Now you are ready to work hand in hand with a Realtor. You know what you want and how much you want to spend and, after viewing the available listings , you may have your eye on primarily one or two homes. At this point, you're ready to choose a realtor. If you would like to work with us, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you decide to work with another agent, please feel free to use the information we've provided here when working with them.

Once your application is set, bring all of your paperwork with you when you meet the realtor and be prepared to sign several forms. The first form is information about brokerage services which explains the relationship between you and your realtor's brokerage. The next thing you'll sign is the buyer/tenant representative agreement. This is the contract between you and the brokerage/agent and it is what allows the agent to work for you. Without this, the brokerage/agent is considered a subagent and they work for the seller. The agreement covers a specific time period and such things as how the agent is paid and the requirements of the agent/brokerage and the buyer(s). Now your agent will arrange for you to view homes in person and you'll eventually come to a decision. You'll sit down with your agent and discuss the terms and conditions of the contract you are about to sign. Some things that come to mind about the contract that are key:

1. Option - What this provides is a set period of time to terminate the contract with no recourse against you. However, this does cost money. The key here is this time would allow you to get a home inspection, which would identify most issues with the home. These could be small things like caulking around windows to major things like a cracked foundation or active termite infestation. As realtors, we can only recommend you get a home inspection; we cannot force you to get one. Generally home inspections cost less than $200 but they are well worth it.

2. Home protection plan - This is a one year warranty plan typically written into the contract that provides peace of mind to the buyer. For instance, should something happen to the hot water heater in the first year after purchase of the home, the plan should cover the replacement. You, the buyer would only be responsible for a service charge.

3. Earnest money - This is good faith money that is held at the title company and consummates the contract. This money is typically returned to the Veteran buyer at the close of sale unless they exceed their buyers expenses.

4. Buyers' expenses - Buyers' expenses are the amount that the seller will pay on behalf of you, the buyer. This covers a wide range of expenses and is a key part of the contract process. Because these expenses vary, we will not go into them here. Be certain to ask your agent what expenses you can expect and ask if you should anticipate bringing money to closing.

5. Closing date - The last, but not least, important thing is the closing date. If you have your financing in place, the date could be as little as two weeks. In most cases a good, safe time frame is one month.

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