Buying San Bernardino homes takes some degree of organization no matter what. Especially when time is a screaming imperative, it can make or break whether you land a home that’s right—or one you ultimately determine isn’t adequate over the long haul. Whether the time pressure is due to a sudden job transfer, family emergency, or the unexpectedly rapid sale of an existing San Bernardino residence (that can happen when I’m your selling agent!). Finding your next home in a hurry calls for no-nonsense organization.
The precise path to your house-hunting success is bound to include some unexpected elements, but having a step-by-step plan in mind will provide a useful template:
- Get pre-approved. This comes first, rather than determining how much you can (or want to) afford because it will reveal the lending world’s opinion, which—if you are other than an all-cash buyer—will preclude wasting time chasing just-out-of-reach properties.
- Set your budget. This may not be all you can borrow: it should be what you can comfortably afford.
- Hunt online. This is where today’s shoppers can cut to the chase way more efficiently than previous generations.
- Find a real estate agent who is highly experienced in the San Bernardino market (highly recommended: me!).
- Tour a variety of candidate properties. Your agent will manage this process to save time. Don’t be afraid to visit open houses if they pop up (but be sure to tell the showing agent you are represented).
- Revisit the finalist properties. Experience dictates that first impressions are not trustworthy.
- Discuss the terms of an offer; have your agent prepare and submit.
Once sale terms have been negotiated, your agent will keep the ensuing provisions on track and on schedule (including the professional inspection, which is always a prudent step no matter how pressing the timetable). At some point in the process, it’s likely you will revise what you thought you wanted: selecting the home that “feels right” can’t be done without walking through the non-virtual space—and that more than once.
Whether or not time is a key issue, I hope you’ll remember to include me when you are interviewing for your San Bernardino agent. I’ll return your call promptly!
