Buying your first home can often be a confusing and frightening concept. The Weir Team is here to put you at ease. Both Cameron Weir and Scott Hanton have helped countless buyers find their ideal first home and it is always an enjoyable, rewarding and profitable process for all of our clients. And there’s no bigger joy for us to know how much our experience, candor and advice has helped put our treasured clients into the right house or condo.

As a first-time buyer, what are the things you need to think about? What are the first steps? What if you don’t know what you want?

Don’t worry, these are all natural concerns and there are no dumb questions. Remember Scott and Cameron were once first-time buyers and we’ve helped many anxious clients in your same situation. More importantly, since no two transactions are the same, we’ve seen all sorts of scenarios and problems and things to steer clear of. We know exactly what to look out for and how to guide you to the perfect place that’s meant for you.

So what are the steps for first-time buyers?

Your first step is to contact The Weir Team to let us know you’re considering purchasing. Call, email or even text. Give us a little bit of information about your situation and what you think you’re looking for. You are more than welcome to come into our offices to meet us for a casual and informative meeting as well.

Remember the whole process is one that is built on trust and respect. We want to make sure you’re just as comfortable with working with us as we are working with you. We’re quite confident you’ll have a very rewarding time. And we’re more than happy to put you in touch with any of our past clients for you to ask them for yourselves. And remember there is never any obligation or commitment to buy a property. But we’re pretty sure we’ll help guide you to something you’ll fall in love with. And that’s one of the best parts of buying your first home. It’s a lot of money and a big decision. We want to make sure you absolutely love it… and we’ve got the tools and resources to help make sure it’s a sound and profitable investment for you.

What about financing? Do I need to be pre-approved for a mortgage?

Once you’ve decided you are ready to embark on the great journey to home ownership, The Weir Team will be there for you every step of the way. Often, most buyers first have a discussion with their bank of choice to go through the numbers to make sure they understand how much cash-on-hand would be needed for a deposit and down-payment.

Alternately, The Weir Team recommends you speak with a mortgage broker who not only is free for you to use, but the mortgage broker will shop you around to various lenders to make sure you are getting the best deal possible. Often the big 5 banks aren’t as competitive as other lenders and you can often end up paying much more each month in interest.

Also, in a competitive market like Toronto and Durham Region, it’s a wise move to make sure you are so confident in a good purchase that you will not need to offer on a house with a “financing condition”. Since we are in a seller’s market, most sellers will not entertain your offer if there are competing offers and yours has a financing condition. You’ll want to make sure your mortgage broker is a quick call away and he or she can give you a “thumbs-up” in order to strengthen your offer.

The Weir Team has top mortgage brokers lined up ready to help. And all of our past clients have loved them. We’re sure you will too.

So what happens after you make initial contact with us and have started getting your financial situation in order?

Stay tuned for our next blog entry on what first-time buyers can expect when working with The Weir Team.

Written by Scott Hanton, Broker for The Weir Team