Buying a Home?

 

First things first....let's start the hunt together. The www.mls.ca website is the engine that drives the real estate world of Canada. More specifically for you, Nova Scotia and your dream home/investment here. Let me know you how to search and also help you by adding you to my "Prospector" list. What's this? You and I will chat about your parameters for searching for a home and I'll input that information into my search tool from my side of MLS and you'll get emailed listings just before they reach the general mls.ca website. An important tool in a hot market!

 

You've found your house, land, cottage, condo, investment property......now what? I'll produce some general forms that I'll have filled out partially for us to go over. These are offer forms and although quite daunting at first, they're not so bad because pretty much every line in there is to protect all parties in every transaction from ourselves and the people you're dealing with from me to you to the vendor to the vendor's agent. Complicated? Nope. We'll go through each clause and make sure you understand them all. Even though I'll speak fast in my mother tongue of Newfenese, don't be afraid to ask questions. I did when I went over them the first time!

 

We fill out the forms, I send them to the vendor's agent, they consider them and either:

a. accept

b. reject

c. prepare a counter offer.

 

We'll go over each scenario and make sure your best interests are protected and that you're comfortable with everything.

 

Then it's off to the races in order to meet some deadlines. In order to be fair to the vendor, we must work diligently as they are basically taking their property off the market while they deal with us. So we don't take a month to get our ducks lined up, we work fast at:

1. Financing - ensuring you qualify for the mortgage, that your financing is in order and that this is the best deal for you in your current financial positon. You can go to your current bank, see a mortgage broker someone recommends or ask me as I always have a few trusted people I refer my clients to for financing.

 

2. Insurance - we have to make sure you and your property are insurable. Again, either go through your current insurer, a recommendation from a friend or again, I have a few trusted brokers I refer my clients to for this.

 

3. Inspection - another very important step in buying a property. Now that you've found the right property, we need to make sure it's physical structure is sound or at least you are aware of the current condition and state of the building. The Inspector is a complete professional and will give you an unbiased opinion of the current condition of the building in a written document.

 

4. Water tests/septic tests/etc - your house may have a well, a septic field or it may be on local municipal services. My job is to help you understand the basics of these systems and to also make sure they're all working properly for your own and your family's safety. There are a variety of tests from basic to comprehensive water quality tests for your well supplied water. For a septic field there are also tests to determine it does work efficiently and proficiently for your long term benefit. Ultimately it's up to you what you want to do and it's up to me to help you with that decision.

 

5. Legal representation - in order to make sure that we're all doing our jobs correctly and to your benefit, you should have a lawyer represent you throughout the whole house buying process. Your lawyer will review all documents you will sign and that will form part of any house buying agreement. They will also make sure your best interests are protected because ultimately, a house purchase represents one of the biggest and most important decisions in your life. Making sure you are represented legally is very important. Ask me for any suggestions for a lawyer unless you have a lawyer you've already dealt with and are comfortable with or have been recommended. Otherwise, I do have several lawyers who I am confident will represent your best interests throughout the house buying process.

 

Other Trades

 

For your benefit there are other people who can help make your life easier in any house purchase. In the "Useful Links for your Move" section there are a list of these people......please consult!

 

 

That's what I'm here for....to walk you through the process. My job is to make it as easy for you to get the house provided it's the house you want!

 

Then what?

 

Go onto the websites on the next page "Useful Weblinks" to hook up your power, your water, your oil heating (if required), your telephones, your entertainment/internet, and most other things: