How to Make the Best Offer on a Home

Like most of the country St. Louis and St. Charles County are currently experiencing a sellers market.  This means that there are more buyers in the market than there are sellers. This is great if you are currently selling a home. However if you are a homebuyer, this means that you are facing competition against other buyers when trying to purchase a home for sale.  With a few tips, and help from your trusted Realtor, you’ll be prepared to make the best offer on a house and procure the home of your dreams.

 

Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Unless you are paying cash for a home, start your home search by talking to a mortgage lender and getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan. Home sellers will take cash and pre-approved offers over offers that don’t confirm their ability to finance the home. Also, getting pre-approved will help you better determine your budget for your home.

Lean On Your Realtor

Talk to your Realtor to gain some useful information. An experienced Realtor (like the ones on The Boehmer Team) will be able to gather more information about what neighboring homes have sold for and the number of other offers the home has received.  This information will help you decide on a strong offer to make on the home.

Hold Back on Contingencies

Contingencies are items that need to be addressed before closing on a home or clauses in the contract that give you an out if something arises. These can be beneficial to homebuyers, but a headache for home sellers. Sellers will prefer to accept a contract on their home that includes the least amount of contingencies. Discuss with your real estate professional the options of making an “As-Is” type of offer limiting the seller’s responsibility of making repairs.

Make a Personal Connection

If a seller has a personal connection with a buyer, they are more likely to choose the buyer they have a connection with. If you know other people in the neighborhood, or have other acquaintances in common with the homeowner, tell them in order to build your personal connection. Some people make their case in writing by including a hand-written letter with their offer describing why they would make the best choice as the homebuyers for the property.

- - -

Whatever you decide, be sure to be prepared and be ready to act fast. If you are afraid of making a mistake after going all in on a home, keep in mind that there will likely be another chance to make some negotiations on the deal after getting the results of the home inspection. If you have questions about making an offer on a home or about the home buying or selling process, contact The Boehmer Team. We’ll be happy to share our expertise. 

 

You Don’t Need Luck to Snag a Great Home

With more buyers than sellers in the St. Louis and St. Charles County real estate market, finding a great home for sale can feel like competing in an episode of The Amazing Race. One can scour the national real estate websites and many local sources and find a great home only to learn that it is already under contract or that several other people have already submitted offers. Some folks even write letters to owners selling a home to prove they’re the best buyer, but to no avail. Don’t give up, you're not out of luck – you just haven’t found the right help.

We would like to introduce you to our impressive team of Buyers' Agents. These fastidious Realtors are a combination of Lewis and Clark, Sherlock Holmes and Bill Gates in their abilities to search and discover real estate listings on the internet and in the real world that match their clients wants and needs. These agents are the "luck" you're looking for.

SHANNON KOHNEN

“As Realtors we are not salespeople - we are matchmakers. We introduce people to homes until they fall in love with one. And that is what makes our job so amazing. We find a LOT of homes; new homes, old homes, and coming soon homes to introduce to our clients.“

Shannon is an experienced Realtor and a Buyer Specialist for The Boehmer Team. She brings 17 years of real estate industry knowledge and outstanding customer care to The Boehmer Team's clients. Shannon specializes in finding homes that meet the specific needs of clients in a competitive residential market.  A St. Louis area native, Shannon currently resides in St. Peters with her husband, daughter, two sons and black lab. When she isn't creating great real estate experiences you can find Shannon cheering on her daughter at competitive cheerleading and her oldest son at soccer games and taekwondo.

STEPHANIE PUSZKAR

“Nothing is more satisfying than helping each and every home buyer find and win the right home.  That is what we strive to do every day using our team’s experience, expertise, and relationships with other agents, in addition to applying successful strategies to win in multiple offer situations. Above all else, our clients’ best interests are our top priority.”

Stephanie works as a Buyer Specialist for The Boehmer Team. Her reputation for great customer care and vast industry knowledge has endeared her to many of The Boehmer Team's home buying clients. Stephanie is a St. Louis area native who lives in St. Charles with her fiancé, two kids and her cat, Mr. Kitty. When not serving her real estate clients she enjoys anything outdoors, especially boating and watching football.

KRISTIN TEMPLETON

“In this current market, we are often in multiple offer situations but the collective years of experience our team has enables us to be privy to and share with each other strategies to “win” those homes that other agents just don’t have.”

Kristin is a Buyer Specialist for The Boehmer Team that has over 16 years of real estate experience. She has been the proud recipient of the 5 Star Service Award eleven times for excellence in customer service. Her past experience helping new construction homebuyers has earned her awards from the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri. She currently lives in St. Charles County with her husband, Phil, her Big Dog Bell, and her tiny cat, Ninja. She has three grown children: Connor, 26, Anna, 24 and Michael, 22. When not serving real estate clients you can find Kristin reading, hiking, traveling, at yoga, playing tennis or at Bible study.

---

Our goal and focus, as Real Estate professionals, is to provide unparalleled service and complete dedication when assisting our clients in achieving their Real Estate goals.  Each member of our team utilizes their specialized skills to provide our clients the personalized service they deserve when making the important decisions involved in buying or selling a home.  We are proud of the steady stream of testimonials, repeat clients and referrals that have allowed our business to grow. Contact The Boehmer Team to see how we can assist you.

The Home Buying Process

Purchasing a home in St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri may seem daunting. However, knowing what steps to take and having a great real estate team to assist you makes the process smoother, easier and can even make home buying a good experience. To make things easier we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to the home buying process.

1. Interview an agent.
A great place to start the home buying process is to find a reputable REALTOR or real estate team to assist you with your home purchase. One reason starting here is important is that an experienced REALTOR will be able to help you with all of the other steps in this process. This includes recommending other experienced servicers in the real estate industry such as lenders, inspectors, title companies and more. Not sure how to determine who is a good agent? Check out our article Interview Questions for Real Estate Agents.

2. Find a reputable lender and get pre-approved for a home loan.
Ask your REALTOR which mortgage loan officers that they have the best experiences working with. Also, ask any friends or family who have recently purchased a home about their experiences working with their lender. Then interview each lender about how they work, what their rates are (based on credit score) and any other vetting questions. Finally, choose the best one to meet your needs. This important part of the process can save you thousands of dollars, so be sure to check your options.

3. Determine the must-have features of your next home.
Do you require a 2-car garage, a fenced yard, main-floor laundry to reduce wear and tear on sore knees? Create a must-have list to ensure that none of these items are overlooked during your home search. Not sure what must-have items you need? Try our handy worksheet to help you determine the items you must have in order to purchase a home.

4. Begin your home search.
Now that you are clear on exactly what your next home must have, use these requirements when searching for a home. Most home search portals, like the one at www.TheBoehmerTeam.com, allow you to choose these features when searching online. Be sure to choose your must-have features or you could find yourself looking at homes that aren’t a good fit for your lifestyle. Also, rely on your agent! REALTORS often know of homes that are about to hit the market or that are exempt from the local multiple listing service that will match your needs. This is another great advantage to getting the help of a REALTOR early in the home buying process.

Did you know that our online home search
is better than Zillow? Click here to lean more.

5. View homes for sale in person.
Seeing a home online versus seeing it in person are two completely different things. Ask your REALTOR to make appointments for you to view the homes you are interested in, in-person. NOTE: Don’t just call the number on the sign. The number on the sign in front of a home goes to the listing agent. The listing agent’s job is to look out for the interests of the sellers and make them the most money possible. This is just one reason why it is important to work with a buyer’s agent to represent your interests.

6. Make an offer.
Making an offer on a home can be a complicated decision. What price should you offer? Are there any competing offers that you are up against? This is a great time to lean on an experienced REATLOR. REALTORS are well versed in the legal documents used in home sale transactions. They can help you determine the best strategy for your offer as well as put together the Purchase and Sale Agreement contract. 

7. Get inspections completed.
Once your contract for a home has been accepted, it is time to more thoroughly vet the home for any issues. This is the time to bring in an inspector to take a closer look at the home’s major systems including heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical. Also major parts of the home’s structure will be inspected including the roof and foundation. If an inspector finds signs of insect presence or damage this is the opportunity to bring in termite inspectors. Another inspection you might choose to do in the St. Louis area is a radon inspection as certain parts of the city have been found to have radon.

8. Negotiate for your best possible outcome.
Once you know the results of your inspections you’ll be able to negotiate for any needed repairs based on the findings in the inspection report. This is another great time to rely on an experienced REALTOR who knows which items people ask for and receive most and how to best negotiate for these things.

9. Finalize financing, title and escrow.
Despite pre-approval, there are a few more steps to completing the mortgage loan process. Check out the process here. Homebuyers will also need to review the record of title on the home and find any discrepancies. A good title company will make sure that the title is free and clear of any leans. Finally, the escrow process ensures that all parts of the contract are complete and should be monitored by your REALTOR. 

10. The home closing.
At closing all documents are signed by both the buyers and sellers. Both parties will pay any settlement fees and the documents will be officially recorded. (Don’t worry; any fees will be outlined to you in a settlement statement that you will receive prior to closing.) At the end of closing, you’ll get the keys to your new home!

So who wants to go home shopping? The Boehmer Team offers many tools and all the advice you need to assist with the process. If you are thinking of buying a home in St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri, interview The Boehmer Team. You’ll get to know us better, can compare us to other local REALTORS and we can show you in person how we help create positive home buying experiences. Contact us today.

6 Ways a Buyer’s Agent Helps Your Home Search

In today’s competitive home buying market, a dedicated buyer’s agent is more important than ever in finding and securing the home you want. Most real estate agents in the St. Louis and St. Charles County areas of Missouri perform dozens of tasks for both buyers and sellers. But a dedicated buyer’s agent is focused on helping homebuyers. This provides a better experience for homebuyers. Here are some ways a buyer’s agent helps in your home search.

Stephanie Puszkar

1. A buyer’s agent takes the time to discover your needs and what matters most to you.
Stephanie Puszkar, buyer’s agent for The Boehmer Team, says “by establishing a communicative relationship we assist homebuyers by providing knowledge through the process and they help us determine exactly what they need, want and will accept for a new home.”

2. A buyer’s agent gets access to data in real time.
Did you know that most national consumer home search engines do not provide real time data and information on homes for sale? This is why the best homes are often gone before you even have a chance to look at them.

“The Boehmer Team uses the newest data available from our local multiple listing service, a large company network, social media groups and additional industry related resources,” says Linda Boehmer.

www.TheBoehmerTeam.com has advanced home search technology that lets you create a home search and sign up to receive immediate email notifications of new homes that match your search within minutes of hitting the market. Create a saved search yourself or contact The Boehmer Team to let us know your criteria and we’ll set it up for you.

3. A dedicated buyer’s agent has an inside advantage.

Linda and Kelly Boehmer

“We have several resources for coming soon listings via our connections and company network,” says Kelly Boehmer. “We also know of MLS-exempt homes the public is not aware of. Being a top producing team, we have our pulse on the market and recognize good opportunities when they are presented.”

4. A buyer’s agent knows new construction opportunities.
When looking at brand new homes, a buyer’s agent works to protect your interests and makes sure you are represented in the transaction. If you decide that a pre-owned home is not for you, The Boehmer Team can help. They have over 50 years combined experience in new construction sales. Sometimes the perfect home for you may be brand new.

5. An experienced buyer’s agent has contract negotiating expertise.
When it comes to reviewing and negotiating lengthy home contracts, experienced buyer’s agents like those on The Boehmer Team help achieve the best results for you. They know top techniques and options for the buyer when negotiating offers, including competitive offer situations.  Savvy buyer’s agents will think aggressively, within the buyers abilities, to present the buyers with options that may assist them in procuring a home.

6. A buyer’s agent sees the entire process through.

Shannon Lautenschlaeger

A full-time dedicated buyer’s agent can quickly show you property, promptly secure appointments, and obtain answers to your questions in a timely manner from the beginning to the end of the transaction.
“We attend inspections and walk-throughs, explain the inspection reports, and write repair requests,” says Shannon Lautenschlaeger, buyer’s agent for The Boehmer Team. “We make sure contractual deadlines are met, request invoices and warranties, schedule closing, and review the closing statement for accuracy.”

The best part? The sellers pay for buyer representation. So it is affordable to have an expert with you throughout the home buying process. If moving is on your mind, let the number one team in St. Charles County, Missouri go to work for you. The Boehmer Team has buyer’s agents that are ready to focus on your needs and results. Meet The Boehmer Team at TheBoehmerTeam.com and try the advanced online home search while you’re there.