As an experienced San Francisco Bay Area real estate professional, I have been successful in helping many first-time homebuyers realize their home ownership dreams. There are many details to consider when buying a home and at times it can seem overwhelming, but if you take things step-by-step and educate yourself on the process you will soon be holding the keys to the home of your dreams.

You can be a smart and savvy homebuyer by following these proven insider tips:

Establish Your Purchasing Power: Become a Pre-Approved Buyer: I cannot stress the importance of this enough. By being pre-approved you will have an advantage in every offer situation, giving you the edge in home purchase negotiating. Pre-approval also helps you determine exactly how much home you can afford. The pre-approval process is very easy: you complete your loan application with a credit check prior to beginning your home search process.

Use the MLS to Beat The Competition to New Listings: It's a hard fact, in some hot real estate markets the home inventory is low and the demand is high, causing homes to sell fast. Keeping on top of the market is essential. By registering for a free MLS service, you can customize and save your MLS search criteria and receive daily email updates for the specific neighborhoods you are interested in. I offer such a service on my website at http://www.talisrealestate.com.

Be a Serious Home Buyer: Capture the sellers attention by presenting a strong, but simple offer accompanied by an earnest money deposit of 1-5%.

Make Sure Your Offer is Presented in Person: Your Realtor ® or real estate agent should always present your offer in person, directly to the home sellers and their agent. This personal touch makes your offer memorable and helps your representative gather critical data.

Get Professional Assistance: In today's complex real estate market it is more important than ever to have a professional who truly represents your best interests on your side. Good guidance in the home buying process can make the entire transaction go more smoothly by helping identify possible pitfalls and by putting you in a stronger position to make informed decisions to maximize your investment.

These home buying tips were provided by Talis Real Estate. For additional home buying tips and the latest real estate information, visit Bay Area Real Estate proffesional's website.

Elena Talis is a successful Realtor in the Bay Area. Her website http://www.TalisRealEstate.com offers free, customizable MLS searches and detailed information on real estate buying and selling procedures.
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