Go to the local town Library or just take a stroll down Main Street. Take the time to explore a town before selecting the neighborhood for your new home and real estate purchase.

Upon deciding where to buy, select a Real Estate Agent that is familiar with the location in Westchester that you have selected for your new home. A good Real Estate Agent will understand your house needs. For many buyers the priorities in buying a home are location, property, and lastly house. If you have school age children in the family, the school district is an absolute priority. If you are commuting to a job in the city, you may want to purchase a home near the metro or near major highways and routes that can shorten your commute. The last and perhaps most important consideration is to establish a price range for your new real estate property. Think about mortgage options, property taxes, homeowner's insurance, utility bills, and other important factors affecting your monthly costs. Speak to your accountant and other professionals before deciding the best type of mortgage: Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM), Fixed Rate Mortgage (FRM) and dollar amount of the mortgage.

Once you have decided the town, village, or hamlet in which to, create a list of features that are important in your new home in Westchester, New York. Are you looking for a ranch, a colonial, a cape, or that special one-of-a-kind home? Are you looking for a new home or an older but "move in condition" home? Or would you consider a real estate property that needs work so that you can renovate your house and make it the perfect home for you and your family? Do you want a fireplace, gardens, privacy, pool, waterfront property? Prioritize the features that you want in a home. You may not be able to find everything that you want in a new house that is in your price range - decide which features you are willing to give up. In summary, define your requirements and then choose a realtor that understands your real estate needs.

Tips to Buy a Home

Location
Decide on the general area (town) and possible neighborhoods within the town for your new home. Before you decide the town in which you want to live, review the demographics of a location by zip code or town name. Learn about the school districts, shopping, and other important facts to consider when buying your new home.

Find a Real Estate Agent
Whether you are buying or selling your home, select a professional realtor that knows the housing market. Interview several Real Estate Agents to be sure that you have found the one that understands your needs and the criteria you have set for your new home. You may want to try a large real estate agency such as Century 21 or Coldwell Banker or you may want to try a group of smaller, but highly professional realtors affiliated with a group such as Westchester Real Estate. If you are a first time buyer, you may want to speak with an exclusive buyer’s agent such as Buyer’s Edge Realty. Review the list on this page and press blue button to explore a realtors' website.

A good real estate agent will make sure she/he understands what is important to you. To work toward this goal, a realtor may take you to a few open houses that may not be exactly what you want, but can work toward defining your Must have and Would like to have features. By the time you start looking at properties; your realtor should have a good idea about your priorities in finding a new home in Westchester. However, keep in mind that at the beginning of this process, you will probably need to refine your initial Must have and Would like to have features based on price and availability.

Must have and Would like to have
Refine your Must have and Would like to have
list. In each house that is a candidate for your home, check off the items that you can and cannot change. Many things can be changed. However, there are also items that cannot be changed without major expense. Before you buy a home decide what is most important in your decision to purchase a home.

Budget for your New House
What can you afford to pay for your new home? Do not over extend yourself! Select a price range that you can afford to pay for your new home. Don't forget to include recurring energy costs, maintenance costs, and property taxes.


Things to Consider



• Are you going to commute to work by car, bus, train? If you need to commute by train - how far can you live from the train station? Public Transportation in Westchester County.
  
  
• Do you want an older home, an antique home, or a new construction? If you are considering older homes or an antique, would you be open to renovating? How much is your total budget, including cost of a new home and cost of renovation? There are many things that can be changed in a home by renovating. Consider if you are willing to give the time, expense, and (possibly) aggravation to changing the home you have just purchased.
  
  
• Do you have children that are in public school or will be in school in the next few years? If yes, review the elementary, middle, and high schools within each district at  Westchester School Districts
  
  
• Do you want a private single home or are you open to looking at condominiums that are attached? If you prefer a private home, do you prefer contemporary homes, colonial homes, ranch style homes, a "unique" that does not fit into a category? Even if you are open to different style homes, there may be a particular style that you want to eliminate from your search for a home.
  
  
• Do you have any animals that need to be considered in your decision?
  
  
• What type of property do you want? Do you prefer the privacy associated with a wooded property? Do you have children and need an open space for your children to play? Do you want to see this area from your kitchen window?
  
  
• Do you prefer patios or decks?
  
  
• How many bedrooms, bathrooms and fireplaces do you want? Do you want a lot of closet space? Do you want a family room
  
  
• Do you want the family room adjacent to your kitchen or more privately situated?
  
  
• Can you easily renovate to create more closets, a bathroom, a bedroom?
  
  
• What size home are you considering; 1800 square feet, 2500 square feet, 3000 to 4000, or larger?
  

Once you have found the home that you want to buy, hire a house inspector. Your home inspection is extremely important. Hire a reputable Home Inspector to provide a General Home Inspection. Home inspections should cover: water quality, plumbing, radon, septic tank, oil tank, termite inspection, lead, asbestos, and more.

From the initial process of finding a home in Westchester, through the final steps, your Real Estate Agent should guide you through the Mortgage Pre-approval process; the Down Payment process, Mortgage Options and finally, Closing Costs.

If you are thinking of buying a home, it is in your best interest to know the difference between seller, buyer and dual real estate agents. Using the wrong style of agent could affect the financial terms of the deal and have material legal implications. Arm yourself with an understanding of the difference between a Buying Agent and Seller's Agent. Learn how to use each to your advantage when buying a home.

There are frequent discussions about buyer's agents and seller's agents. Real estate law now obligates an agent to indicate who they are representing. This usually happens when you first meet with an agent, through a written disclosure document that you must sign, that identifies whether the agent is working for the buyer or seller. A seller's agents represent the seller. Most real estate agents who show and market houses are seller's agents.

A seller's agent typically works for the person selling a house and therefore, looks out for the interests of the seller. On the other hand, buyer's agents actually work for the buyer and have an obligation to look out for the interests of the buyer. There are also dual agents that represent both sides of the home buying experience.

More often than not, this has little to do with who actually pays the agent. So, why does it matter? If you are the buyer, it is important for you to use a buyer agent because of the financial, legal and ethical implications. A seller's agent has a fiduciary alignment to the seller not to you as the buyer. Accordingly, during the negotiations a seller's agent will be aligned with the seller.

For example: Suppose an agent realizes that the seller must relocate for a new job, has become highly motivated and is now willing to accept $25,000 under the home's list price. If the agent is a buyer's agent - working for you - he/she will be obligated and very likely excited to tell you this information. However, if the agent is the seller's agent aligned with the seller - he/she does not have to disclose this news to you and may not tell the essential fact initially in an effort to get the higher offer from you.

Occasionally, you will find an agent that says they are performing in a dual role; meaning they are serving as a buyer and seller agent. Be careful in this situation. As a buyer, you may want to stay clear of a dual agent. Realistically, the dual agent is unable to negotiate the buyer's interests without adversely affecting the seller and visa versa. There are admirable agents that can operate effectively in the dual role. However, as a buyer, you should be conscious of the prospective conflict. If you want the bottom price on a home, seek a reliable buyer's agent whose loyalties are aligned with you.

You may be wondering who actually pays for a buyer's agent. Typically the selling agent lists the house in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and agrees to split the commission with the agent who brings the buyer. Frequently, the seller's agent and the buyer's agent split the real estate commission with fifty percent for each agent. This means that although the buyer's agent is representing for you, the seller is funding the commissions to the buyer's agent. At times you may find a house where the selling agent does not agree to split the commission with the agent who brings the buyer and in that case you will have to settle on who will pay for the buyer's agent.

Knowing the financial, legal and ethical implications of buyer, seller and dual agents is important to you as a home purchaser. Prior to engaging in any real estate transaction as the home buyer, find yourself a good buyer's agent with at least 10-12 years of experience in your market. They will have a fiduciary responsibility to act in your best interest and have the experience to help you negotiate the lowest price for the home.

Tips for Selling a House
There are several things to consider when selling a home. These factors will greatly influence not only the final price for your property, but also how quickly it will sell and how much aggravation you will have throughout the process of selling a home.

Once you have selected a realtor, you will need to prepare your home for sale. Be sure you are aware of all the federal, state, and local disclosure laws. Your Real Estate Agent should be able to guide you through this process. If your house is overpriced, agents are going to show similar homes priced more attractively. Your listing is likely to be shown less often. However, if your house is a "unique" or "one of a kind" and you can wait for the right buyer, you may be able to demand a higher price for your home.

Location
Time and again it is said that the three things to look for in buying a property are (1) Location, (2) Location, and (3) Location. There are positive and negative factors to almost every location. Let's pretend your property is right next door to a fire station. You need the kind of marketing professional that can sell the benefits of not having to worry about your new home burning down, or perhaps the savings on fire insurance. Seriously, no matter where your property may be located, there is a ready, willing, and able buyer in the marketplace. Problems with the location of a property can be overcome, you just need a realtor who will work hard to sell your house in Westchester.

Realtor
Realtors differ in their approach to buying or selling a house . Each will take a different approach in marketing your home. A realtor may just list you home on the MLS system and hope it will sell itself, to realtors who actively market the home through newspaper advertising, the Internet, Open Houses and more. You will likely have a positive Real Estate experience if you pick a realtor who meets the following criteria:

Personality
It's hard to work with an agent you don't like. You won't trust him/her, and the entire experience will be a difficult one. You have enough on your mind without having to argue and bicker with your agent. No matter how good a Real Estate agent is… if you don't like each other, then it won't be a good experience.

Availability
Having a full time realtor (or a team of them) is vital to the successful sale of your home. If your realtor isn't available to sell your house because he/she's "working a day job", then how committed is that realtor to you?

Work Ethic
Work Ethic. Just like any other professional in your life, you need a realtor who is organized, professional, and hard working. Have you ever seen a lawyer show up for a case in sweat pants and a t-shirt? Or a doctor say; "I'm sorry, I can't deliver your baby because I have a 4:00 t-off time"? How about an accountant who can't manage his own finances? You should be able to expect the same level of professionalism from the agent you choose to represent you. By having a professional realtor working on your behalf, your entire experience will be more positive.

Terms of Selling a House
If you are selling a house in Westchester or a different location, consider the following. Are you flexible on possession dates? Is your property easy to show? Are you prepared to negotiate on appliances and other items? This flexibility makes your home much more attractive to potential buyers. For example, many out-of-town buyers won't even consider a home if the possession is not flexible. First time home buyers often have to purchase the appliances with the home because they have to put all of their savings into the down payment. Where are they going to get $3000 to buy appliances?

Condition
Once you have decided to sell your house, you need to prepare your house and property. First impressions count.



• Paint the front door and trim, make sure the doorbell works, lights have working light bulbs, put old lawn furniture, excess clothing, etc. in storage. just a few things that can be done to make properties more marketable. Remember, cleanliness and pride of ownership will get you more money than a messy dirty house. Even if you are selling an "as is" property, looks are everything
  
  
• Remove clutter from inside and outside the house, including the garage.
  
  
• Clean the fridge, oven, range, and clear the countertops.
  
  
• Mow the lawn, trim shrubs and remove dead scrubs.
  
  
• Apply a fresh coat of paint throughout the house.

Once your home is clean and tidy, you can get a few estimates from reputable real estate brokers. Upon selecting your real estate agent and a listing price, you are ready to put your home on the market.

Price
Determining a price is more than just picking a number. It involves careful analysis of the property. Many things come into account when determining a price. In fact, it is often through price where short comings in the other factors are balanced. For instance, if your home has been damaged from bad renters, is difficult to gain access to, is located between the city dump and the airport, then the home will have to be priced accordingly.

Optionally, you can try to sell your home without a Real Estate Agent. You may get lucky, but the right Real Estate Agent will probably find the right buyer at the best price. A good realtor knows the current inventory in the real estate market in your town. A good realtor also knows how to correctly price your home for your area.

Disclaimer
The above is intended as a brief guide and summary. Consult a real estate professional throughout the process of purchasing or selling your home.

Sources:
Kristi Cole is a real estate home improvement expert at www.inhomeimprovements.com.

John Carle & Sharon Gregresh, realtors with Royal LePage - ArTeam in St. Albert, AB. Contact them information@workingtogether.ca or through their website at Property Fusion, Ca.