10 Key Tips When Buying A Home In Houston TX
Tips from one of Houston's best realtors, Paige Martin, to help you find your home.
Buying a house is the biggest and often most important financial decision of your life.
Common challenges among homebuyers include:
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Finding the right property and location at 56%
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Doing all the paperwork at 20%
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Understanding the process and steps at 16%
So you want to make sure you nail every step along the way, right? We list down 10 Key Tips To A Smooth Home Buying Process In Houston for you!
"Buying a house in Houston with The Houston Properties Team was just the start of our relationship. They helped me build friends, relationships, and support as a new resident in Houston. They truly went above and beyond to help make our lives better even after our move." – Brandon, Google Review
Table of Contents
- 10 Key Tips When Buying A Home
- Find and Win the Best Houston Home For You
- The Best Houston Realtor to Sell Your Home
10 Key Tips When Buying A Home
Call Paige at 713-425-4194 to tour a Houston TX home today or email Paige Martin at [email protected] for more information.
1. Find a Houston real estate agent that has a successful track record and understands Houston neighborhoods. Home buying in Houston is not only a big financial commitment but also an emotional one. It's critical that the Houston real estate agent you chose is both skilled and a good fit for your personality.
2. Remember, there's no 'right' time to buy a Houston home, any more than there's a right time to sell. If you find a Houston home now, don't try to second-guess the interest rates or the housing market by waiting. Changes don't usually occur fast enough to make that much difference in price, and a good Houston home won't stay on the market long.
3. Don't ask for too many opinions. It's natural to want reassurance for such a big decision, but too many ideas will make it much harder to make a decision.
4. Accept that no house is ever perfect. Focus on the things that are most important to you and let the minor ones go.
5. Don't try to be a killer negotiator. Negotiation is definitely a part of the real estate process, but trying to 'win' by getting an extra-low price may lose you the Houston home you love.
6. Remember your Houston home doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Don’t get so caught up in the physical aspects of the house itself ’room size, kitchen’ that you forget such issues as amenities, noise level, etc., that have a big impact on what it’s like to live in your new Houston home.
7. Don't wait until you've found a Houston home and made an offer to get approved for a mortgage, investigate insurance availability, and consider a schedule for moving. Presenting an offer contingent on a lot of unresolved issues will make your bid much less attractive to sellers.
8. Factor in maintenance and repair costs in your post-home buying budget. Even if you buy a new Houston home, there will be some costs. Don't leave yourself short and let your Houston home deteriorate.
9. Accept that a little buyer's remorse is inevitable and will probably pass. Buying a Houston home, especially for the first time, is a big commitment, but it also yields big benefits.
10. Choose a Houston home first because you love it; then think about appreciation. While U.S. homes have appreciated an average of 5.4 percent annually, a home's most important role is as a comfortable, safe place to live.
Find and Win the Best Houston Home For You
"The Houston Properties Team under the leadership of Paige Martin is one of the most successful real estate teams in Texas. Paige and her team take the pain out of the real estate experience through hard work, proprietary systems and processes, and a deep understanding of the hyper-local Houston real estate market. She's ranked #5 in Keller Williams worldwide and #1 in Houston with good reason." – Sandy (Google Review)
With the overwhelming home buying process, an itemized list will help you get the ball rolling. Breaking a complicated process down into manageable steps aids in having a clear mind for this life-changing decision.
This checklist will help you find and win the right Houston home that fits your present and future lifestyle needs. If you're a first-time homebuyer, you can also check this comprehensive Houston home buyer's guide.
By following these six items, you'll invest in a good home in a fitting neighborhood when you are ready. Your preparedness will also make home sellers more receptive to your offers compared to other buyers.
You'll also have a great realtor that will guide you through the process. The realtor will also protect your interests during negotiations.
The Best Houston Realtor to Sell Your Home
The Houston Properties Team has a well-defined structure based on the individual strengths of each member. Each member is a specialist in their role – which is why our homes sell faster and for more money than average.
Paige Martin, Broker Associate with Keller Williams Realty, and the Houston Properties Team are ranked among the top residential Realtors in the world.
They have been featured on TV and in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, Reuters, Fox News in the Morning, Money Magazine, Houston Business Journal, Houstonia, and Houston Chronicle.
Paige Martin was just ranked as the #5 agent in the world with Keller Williams, completing over $1 Billion in Houston residential real estate sales.
Recent awards include:
– 2022: #1 Residential Real Estate Team by Sales Volume, Houston Business Journal
– 2021 Best Real Estate Teams in America, RealTrends.com
– 2021: Top 100 Women Leaders in Real Estate of 2021
– 2021: America’s Top 100 Real Estate Agents
– 2021: Top Real Estate Team (Houston Properties Team), Houston Business Journal
– 2021: Best Houston Real Estate Team, Best of Reader’s Choice
– 2021: Top Real Estate Team (Houston Properties Team), Houston Business Journal
– 2021: #1 Real Estate Team, Keller Williams Memorial
– 2020: America’s Best Real Estate Teams, Best of America Trends
– 2020: Best Houston Real Estate Team, Best of Reader’s Choice
– 2020: Top Real Estate Team (Houston Properties Team), Houston Business Journal
– 2020: #6 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
– 2020: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas (Top Keller Williams Realtor)
– 2020: #1 Real Estate Team, Keller Williams Memorial
- 2019: Top Residential Realtors in Houston, Houston Business Journal
- 2019: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2019: #5 Individual Agent, KW Worldwide
- 2019: #1 Individual Agent, KW Texas
- 2018: #5 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
- 2018: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2018: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2018: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2018: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, Houston Business Journal
- 2018: Texas’ Most Influential Realtors
- 2017: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2017: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2017: #10 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
- 2017: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2017: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, Houston Business Journal
- 2017: Texas’ Most Influential Realtors
- 2016: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2016: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2016: #20 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide
- 2016: Texas’ Most Influential Realtors
- 2016: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, HBJ
- 2016: Five Star Realtor, Featured in Texas Monthly
- 2016: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2015: #9 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, United States
- 2015: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
- 2015: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
- 2015: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2015: Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, HBJ
- 2015: Five Star Realtor, Texas Monthly Magazine
- 2014: America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
- 2014: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams Memorial
...in addition to over 318 additional awards.
Paige also serves a variety of non-profits, and civic and community boards. She was appointed by the mayor of Houston to be on the downtown TIRZ board.
Benefits Of Working With The Houston Properties Team
Our team, composed of distinguished and competent Houston luxury realtors, has a well-defined structure based on the individual strengths of each member.
We find the team approach as the most effective way to sell homes. We have dedicated people doing staging, marketing, social media, open houses, and showings. Each Houston Properties Team member is a specialist in their role—which is why our homes sell faster and for more money than average.
The benefits of working with a team include:
- the ability to be in two or three places at one time; a member can handle showings, while another answer calls
- collective time and experience of members
- targeted advice and marketing of agent expert in your area
- competitive advantage by simply having more resources, more ideas, and more perspectives
- a “checks and balances” system; selling and buying a home in Houston is an intensely complex process
- more people addressing field calls and questions from buyers and agents to facilitate a faster, successful sale
- efficient multi-tasking; one agent takes care of inspections and repair work, while another agent focuses on administrative details
- multiple marketing channels using members’ networks
- constant attention: guaranteed focus on your home and your transaction
- lower risk for mistakes. Multiple moving parts increase oversights. A team approach handles these “parts” separately
- flexibility in negotiation and marketing
- better management of document flow
- increased foot traffic through more timely and effective showing schedule coordination; and
- increased sphere of influence and exposure to more potential buyers.
To meet all the award-winning members of the Houston Properties Team, please go here.
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