When Is the Right Time to Buy?

It’s a question every prospective homeowner asks at one point or another: When is the right time to buy?

“Prices are going up and up and up,” a first-time homebuyer said.

The first thing Springfield-area home hunters learn is that this is a seller’s market. Beverly and her fiancé have been shopping around for nearly a year.

“There was a little bit of impetus to get in now before it became unrealistic,” she said.

But in Springfield’s market, is it really realistic to buy?

“As first-time buyers, it’s nerve-wracking. It’s intimidating. It’s the biggest thing you are ever going to buy,” Beverly said.

But there’s no time like the present because the key to real estate is to get in before you get priced out.

When is the right time to buy? When you prepare to buy.

1.Get professional help – Find a realtor you can trust. Yes, you have unprecedented internet access to sellers’ information, but a realtor has years of experience that can help you with everything from the area, the appraising of a dwelling, the paperwork, the comparables, and negotiation on price.

2.Before house hunting, get pre-approved – Pre-approval gives you great information about how much house you can afford and allows you to move quickly if you find the right house.