Buyer's Guide Existing Homes

START YOUR RESIDENCE SEARCH (Existing Homes)

Provided by Rate a Home, LLC

www.rateahome.com

a) Provide the Real-Estate or Leasing Agent with your Rate a Home “Wish List”.

b) The Real-Estate Agent will research the properties available on the market that match closest to your “Wish List” needs. A list of properties will then be provided that you may be interested in touring.

c) Schedule your tours, allowing sufficient time to look over the selection of homes.

d) If you or your Real-Estate Agent subscribe to the “Rate a Home” Rating Program” bring along the required amount of “Rating Sheets” (one for each person rating a residence). Fill this out on your tours for input later into the “Rate a Home-Rating Program”. The program will rate a home, and rank it according to the scores of each home toured. It automatically averages a combined rating of one, or two person’s ratings. It then produces a final rating sheet that determines what homes rated highest in meeting your needs, and wants. Review the “Scoring System Definitions”.

Also, bring along the “Walk Through Check List” (See samples) to document what each home included (one per residence toured). The “Walk Through Check List” sheets cover everything from style of home, construction quality, interior and exterior colors, and many other detailed items that you may not notice or remember while touring numerous homes. The check list will help to refresh your memory of each home, after the tours are completed.

If your agent doesn’t provide the “Rate a Home-Rating Program” as a service to the client, you as the buyer may do so, for a monthly fee.

e) Most Real-Estate Agents won’t suggest leaving the children with a sitter or relative, but when you are meeting with them to tour a home, “Rate a Home” suggests that just the adults attend. This allows you to concentrate in making the right decision without being distracted. However, the choice is totally up to you.

f) Once you locate your home, one of the benefits a Real-Estate Agent can provide is a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA). A CMA is developed by researching comparable homes in the area that have sold, compared to the home that you have chosen. You can see a sample CMA (pdf). This will help you determine if the asking price is fair market value, or if an offer needs to be submitted.