why! None of the information has been verified! Oftentimes-unknown problems surface! Some of the problems I've seen include recorded judgments, child support payments due, glitches on the credit report due to any number of reasons both accurately and inaccurately, down payments that have not been in the clients' bank account long enough, etc. So the way to make a strong offer today is to get "pre-approved". This happens AFTER all information has been checked and verified. You are actually APPROVED for the loan and the only loose end is the appraisal on the property. This process takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on your situation. It's VERY POWERFUL and a weapon I recommend all my clients have in their negotiating arsenal.

  • PLAY THE GAME OF NINES

    Before house huntingin the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area, make a list of nine things you want in the new place. Then make a list of the nine things you don't want. I call this "NINE OF THIS AND NONE OF THAT". You can use this list as a scorecard to rate each property that you see. The one with the biggest score wins! This helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective when you're comparing dozens of homes. When house hunting in Middle Tennessee, keep in mind the difference between "SKIN AND BONES". The BONES are things that cannot be changed such as the location, view, size of lot, noise in the area, school district, and floor plan. The SKIN represents easily changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color, and window coverings. Buy the house with good BONES, because the SKIN can always be changed to match your tastes. I always recommend that you imagine each house as if it were vacant. Consider each house on its underlying merits, not the seller's decorating skills.

  • DON'T BE PUSHED INTO ANY HOUSE

    Your agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements. Don't make a decision on a house until you feel that you've seen enough to pick the best one, and you can picture yourself living in that house. You will know when you have found the house that is right for you. Sometimes a home is value priced, and you'll know if it is. In this case, you may want to speed up your decision making process. Don't forget to check into the SCHOOL DISTRICTS of the area you're considering. Information is available on every school; such as class sizes, % of students that go on to college, SAT scores, etc. You can get this information directly from the school.

  • STOP CALLING ADS!

    A word of caution - agents create ads solely to make the phone ring! Many of the homes have some drawback that's not mentioned in the ad, such as traffic noise, power lines, or litigation in the community. What's not mentioned in the ad is usually more important than what is. For this reason, please be very careful when reading ads. Remember that the person writing the ad is representing the seller and not you! The most important thing you can do is have someone on your side looking out for your best interests. Your own agent will critique the property with an eye towards how well it meets your needs and will point out any drawbacks you should know about. So whether you decide to work with me or not, pick an agent you feel comfortable with and enlist the services of that agent as a buyer's broker. Then you become a client with all the rights, benefits, and privileges created by this agency relationship, and you're no longer just a shopper. Did you know that many homes are sold WITHOUT A SIGN ever going up or an AD EVER BEING PUT IN THE PAPER? These "great deals" go to those people who are committed to working with one agent. When an agent hears of a great buy, who do you think he's going to call? His client, who he has a legal obligation to work hard for you, or someone who just called on the phone and said "keep your eyes open"? So to get the best buy on a property, I always recommend that you choose your own agent and stick with him.

  • GOOD NEWS!
    Selecting a Buyer's Agent is a free service to the prospective buyer. All commissions are paid by the Seller's in the form of previously negotiated co-broker and listing agreements. Sometimes there is a small administrative fee that is paid at closing. Please be sure to ask if this would apply to you.


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