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Buying A Home
It's probably the biggest investment you'll ever
make with long-term financial ramifications. It calls
for many informed decisions and for good advice from
a real estate professional.
Members of the National Association of Realtors®
are real estate professionals and subscribe to its
strict Code of Ethics. Not all real estate brokers
and agents are Realtors®. To make sure you're
working with one, look for the federally registered
membership mark Realtor®.
Members of the National Association of Realtors®
also are required to complete hours of specialized
Legal Liability training and mandatory education enables
Realtors® to better serve you.
When buying a home, here's what you can learn from
a Realtor®'s knowledge and skill:
* A Realtor® can help you determine how much
home you can actually afford. Often, a Realtor®
can suggest additional ways to accrue the down payment
and explain alternative financing methods.
* A Realtor® can help you determine the home best
suited to your family's needs and size, style, features,
location, accessibility to schools, transportation,
shopping, etc.
* Realtor® has access to thousands of listings
of available homes, and can match the features of
currently listed homes with your needs and within
your price range, saving you time and frustration
on unsuitable homes.
* A Realtor® can offer suggestions on how, with
a few simple changes, a home could be made more suitable
for you and improve its utility and value.
* A Realtor® can supply information on real estate
values, taxes, utility costs, municipal services and
facilities, and may be aware of proposed zoning changes
that could affect your decision to buy.
* A Realtor® has no emotional ties to the homes
he or she shows, can be objective about them, and
can point out advantages and disadvantages while answering
your questions.
* A Realtor® usually knows his or her local money
market and can tell you about financing. A Realtor®
can also tell you what personal and financial data
to bring with you when applying for a loan.
* A Realtor® can help you better understand the
closing process by explaining it all before you get
to the closing table.
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