What criteria is important when buying a home?

1. An excellent Real Estate Professional (like me) who will work hard at finding the perfect home for you!!!
2. An excellent Lender who can get you pre-qualified for your mortgage loan I have Mortgage Bankers  who’ll find all the rate discounts etc. that you can take advantage of. Knowing how much you can afford is a MUST before you start searching.
3. YOUR preferred location.
4. How many levels you want (ranch, basement, 2 story, split level, etc)
5. The age of the house you desire.
6. How many bedrooms you want.
7. How many bathrooms you want.
8. If you need a garage or not.
9. What size yard/lot you want.
10. What size square footage you want.
11. If you want to live in a Subdivision or not (this will factor in with the age of the home-most new homes are in subdivisions, unless they were custom built).

The above items are the most important things to look for when you’re buying a home. Most all other criteria can be modified or changed to your liking (watch the shows on A&E, HGTV or DIY). I hope these home buyer tips are helpful for you and I wish you much success in your Georgia Real estate endeavor.

Call me if you’re wanting to buy a home in Cobb, Clayton, Fulton, Dekalb, Douglas or Gwinnett County in Georgia so we can get started!!!
Priscilla Hammond

(404)503-6562

Short Sale Tips Do's & Dont's For Buyers & Their Agents

The 1st misconception that I want to make clear about purchasing a Short Sale home is that YOU ARE NOT necessarily getting a great bargain. You are only buying the home for less than what the current owner owes on their mortgage, and in these days & times where people owe almost double the current value on their homes, that means nothing. SO DO NOT think that just because you're buying a Short Sale you're getting the best deal.

Strongly urge the buyer to not invest any money into the property until the bank approves the Short Sale.

Don't lock in mortgage rates as they may expire costing the buyer money.

A specific timeframe for Short Sales cannot be determined nor guaranteed.

Be patient! Short Sales can be a very long process.

The listing (seller's) agent SHOULD provide the selling (buyer's) agent with weekly calls/texts/emails with updates so they can keep the buyer informed, but this doesn't always happen and your (buyer's) agent has little control over this matter.

MOST Short Sales turn around approvals within 60-150 days.

If the buyer has a situation where they don't have time to sit and wait (with the possibility of still getting a NO from the bank & having to start the home search all over again) then maybe skipping Short Sales altogether would be a better decision for you.

The Short Sales contract is a legally binding contract as with a traditional home purchase.

DO NOT try to purchase a Short Sale on your own without the help of a licensed real estate agent.

In a Short Sale the home IS still owned by the homeowner (not the bank).

The homeowner will sign the contract and the contract will become binding subject to the bank's approval of terms.