Getting Started
The first question you’re bound to ask is, “How much home can I afford?” That depends on a number of factors:
Your selected location. Are you set on a specific area? Downtown? The suburbs? A rural setting?
Your preferred type of home. Detached? Semi? Duplex? High-rise? Link? Townhouse? New or Resale? There are a variety of home styles you will want to explore.
Your income. After all, it’s not just the mortgage you have to take into account. There are property taxes, utilities, and in some cases condo or strata fees. As a general rule of thumb, your monthly home-carrying cost should not exceed 30-35% of your income.
Market conditions. Is it a buyers’, sellers’ or balanced market?
There are also additional costs to keep in mind. It’s a good idea to work out exactly what you want and what you can afford before you begin the search. Be specific! After all, you don’t want to suddenly come to the realization that your dream house has come with a nightmare of bills and expenses. Stick to looking at houses in your price range. The more you’ve thought it out, the better your sales representative can meet your needs.
A part of deciding just what you can afford can be accomplished by meeting with your bank or a mortgage broker and negotiating a pre-approved mortgage. There are many types of mortgages and many different terms. Research all of your options. This ensures that there are no surprises once you’re ready to make an offer.
Once you’ve figured out your monthly expenses and what you can afford, you can start your search. It could happen that the first home you see is the one you want; or you might look at home after home with none of them catching your interest. Rest assured, the home you’re looking for is out there, and when you find it, you’re ready to make an offer. If your offer is accepted, the next steps are closing and moving into your new home.
Purchasing a home is easy once you put your plans into action.
Are you Fit To Buy?
Your Buyer's Agent
Costs From A to Z
Making an Offer
Your Sales Representative will communicate the offer, sometimes known as an Offer to Purchase, to the seller, or the seller’s representative, on your behalf. Sometimes there may be more than one offer on a property. Your Sales Representative will guide you through this process as smoothly and effortlessly as possible.
Usually preferred by the seller because it means that you are prepared to purchase the home without any conditions. If the offer is accepted – the home is yours.
Usually means that you have placed one or more conditions on the purchase, such as “subject to home inspection”, “subject to financing” or “subject to sale of buyer’s existing home”. The home is not sold until all the conditions have been met.
Your Offer to Purchase will be presented at the earliest possible opportunity. The seller may accept the offer, reject it, or submit a counter-offer. The counter-offer could be in reference to any number of factors, including the closing date and/or the purchase price. The offers may sometimes go back and forth until both parties have agreed upon an offer or until one or the other ends the negotiations.
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