Real Estate Agent

If You Plan On Buying a Home in Bend Use This Checklist

By Jason Boone

It’s been a great year for people who have planning on buying a home in Bend because, mortgage interest rates have remained low and there have been some great homes for sale this year.

Home buying can be an exciting and sometimes confusing process because there are so many aspects to buying a home that’s why we’ve created a simple checklist to make the home buying process simple for you.

Step 1 – Getting a Mortgage

  • Ask for referrals – Don’t hesitate to ask your friends, family members or your Real Estate agent for recommendations on lenders because they can steer you in the direction of reliable lenders who may have helped them get mortgage loans in recent years.
  • Calculate your down payment – To avoid the hassle of having to go with private mortgage insurance make sure you are able to pay a down payment of at least 20 percent of the homes purchase price before paying closing costs.
  • Get quotes from three lenders – During the process of searching for a mortgage loan you should consult with at least three mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders to make sure you’re getting a mortgage loan with an awesome interest rate.
  • Decide on paying points to lower your mortgage interest rate – You may find out that your bank will let you pay up front to lower your mortgage interest rate. If you’re given this option you should weigh the cost because it can get quite expensive.

Step 2 – Searching For A Home In Bend

  • Must haves vs. should haves – Before hiring a Realtor make sure you have a list of “must haves” and “should haves” for the home you are searching for because this will make your Realtor’s job easier in finding a home which matches your specific search criteria.
  • Hire a Realtor – Don’t hesitate to interview at least 3 Realtor’s before committing to one because you want to feel 100% confident that your Real Estate Agent will represent your best interests.
  • Be ready to view homes – When your Realtor calls you with homes which match what you’re looking for be ready to go check them out because, a home in a great area like Bend can sell quickly regardless if the market is cold or hot.

Step 3 – Making an Offer and Negotiating the Close

  • Bid smart – Before deciding on what you should bid on a home ask your Realtor for prices of homes which have sold recently nearby and then use those sales as what you should base your offer on.
  • Be clear with your demands – Always be upfront with a home owner if you want certain things included with the home like appliances or fixtures.
  • Use the closing date as the negotiation point – It’s important to be flexible with the seller when it comes to the date that you want to move into the home because, sometimes a seller won’t be able to move right away and you can gain some concessions from the sellers by being flexible with your move in date.
  • Ask the seller for a home warranty – This step is important and not super expensive because, a simple home warranty (costs about $400) will cover you if there are any repairs which need to be made to the home after you move in.

Contact Us

To learn more tips for buying a home in Bend or to view homes for sale in the area contact me, Jason Boone, Principal Broker at Duke Warner Realty | Skjersaa Group by calling me at (541) 383-1426 or by emailing me.