Jim Baker Real Estate is a member of the Heartland Board of Realtors and area properties can be located from this web site. Jim Baker Real Estate wants to be the company you contact to show you any of these homes or commercial properties. We will work for you to get you the best property at the best price with the best terms. As a service we have added this "help section" to our site with many interesting and helpful links. If you need any further assistance please contact us at 1-888-547-9288. Enjoy! The Internet is a great place to find out how to buy a home in the convenience and privacy of your own living room. Some of these home buying services are free and others will require a nominal fee. If you are serious about buying a home and want to do everything possible to make it a successful venture, the following real estate dealing tips are worth the time and effort. CHECK YOUR CREDIT. There are three major credit-reporting agencies and you are entitled to one free credit check a year. Equifax and Trans Union charge about $8.00 per copy. Credit Report.com has an online report for $8.00 or a combination of Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union for $29.95. RESEARCH NEIGHBORHOODS - Community profiles can provide valuable information necessary to decide on potential neighborhoods. Sources for demographic, economic, and school information are HomeFinder.com and Govinfo.edu. A crime statistics tutorial can be found at Crime.org and is designed to allow you to easily locate and assess the accuracy of crime statistics. GET PRE-APPROVED - Online mortgage brokers like Cendant Mortgage provide customers a wide variety of lenders and loan programs to insure the best match for their needs. In many cases, the fees charged are less and there may be no up-front fees required. The loan commitment, usually available in 24 hours, can help you negotiate a better price for the home because the seller will feel more secure about the sale actually closing. Answers to your questions about mortgages from a Wharton professor and nationally syndicated columnist and recognized expert on mortgages can be found at mtgprofessor.com. SEARCH FOR A HOME - REALTOR.com offers the greatest number of online listings around the country. FIND AN AGENT - A knowledgeable agent is valuable to make certain the process goes smoothly. The training, past experiences, and personal relationships can protect the largest investment that some people make, their home. Certified Residential Specialists represent 7% of the REALTOR* membership that actually participate in 25% of all transactions. If you are looking for a CRS, a REALTOR, an experienced professional ANYWHERE in the country fill out the form at REALTOR.com and we will investigate and contact one for you. If you are moving to Findlay Ohio, naturally we hope you will consider using Jim Baker Real Estate to help you. MAKING AN OFFER - Your experienced agent can supply you with comparable sales that will help you determine what kind of bid to make for the home. There are online services, such as inpho.com and Experian Consumer that also provide sales information for a small fee. INSPECT THE PROPERTY - An objective, unbiased report on the condition of the structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will help you avoid unnecessary surprises. The American Society of Home Inspectors can provide you a list of local inspectors at Ashi.com. Print a home inspection guide from Freddiemac Homebuyers. SETTLEMENT - Once your agent has negotiated a successful contract, you will need to complete the loan process by having the appraisal on the property made. Prior to the closing, you will need to provide property insurance. If you don't already have an insurance agent, you may wish to check out Yahoo Insurance. MOVING - Planning the actual moving requires time to arrange for a mover, sorting what is going to the new home and what is going to be sold, discarded, or donated. Proper packing is important to prevent damage to your valuables. For suggestions and a moving estimate, go to Moving.com. HOME IMPROVEMENTS - Improvenet.com matches consumers with local contractors and designers through a national database of over 630,000 contractors. CHANGE OF ADDRESS - Use Addresscentral.com or usps.gov. LOCATING PROPERTY - As your Buyer Representatives, our agents will evaluate your specific needs and wants and search out properties that fit those specifications. As new listings become available, the agents will set up appointments for showings. PROVIDING MARKET INFORMATION - Market value is determined by many factors, including the availability of similar properties at competitive prices, location, condition--and, most of all the price that a knowledgeable buyer is willing to pay. As your Buyer Representatives, our agents will provide market information to help you establish an offing price. STRUCTURING YOUR PURCHASE OFFER - Price may not be the only consideration in structuring a purchase offer that is best for you. Other things may be equally important to you, such as the terms and conditions of the offer, amount of deposit and possession versus closing date. As your Buyer Representatives, our agents will help you to closely evaluate your needs and desires therefore enabling them to assist you in structuring the best possible offer for you. NEGOTIATING WITH SELLERS - Sellers are concerned about many things when reviewing a purchase offer, including the purchasers ability to fulfill their agreement, the terms and conditions of the offer, what items are to convey, breakdown of closing costs between buyer and seller--and even the motivations and lifestyle of the prospective new owners! As your Buyer's Representatives, Jim Baker Real Estate Agents will help structure a negotiating strategy to create a winning scenario. A lot has to happen between signing the purchase offer and moving into the home! As your Buyer Representatives, we will attend to the details and keep you in touch with the transaction each step of the way. Back to Top