GRAND RAPIDS  HOMEBUYERS TIPS  ANDREW INGRAM Realty Executives Platinum Group Direct - (616) 570-1871 HomeBuyers HomeSellers FREE MLS Access FREE Home Evaluation Relo & City Guides Home GRAND RAPIDS HOMEBUYER TIPS FREE MLS ACCESS: - Thinking of owning your own home? Are you moving up to a larger one? Considering investing? Start your search here with free access to thousands of Grand Rapids homes. Once you have narrowed your criteria, let us do the rest with our Dream Home Finder. HOMEBUYING ARTICLES AND ADVICE   Buying a home can be one of your most significant investments in life. Not only are you choosing your dwelling place, and the place in which you will bring up your family, you are most likely investing a large portion of your assets into this venture. The more prepared you are at the outset, the less overwhelming and chaotic the buying process will be. The goal of this page is to provide you with detailed information to assist you in making an intelligent and informed decision. Remember, if you have any questions about the process, I'm only a phone call or email away!  Benefits of Owning Your Own Home The Best Investment Income Tax Savings Stable Monthly Housing Costs Forced Savings Freedom and Individuality More Space Important Things To Avoid Before Buying a Home Don't Move Money Around The Effect of Changing Jobs No Major Purchases of Any Kind Don't Buy a Car - or Did You Already Buy One? When Income Grows and You Want to Buy "Stuff" Debt-to-Income Ratios and Car Payments How Buying a Car Reduces Your Purchase Price The Business Cycle and Buying a Home Recession and Expansion Supply and Demand Should You Try to "Time the Market"? Comparable Sales and Your Offer Price Determining Your Offer Price Comparable Sales in the Public Record Comparable Sales in the Multiple Listing Service Comparable Sales - Pending Transactions Other Factors Influencing Your Offer Price Major Factors Influencing your Offer Price How Property Condition Affects Your Offer How Home Improvements Affect Your Offer How Market Conditions Affect Your Offer How Seller Motivation Affects Your Offer The Final Decision on Your Offer Price Offering to Purchase Real Estate- the Basics Introduction and Overview Contingencies in a Purchase Offer Earnest Money Deposit The Closing Date Transfer of Possession Writing an Offer - Safeguards Regarding the Property Disclosures From the Seller Condition of the Property Upon Transfer Inspections You Should Require Final Walk-Through Inspection How Financing Details Affect Your Offer Down Payment Interest Rates Closing Costs and Financing Incentives Seller Financing Cash Offers Other Financing Details in Your Offer How FHA and VA Financing Affects Your Offer Extra Costs for the Seller VA and FHA Appraisals Selecting Service Providers You and the Seller Must Agree Escrow and Settlement Title Insurance Termite and Pest Inspection All articles 2000 RealEstate ABC  No articles may be reprinted or displayed without permission. GRAND RAPIDS AREA COMMUNITY INFORMATION Grand Rapids Real Estate East Grand Rapids Real Estate Ada Real Estate Cascade Real Estate Kentwood Real Estate Jenison Real Estate Hudsonville Real Estate Byron Center Real Estate Grandville Real Estate Comstock Park Real Estate Rockford Real Estate Northview Real Estate West Michigan Real Estate Grand Haven Real Estate South Haven Real Estate Heritage Hill Real Estate FOR A PERSONALISED REPORT OF HOT NEW LISTINGS E-MAILED TO YOU, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM (all fields are required) Desired area(s) or zip code(s) Desired School District(s) YOUR IDEAL HOME'S CRITERIA           Please choose an option.$100,000$150,000$200,000$250,000$300,000$500,000Up to $1,000,000Over $1,000,000 Maximum Price Range Please choose an option.Bi-Level/Raised RanchMulti LevelRanch Style1.5 Story2 StoryCondominiumOther Type of home? Please choose an option.500 sq/ft.800 sq/ft.1000 sq/ft.1500 sq/ft.2000 sq/ft.3000 sq/ft.5000 sq/ft and up Minimum Size of home? Please choose an option. Two bedrooms Three bedrooms Four bedrooms Five bedrooms Minimum Bedrooms? Please choose an option.One bathroom1.5 bathroomsTwo bathroomsMore than Two bathrooms Minimum Bathrooms? Please choose an optionFullDaylightWalkoutNo Preferrence Basement? Please choose an option.1 Car2 Cars3+ CarsCarportNo Preferrence Garage? Please choose an optionYesNoNo Preferrence Fireplace? Please choose an option.Under 5 yearsUnder 10 yearsOlder than 10 yearsNew ConstructionNo Preferrence Age of house? Please choose an option.ImmediatelyWithin 3 monthsWithin 6 monthsWithin 1 yearUndecided Time frame? Please choose an option. Yes No Need to sell your present home?       Are there any other requirements important to you? CONTACT INFORMATION        Your Name  Your E-mail       Your Phone #  Please choose an option.Please call daytimePlease call eveningtimePlease call weekends When is a good time to contact you? How did you find us?  (for sale sign, newspaper ad, valpak coupon, referral, google, yahoo, msn etc...) (all fields are required) By submitting this form with your telephone number you are consenting for this website's authorized representatives to contact you even if your name is on the Federal "Do not call List" Thank you for submitting your information. We will be in contact with you by phone or email. LINKS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION GRAND RAPIDS AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT MAPS ARE YOU READY TO BUY? *** APPLY FOR A LOAN ONLINE   *** HOW DO FINANCING DETAILS AFFECT YOUR OFFER? WRITING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE REAL ESTATE! HOW DO FHA AND VA LOANS AFFECT YOUR OFFER?    FHA LOAN    VA LOAN INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE - Q & A SHOULD YOU EMPLOY A BUYER'S AGENT? DREAM HOME FINDER: - Searching for a home is time consuming especially when the previewing starts. Why not let us do the work? All we'll need is your dream home's criteria. Our fully automated program checks each morning for new and repriced properties. ONLY the homes that meet YOUR criteria will be emailed to you each morning, saving you alot of time. GRAND RAPIDS CONDOS:  Visit our condo section for complete information on the various developements around town. Find out the current info such as price ranges, association fees and coverage, local demographics, school information and more. GRAND RAPIDS DOWNTOWN CONDOS: Looking for something in town? Grand Rapids has a vibrant downtown lifestyle and we have previewed what's available - plus information about the Grand Rapids Renaissance Zone. FREE HOME EVALUATION: In a competitive buyer's market correct pricing can be the difference between multiple offers and having your home sit on the market while other homes in the neighborhood get sold. We use the latest technology when marketing to positively effect your results. FREE CONSULTATION: We can provide a FREE Comparative Market Analysis and a Seller's Net Sheet which will show the exact numbers from the transaction. We can also provide you our expert opinion of needed repairs and staging tips. Set an appointment with us before you spend any money preparing your home. ACTION PLAN: Our proven strategies have been successful for hundreds of clients. We are constantly striving for more effective marketing techniques to maximize your investment and to minimize your market time. We are successful in good or bad markets! RECENT HOME SALES: Thinking of buying or selling a home? Knowing which homes have sold and for how much is an important place to start. It's also important to hire an agent that will inform you of local market trends. EXCLUSIVE BUYER'S AGENCY Working with a fulltime professional realtor is a must. Ask questions of your agent.  Find out how knowledgeable he or she is about houses currently for sale in your price range and also of houses that have recently sold.  Can your agent recommend a good lender that has a reputation for excellent customer service and low rates?  Does your agent ask questions of you to have a full understanding of what you are looking for to help you get the most home for the money? When any agent in Michigan enters into a contract with a homeowner to sell their home, that agent  AND EVERY OTHER AGENT IN MICHIGAN, has a feduciary responsibility to the seller, AND ONLY THE SELLER. In other words, any agent you speak with concerning a particular house represents the owner of that house. You will be treated fairly but keep in mind that they are trying to sell the house for the most amount of money and will not have your  best interests in mind.   When you enter into a Buyer's Agency agreement with your agent, he or she is now representing YOU and looking out for YOUR best interests.