Buyers

When It's Time To Buy - Hire a Realtor to be Your Partner in Success

Jan Pitman can help you with all the ins and outs of purchasing your first home, from helping you understand financing and finding the best mortgage terms and rates all the way through closing. Even after the sale, we follow up to make sure the transition to your new home is going smoothly.

Loan Preapproval

Being preapproved for a loan is one of the first steps to take when looking to buy a home. You’ll need to:

• Get copies of your credit report as well as your FICO score.
• If needed, take steps to improve your score. The higher the score, the better of an interest rate you’re likely to get.
  
  

Credit report information is available online or simply ask your agent to assist you. Plus, we can help you connect with lenders to determine who will give you the best deal.

Where do you want to live and how much do you want to pay?

If you haven’t yet determined how much you can spend on a home and what area(s) is the best fit, we’ve got the expertise and tools to make your search a snap.  Even if you already know exactly where you want to live and how much you can spend, the Harrelson Group’s real estate professionals can help you explore options and possibilities you may have overlooked.

What’s really needed and what’s just nice

While you don’t want to needlessly lock yourself into a set of features or expectations of a home, it’s never a bad idea to develop a list of features and amenities that are considered essential and those that, while nice, aren’t absolutely necessary.

How many bedrooms do you absolutely need? How many baths? What style home? Do you want hardwood or carpeted floors? Having an idea of what is a necessity vs. what is a nicety can help you get better organized and refine your search for the perfect home.

Go exploring

If you’re reading this, you’re just a few mouse clicks away from setting your criteria and searching the many great Myrtle Beach homes for sale that meet them. Then simply call one of our Realtors here at Century 21 The Harrelson Group and schedule a driving tour of some homes one afternoon. It’s a great and casual way to get a better feel for the neighborhoods and great Myrtle Beach homes for sale that fit your budget.

When it’s time to get serious

Once you’ve made a list of homes you’re serious about, the real estate professionals here at the Harrelson Group can help you start looking at those properties with a more critical eye. Does the floorplan work? Is the yard big enough for the kids?

As you narrow your choices, our agents can schedule repeat visits to help you make sure you’re making the right choice. It’s also a good idea to schedule visits at different times of the day. And since our agents aren’t emotionally attached to the property but looking out for your best interests instead, they can give you needed feedback, both good and bad, on aspects you may have overlooked.

And, of course, even as they work with you to narrow down your choices to the perfect home, they constantly monitor the market to make sure a great deal doesn’t slip by.

Let’s make a deal

Once you’ve settled on a home, your agent will help you quickly prepare an offer. Since our Realtors know the Myrtle Beach area like no others, your agent will be able to help you make a fair offer with the best chance of being accepted.

It’s always important to remember, of course, that just because you’ve made an offer doesn’t mean your search is over. Offers are rejected for any number of reasons, and if you’re emotionally attached to a home, chances are you’ll end up paying too much. Certainly you should be prepared to work with your agent to negotiate a contract on your first choice if possible. But also be prepared to move on to other homes and other offers.

When an offer is accepted

• • Be prepared to pay an earnest money deposit that is usually not refundable.
• • Start planning your move by telling friends and relatives, selecting a mover, getting change of address cards, and taking care of the many other small and often overlooked details of a move.
  • Make arrangements to have the home you are purchasing professionally inspected, and if necessary, request repairs.
• • Make sure homeowner's insurance will be in place for the new property.
• • Contact utility services to make sure that phone, water, power and other services are ready to go.
• • Schedule a walk through of the home within a few days of closing to make sure the property is in good repair.
• • You will need to get a cashier's check for closing costs and the down payment.
• • Finally, at closing, make sure the conditions and terms of the loan statement are right and sign only after carefully reading everything.

Why use a REALTOR®?

Just as going to a podiatrist for brain surgery isn’t recommended, buying a home without a REALTOR® just isn’t a wise move. Your home purchase is likely the biggest investment you’ll ever make and having a real estate expert at your side each step of the way is your best guarantee that the biggest investment you make will also be the best.

At Century 21 The Harrelson Group, our Realtors not only understand the process and the legalities and technicalities of buying a home, they understand all the intricacies of the local market as well. Not only will they help guide you through the selection and purchase process, they’ll also serve as your guide to your new community, able to fill in details about school districts, construction projects or other factors needed to make a fully informed decision.

Finally, your Realtor can help you maintain a proper perspective when buying a new home. While it may be love at first sight of a new home for you, your Realtor has no emotional attachments but only your best interest in mind. And because of that, they can provide critical and impartial advice.