Finding a Home

A REALTOR® member of the Hillsdale County Board of REALTORS® can make finding your next home (or your first home) a lot easier, whatever type of property you are searching for.

You can start by searching for a home using the “Find a House” link on our home page, or by contacting a REALTOR® member to help you. You can find an agent in your area by searching the agent directory, also on our home page.

REALTORS® have responsibilities to their clients, but clients can make a transaction proceed more smoothly by fulfilling their responsibilities as well.
A successful real estate transaction requires cooperation from everyone associated with the sale. Here are some tips to help get things moving in the right direction:

• Get pre-approved by a lending institution. It’s important that you and your agent are searching for homes you can truly afford. If you’re pre-approved and find a house you like, you’ll feel confident making an offer. If you have written proof, your agent can present it along with your offer, assuring the seller that your offer is serious and viable. With pre-approval, you will also have a better idea of what closing costs to expect.

• Think seriously about your needs and wants. It can be difficult to find the ideal home. Evaluate those items that are most important to you and make sure the agent is familiar with this information.

• Be honest with the agent. How much personal information you give a REALTOR® depends on your relationship with him/her, but no matter what the relationship is, be honest.

• Don’t ask your REALTOR® to do anything illegal. That includes obvious tasks that might relate to fraud or deception. It also includes fair housing issues. Your agent must comply with fair housing laws.

• Cooperate with your REALTOR. Don’t blindly follow your REALTOR’S directives, but do cooperate. If contracts must be signed, don’t let them linger. Your verbal acceptance of a counter offer might be discarded if you take your time to sign.

• Don’t judge listings only by looking at the MLS. Choose some of the houses you want to see, but allow your REALTOR® to help you with added information and expertise.

• Attend your home inspection and pest inspection if possible. You should be there to see and hear things firsthand.

• Gather all paperwork needed to process your loan. Meet with the loan officer as required.

• Work with your REALTOR® make sure everything’s ready for closing (switching utilities, obtaining insurance binders, etc.) losings don’t just happen. They happen because at least one person is following through, often on a daily basis. The road to closing is a lot smoother if everyone involved cooperates.