House Hunting from afar…

Job has been offered and accepted…

The weeks of anxiously waiting are over, and the future now is looking toward Denver. Your next task is to move yourself, the family and all your respective belongings across the country. The enormity of the task leaves you wondering where to start.

When I get this feeling I remember my Mother’s question, “How do you eat an elephant?”

“One bite at a time!”

Your first “bite” is to get to Denver to find a house. After spending the past few weeks pouring over information from the Internet, it’s now time so see it in person. Until you get here to see, touch and smell the neighborhoods, you won’t be able to make a decision.

Time is precious…how much will I need?

Time constraints are common problems, but the good news is, most people over estimate the time it takes to find a home. It is very common for my clients to spend a long week-end (3-4 days) looking for a home and finding one. The Internet has had a major impact on the way we find properties. Usually, clients have a list of homes to see and many times end up purchasing a home from their list!

Other clients arrive without a clue of where to start. After a couple hours, discussing lifestyles and looking at neighborhoods, we get a direction and find a great fit in a home.

Negotiations and inspections take time, what happens when we run out?

Yes, negotiations take time, but with a good strategy, that should not effect you getting the house you want. If you must leave before we come to terms, we can continue negotiations long distance. Most of our paperwork ends up being done long distance.

If you and the seller don’t come to terms you can designate a contingency plan house #1, #2 etc. It’s always nice to have a back up choice, but usually not necessary. Then too you can always return another weekend.

Inspections are preferably done with you present, but if that is not possible, inspectors are always willing to review the inspection over the telephone if necessary.

What’s my best strategy for getting this all done without a hassle?

• Be prepared, have a loan in place or at a very minimum started. It’s truly in your best interest for your credibility and negotiations to be “pre-approved”. These days most lenders can get you an approval in hours, so it doesn’t make sense not to. Especially when it could be the difference between a successful negotiation and an unsuccessful one!
• Bring the checkbook, finding a home and writing an offer means earnest money will need to be presented to the seller. Have funds ready to transfer, show your good intent! You will also need to pay the home inspector.
• Leave the kids at home…as much as we all love kids, the fact is kids don’t love looking at houses. They may do one or two, but after that it gets stressful for Mom and Dad. So if possible, get Grandma to watch them and everyone will be happy!
• Be loyal, truthful and honest…This should go without saying, but many people don’t understand; if you are planning on meeting multiple agents to see multiple housing, you won’t get good service from any. The home buying process is just that, a process. Without interaction between us the process never really gets started.

How far in advance should I come?

Timing is everything…if you arrive too soon it will be difficult to negotiate a purchase with a seller who needs to leave before you can close. If you come too late, seller’s may not be able to move as quickly as you need.

The best timing is 4-6 weeks prior to when you physically want to be in Denver. Of course we can stretch that timing either way. I have sold homes months in advance and days prior to closing.

There are exceptions to every rule!

Just as eating an elephant one bite at a time is easy, so can your relocation to Denver. I can truly say that I have assisted my clients in breaking everyone of the above rules. Just because a way is the preferred method, doesn’t mean that way is possible! I am a problem solver, if you have a problem, I work hard to find solutions for you. I work until the job is done, if that means looking at 8 houses on Sunday, we do it!

If you would like to talk to me, I welcome telephone calls. Feel free to use my toll free number, or if you would like to e-mail me, we can schedule a time to discuss your possibilities. 303-589-2022

P.S. If I am not available, someone from my Group will be. We aim to please, so call!