We’d like to congratulate you for choosing to buy a home in St. George Utah – the best place to live in the world! You may be bursting at the seams with excitement, but please take a moment to read over the following buyer tips we’ve put together based on our years of experience. They will undoubtedly save you much time and stress and make your buying experience more enjoyable.

10 Buyer Tips

1. Hire a Realtor – This should be your very first step. New federal law stipulates that an agent shall not show homes to a buyer until a contractual relationship has been established. Did you know it typically doesn’t cost a buyer one penny to use the services of a real estate agent? Your Realtor will receive compensation from the seller’s listing agent. Unfortunately, however, many homebuyers begin the process by going at it alone. It’s in your best interest to hire an agent from the beginning. A good Realtor will help you with ALL aspects of the buying process from recommending good lenders to educating you throughout the buying process, making your experience much easier and helping you avoid common mistakes.
2. Get Pre-Qualified – Most sellers are advised by their real estate agents not to entertain an offer without first seeing proof of funds (cash buyer) or a pre-qualification letter from a lender stating that the buyer is eligible for a mortgage loan. Meeting with a lender can also be very informative. Doing so will help you determine how much house you can afford and help you plan one of the biggest purchases you will make in your entire life.
3. Make a Wish List – Before you physically go looking at homes, sit down with your Realtor and discuss the things that are most important to you in a home such as price, size, location, proximity to schools, layout of your home, yard size etc. Then, rate them in order of most important to least important. Having a “go-to” list will help you avoid getting caught up in an exciting feature of a property that may temporarily blind you to what is most important to you and your family.
4. Education is Key – Joel Robertson and his team are experts in their field and will help you every step of the way throughout the buying process. However, you may find it helpful to spend a few minutes on this site reading information about short sales, foreclosures, various cities in southern Utah etc. Of course, if you ever have questions, your source for real estate information is just a phone call or e-mail away.
5. Determine the Current Market – Speak to your Realtor or look at southern Utah real estate market statistics. Get a sense of whether you’re currently in a buyer’s or seller’s market. Look at things like “Sale to Original List Price Ratio” in order to get an idea of what discounts sellers are willing to offer and “Average Days on Market” so you’ll have a grasp on the local activity level.
6. Like a home? Buy It! – Even if we find a home that meets all our criteria, we naturally want to go look at every other property out there until we’re physically, mentally and even emotionally exhausted. Meanwhile, our dream home has sold and what was supposed to be a fun and exciting experience has become a marathon we didn’t intend to run. If you have your parameters set (see tip #3) and you find the home that fits within those parameters, make the decision to buy it.
7. Improve Your Memory – Before you go out with your Realtor looking at homes, make sure you’re properly prepared:
   • Get a good night sleep the night before.
   • Eat a nutritional meal before venturing out.
   • Bring bottled water and snacks with you.
   • Take good notes and rate each property on a scale 1-10.
   • Take pictures. The first picture of each home should be a close-up of the house number.
   • Consult with your wish-list and narrow down the list of homes to visit. Don’t waste your mental energy looking at homes you’re not excited to see.
8. See it Again – After looking at a few homes, ask your Realtor to show you your favorite one or two again. There will be things you will notice the second time around. During this time, your Realtor can also call the listing agents and verify that a particular home is still available for purchase and collect any other helpful information.
9. In Contract? Don’t Move! – If you’re like most buyers and are using a loan to purchase a home, it’s best not to make any financial decisions without first consulting with your mortgage lender. This includes applying for credit cards or department store accounts, making large purchases and even paying off debts. Any of these activities could red-flag your mortgage application and possibly ruin your chances of closing on your dream home.
10. It’s Not Your Home Until it Closes – While extremely tough to do, it’s best not to get too emotionally attached to your chosen home until after the deal has closed. Deals can fall apart due to home inspection, financing or appraisal issues, and even personal issues of the Seller. Joel Robertson and his team have the real estate knowledge and experience required to avoid many of the common pitfalls that ruin real estate deals, but it’s still a good idea to wait to celebrate.

Joel Robertson and his team have the proper values, dedication and experience to help keep you protected and make certain that the home-buying process ends in your complete satisfaction. Start the homebuying process off right by giving them a call today at (435) 773-1220 or e-mail them at Joel@HomeInStGeorge.com.

Need to Sell Your Current Home?
Joel Robertson specializes in residential real estate and regularly assists his clients in transitioning from one home to another. There are several options to consider in order to make this transition seamless and cost-effective. Click here to see why Joel’s services are clearly the best in southern Utah.

Services Outside of Southern Utah
Joel is a licensed real estate agent in the State of Utah. But, he has partnered with several other quality Realtors across the U.S. to further assist his clients. If you are wanting to buy or sell a home outside of southern Utah, ask Joel who he would recommend to assist you. If he doesn’t already have a connection in the specific city you’re moving to or from, he will do all the necessary research to find a quality agent who matches your wants and needs. Joel provides this free service as a courtesy to all his clients.