Once you have obtained a mortgage pre-approval and selected a real estate agent, you are ready to begin your home search in earnest.
Today, approximately 80 percent of home searches begin on the Internet, and if you’re searching for a home in Chicago, there’s only one web address you need to know: http://www.atproperties.com/. Our web site includes tools, tips and access to all of the Chicago properties listed in the MLS. Best of all, you’re in control. Sign up for @Home Agent® to manage and customize your search, receive e-mail updates on new listings as they become available, conduct several searches at once and save and compare properties. Atproperties.com also serves as a portal to Chicago’s largest selection of quality new-construction developments featuring thousands of new homes.
Review Listings — Using the guidelines you set forth, your agent will present you with available listings. In addition to price and property attributes, pay close attention to data like property taxes, market time and monthly assessments for condos and town homes.
View Properties — Your @properties agent will schedule showings and accompany you on each appointment. When you walk through a home, some things to consider are: how the space functions for your lifestyle; what’s included in the total square footage (balcony, basement or garage); and, in new construction, which features are standard and which are upgrades.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the average buyer will view 15 homes before buying one. But that is just an average. Some buyers will purchase the very first home they see. Others will look at more homes.
Open Houses — Remember, if you are attending Open Houses without your agent be sure to mention that you are being represented by an @properties agent. This will save you from being inundated with calls from other agents trying to represent you. Ask your @properties agent to supply you with some of his or her business cards to make the Open House sign-in process even easier
Compare Properties — Discuss each home you see with your agent, and provide candid feedback. Your expectations and the marketplace will begin to converge, and your agent will be able to adjust certain parameters such as location and features in order to present you with alternatives. Use @properties' Property Comparison Sheet to track and compare each listing. When you find a home and are ready to make an offer, your agent will perform a Comparative Market Analysis or CMA. This report compares the subject property with other properties that are currently listed and recently sold to help you formulate your offer.
-from atproperties.com
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