How do I buy a home in Seattle, WA?

Check out our buyer tips for the best advice for looking at homes for sale in Seattle, WA.

When it comes to looking to buy a Seattle home, there are lots of things to consider. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. With the help of the buyer’s broker at IntraCorp Marketing and Sales,you’ll get quick answers to your toughest real estate questions. Our broker stay up to date with real estate market trends which will make buying your home much simpler.

Hire a buyer’s broker. Our IntraCorp Marketing and Sales buyer’s brokers can save you a lot of time and money. No matter what you’re looking for in a home, we can find it. Our broker have access to a plethora of Seattle real estate, including homes that haven’t even hit the market yet.

Learn the financing basics. How you approach buying your Seattle home can save you thousands of dollars in the long run, so take the time to learning the financing basics. If you're a first-time homebuyer, brokers at IntraCorp can help guide you through the process. 

What do you want in a home? Time to ask the big questions. When it comes to house hunting, you’ll need to consider what your wants and needs are. When you begin your search, keep in mind how many bedrooms and bathrooms you need, the commute time, the local schools, and more useful information to you and your family.

Figure out which neighborhood is right for you.
There are a lot of neighborhoods to choose from in Seattle, and loving where you live is key. Whether you’re interested in living on Capitol Hill with nearby nightlife, or looking for a room with an quiet, ocean view, it’s important to determine your standards. There are a lot of homes, but only a few made just for you. What is most important to you? Think about your location and far away you’ll want to be from work, shopping,  Seattle schools, and your commute.

Start setting aside money. There are a tremendous amount of Seattle homes for sale, and all of them are different prices. The question is, do you know how much money you’ll need to save up for your home costs? If you need help figuring it out, use our mortgage calculator tool. Now is the best time to start saving any extra money that you have so that you can build your down payment.

• Down payment. A down payment is the amount of money you spend upfront to purchase a home and is typically combined with a home loan to fulfill the total purchase price of a home. Down payments can range anywhere between 3%-20% on average. Even if you don’t have much saved up, you still have options. There are many first time home buyer programs that don’t require a large down-payment.
• Closing Costs. Closing costs can cost anywhere from 2%-5% of your total loan. These costs can sneak up on you and cost you a lot of money if you’re not prepared properly.
• Paying for mortgage points. Points cost 1% of your mortgage cost and can act as prepaid interest so your buying down your interest rate. These mortgage points can save you money over the course of your mortgage.
• Move in costs. Be sure to include moving costs in your budget. Moving costs can include purchasing moving supplies, movers, or renting a rental truck. Make sure you consider these costs before purchasing Seattle real estate.

Submit a strong offer. Submitting an offer that is neither too high or too low can be very tricky. Your best bet is to gather expert advice from the Marketing and Sales team here at IntraCorp. It’s also important to negotiate a sale, too. A seller can price a home however they please, but a buyer’s broker can tell you exactly how much a particular home is worth. Have your buyer’s broker help you negotiate a price.

Do a home inspection. Home inspections are not just critical, they are needed to get your home loan. If the inspector finds anything wrong with a home, you can give the seller a “Request for Repair” and more than likely, the seller will go through with the repair. You could also use the cost of the repair to negotiate the home’s price as well.

Read the fine print. Read everything thoroughly, and make sure that you get all of your agreements in writing and included in the contract as well. We are the perfect people to help you make sure all of your agreements and needs are met in the contract before you sign the contract.

If you have questions or are ready to start your search for Seattle real estate, call 206-728-6513 today!