7 Key Ingredients of a Successful Home Buying Process

By Fran Campbell - November 14, 2014

Let's be honest. Who wouldn't want the process of buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks to be wonderfully simplistic and completely pain-free? A smooth, cooperative, simple home buying process is every real estate agent's dream, but at Fran Campbell Team, it's more than a dream - it's a reality!

As the most experienced, professional, and trusted real estate team at the Lake of the Ozarks, Fran Campbell Team is here to help turn your home buying process from a nightmare into a daydream. (Our leading lady, Ms. Fran Campbell herself, offers more than twenty-six years of experience in real estate at the Lake of the Ozarks all on her own!)

We pride ourselves on delivering a stress-free home buying experience to each and every one of our clients. Today, we're going to offer you some insight into what a successful home buying process looks like and how you can help us create one. Here are the seven essential ingredients of a simplistic, rewarding real estate transaction.

1. Cooperative Buyers
That's right; YOU are the number one ingredient of a successful and stress-free home buying experience! As we navigate the process of searching for, making offers on, and signing contracts for your new home, please understand that your trusted real estate professionals are doing everything in their power to keep the process flowing smoothly and efficiently. We are working as hard as we can to find a home that perfectly fits all of your needs and desires. If we need you to sign something last-minute, such as an amendment to a contract, your quick cooperation will help the process go much more smoothly.

2. Cooperative Sellers
When you're buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, the seller's behavior is something you have absolutely no control over. However, we still felt it was worth including in this list because the sellers' cooperation does have a drastic impact on the ease and/or difficulty of any residential real estate transaction. Even if you're currently looking to purchase real estate, you will probably be the seller at some point in your life - keep this in mind for that later date!

3. A Comprehensive Needs/Wants List
Help us help you! Before we begin visiting houses, send us a list of everything you absolutely require in your new home at the Lake of the Ozarks, as well as a list of all the things you would like to have (but aren't essential). Do you need to have a short commute to work? Room for kids? A spacious kitchen? Would you appreciate having a wood-burning or gas fireplace? Do you want a screened-in porch? Having a complete list of your needs and desires will help us find the perfect homes to show you. This will help us find your dream home more accurately and more quickly!

4. An Accurate, Professional Appraisal
The home appraisal is a crucial element of the home buying process. Once you and the sellers have agreed on the terms for your real estate transaction and the initial contracts have been signed, it's time to hire a professional home appraiser to appraise the home for its market value. Professional appraisers evaluate a several factors - such as the year the home was built, market value of the neighboring homes, the home's location, and the overall condition of the home - in order to determine the home's actual worth. This is valuable information for both the buyers and the lenders (you will almost never be able to get a loan for more than the home's appraisal value).

5. A Smooth Home Loan Approval
A real estate transaction cannot go smoothly without another process going equally well: the home loan approval process. Offers on new homes are almost always contingent upon financing (that is, the buyers will be released from the contract if they are unable to get a home loan). Having an experienced and efficient mortgage lender on your side makes a huge difference during the home buying process.

6. A Positive Home Inspection
Not to be confused with a home appraiser, a home inspector conducts a thorough investigation of practically every inch of the home to evaluate its functional condition. Inspectors will evaluate everything from the foundation to the crawlspace to the water pipes beneath the sink. The information contained in the inspection report will thoroughly educate you about the home you're seriously considering buying (well beyond any information you would be able to gather for yourself during a showing). Armed with this important information, you'll be able to ask the sellers to make any necessary repairs before closing.

7. An Experienced, Dedicated Real Estate Professional
Of course, we saved the best for last! Having an experienced, professional, and dedicated Realtor on your side to guide you through the home buying process can make all the difference between a stressful and stress-free experience. Buying a home can be complicated, especially for first time home buyers. A skilled real estate professional can be your liaison during conversations, your ambassador during confrontations, and your sounding board during decisions.

What other factors do you think contribute to a smooth home buying process? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Fran Campbell Team would love to help you purchase your new home at the Lake of the Ozarks. If there's any way we can help you make the process easier, please don't hesitate to let us know!

Contact the Fran Campbell Team to schedule a showing!