Here are some important tips to consider when buying a home:

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• Interview your Realtor before deciding to let them assist you with your largest investment. Make sure both you and the agent treat it like a job interview...because that is exactly what it is!

• Ask questions. Lots of questions!

• Ask how long the agent you are interviewing has been selling Real Estate.

• Ask how they plan to help you find your dream home if there are no active listings that meet your criteria.

• Ask if the agent works with both buyers and sellers. Only working with one or the other means the agent only understands one half of the market. When negotiating your largest investment, you need someone who can negotiate for you with a wide range of expertise.

• Find out what they know about home loans, appraisals, inspections, repairs, the realistic time frame in a transaction, & most importantly pricing. If you over pay for a home and have to sell it sooner than you think, will you be upside down?

• Ask what their expertise is in the neighborhood you are interested in and the type of property you are looking at. A single family home in East Memphis or Collierville is very different than a condo in The South Main Arts District.

• Does the agent have experience in successfully "negotiating" bidding war situations?

• How does the Realtor interact, negotiate and network on regular basis with other agents? This can affect your chances of getting the home you want! Just ask me how!

• Ask to speak to past clients that the agent helped purchase a similar home.

• Once you have chosen your Realtor tell them what you are looking for in a home. Tell them what is important to you and your family other than location, price and condition

• Go see a few homes even if they are not "the one". This will help you see the type of home you will get in a certain area for a certain price range. This will also give your agent a chance to learn what you are looking for. Sometimes a home will surprise you with potential you did not see at first glance, and sometimes you learn a lot about what you really DO want by seeing a few things you DO NOT want.

• Get pre-qualified with a reputable local lender to know what price homes you should be looking at and what your payments will be.

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TO CLOSE ON TIME BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE

• Pay stubs- last 30 days

• W-2's- last 2 years

• Tax returns- last 2 years, signed & dated copies

• Bank Statements- last 2 months, all pages, all accounts

• 401K, IRA,& retirement accounts- last quarterly statements

• Photo ID- legible copy

• Social security card- legible copy

• Copy of sales contract if current home is being sold

• Homeowner's Insurance- shop & select an agent and provide contact info