Eau Claire Real Estate - Chippewa Falls Realty
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Where To Start When Buying A Home


Rent vs. Buying

Homeownership is a wonderful part of the American Dream. Real estate has proven itself over and over to be a dependable and consistent way to enjoy the lifestyle you wish to have and the ability to gain the financial freedom we all deserve.

Buying is not right for everyone. There are responsibilities to home ownership and some choose to rent for their specific needs. As a qualified agent, I can help answer your questions to help you figure out if homeownership is right for you.

This page is designed to show you a few of the benefits in buying a home vs. renting. In a home buying meeting I can show you the specific benefits to how each of these of these items can benefit you:

  • Appreciation in value
  • Tax Benefits
  • Stability in value versus other assets
  • Putting money back into your own pocket

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What Can I Afford?

No one knows your finances better than you. At the time of a loan pre-approval, a lender will tell you what they will lend you based on your income and overall debt and ability to pay back. What I always suggest is that you also make sure that you are going to be comfortable with the payment month to month. Many times you may find that you can get more money then you might think you can afford. Pay attention to the monthly obligation month in and out and then you will know what you are comfortable with for a payment and how much home you can buy.

Depending on the loan you take out there is four primary parts/pmts to a loan.

  • P- Principal = amount you are paying down of the balance of your total loan
  • I- Interest = the interest the bank charges you to have the money on loan
  • T- Taxes = state and local tax on real estate
  • I- Insurance = Insurance on the house or loan depending on program or amount down on loan.

Use the calculator below to run what approximate payments would be for the house you want based on amount financed.

[Mortgage Calculator]

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Viewing Homes Online

The internet has made it possible now for you to start educating yourself from the comfort of your home and see all the properties in the Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley market. I always feel it is a great opportunity for you to start educating yourself as to what the market is like.

You will see what the homes are selling for. You can start driving through neighborhoods and seeing what areas you like based on the homes available for sale. You will also see when properties get offers and begin and thus get an idea of what sells and how long it may take to get an accepted offer.

By signing up for my Automatic Property Finder, I will send you all the listings to you as a service to you Free of Charge.
You will get all listing information in the Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley market from all companies in our Multiple Listings Service. That is Edina, Coldwell Banker, Eau Claire Realty, Prudential Benrud, C21, and many many more. The MLS holds inventory from over a 1000 agents in the Eau Claire market area. No more looking through magazines, newspapers or for having to look at multiple websites.

You will get all the information sent automatically into your inbox the day they go onto the market. No more missing out on properties because you did not see it for the first week. Simply fill out the form below and I will do the rest.

Automatic Property Finder Signup

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Get Pre-Approved

Get pre-approved first. You want to make sure that you can get the right amount of funding before you start looking at homes. You will gain buying power by being ready when the time comes to writing an offer. Your offer will have more value with an approval letter from your chosen lender than an offer with you. Sellers will often question, can this person even get the funds needed to buy this house?

It is very easy to get an approval when you work with an experienced lender. They will be able to offer you many programs and make sure you get the best fit in a mortgage that fits your needs. It will save yourself a lot of hassle by getting yourself positioned with the appropriate loan and lender you trust and may also save you thousands of dollars.

As a service to you if you fill out the form below and I will forward it to an experienced lender who will contact you and assist you with your questions and get the process started for you.

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Pick a Qualified Agent

This is the largest mistake buyers make. There are many things that you need to take a little time to consider in order to choose an agent that will potentially save you some big mistakes as well as save you money. Many times buyers don’t pick an agent they want because they think they may have to pay them directly. We as agents get paid from the list commission the sellers are paying with few exception.

Did you know that?

  • Agents automatically work for the sellers representing the sellers best interest unless you choose them as a
    buyer's agent working for you.
  • An agent commission is paid for by the seller's commission no matter who sells the home.
  • An agent can show all homes no matter what company they work for or who has the listing.
    We get paid from the seller's agent.
  • You can hire an agent to tell you what a home is worth. Will it have good resale? What the pro’s and con’s of the property are. As a buyer's agent we are legally responsible to work for your best interest ahead of ours and the sellers.

Bottom line is you really need to take the time to have a buyers consultation with an agent that has ample experience and has the additional training and education to do the right job for you. You will be making possibly the largest investment of your life. Take the time to make sure you have an agent that is right for you.

Request Free Buyers Consultation

I have been a leading sales agent in the Edina office and Eau Claire area for several years. I have taken many additional classes and have achieved designations to provide a superior level of service to my clients.

  • ABR- Accredited Buyers Representative
         Certified as a buyers representative to work for you and represent and your interests through out the
         buying transaction.
  • CRS- Certified Residential Specialist
         Only 4 percent of agents in our industry have achieved this credential
  • NHSS- New Homes Sales Specialist
         A designation designed to train for the specific needs and concerns that arise with working with new construction      from planning to completion to make it a simple successful project for you to enjoy.

By picking an agent that has a wealth of experience in homes, the Chippewa Valley market and other real estate services, you can rest assured that you will be better off than trying the process by yourself.

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Viewing Properties

Now that you have been viewing properties online, have a pre-approval, have chosen your agent - it is time to start looking at properties. As your agent, we schedule all the showings with the listing office and get permission to show the home. We then have a lock box on each property that we gain access to at our scheduled time. The seller leaves the property so we can view the property at our own comfort. Rarely in some cases may the seller be there but we are typically notified in those cases.

I usually try to schedule up to six homes together and then you can compare each home while they are fresh on your mind.
I take all the work out of scheduling homes and make it as simple as possible for you to enjoy the home buying experience.

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Writing the Offer

As an agent, I will assist you with questions and concerns about your future home and complete the offer to fit your needs.

  • There are many parts to an offer to purchase that will be covered.
  • Earnest Money
  • What items you want included with purchase. Oven/range, refrigerator etc.
  • Binding acceptance Date (how long you are give seller to accept)
  • Acceptable Title
  • Closing Date and time
  • Financing Contingencies
  • Home Sale Contingencies
  • Inspection Contingencies

In a home buyer consultation I will go into depth in what and how these contingencies work to help you decide what you need. And also don’t forget as a Buyer’s Agent I will be able to give you advice to help you through this representing your best interests.

Buyer consultation

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Closing Process

There are many things that go into the closing process that have to be coordinated in order to meet an on time for a successful closing. Together I will make sure that all the items get done and you won’t have to worry about missing something. Here are a few of the items that are taken care of on your behalf.

  • Title Insurance
  • Financing
  • Commitment Letter
  • Closing statements
  • Switching Utilities
  • Final Utility Bills
  • Escrow Accounts
  • Scheduling closing
  • Remind you what to bring to closing.

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Copyright 2005 Aaron Tiry. All rights reserved. Eau Claire website design and Chippewa Valley website hosting provided by JB Systems, LLC