Rules Of Etiquette To Follow When Buying A House

There are certain types of rules that you should follow when buying a house that you may not hear anyone talk about. These types of rules are considered rules of etiquette and are not usually talked about, yet they are important to know and follow.

Make sure you are pre-approved before shopping for a home

Shopping for a house without having a pre-approval status from a lender is never a good idea. If you shop without this, an agent probably will not be too eager to assist you, and sellers of homes might be leery to accept an offer you write up. Because of this, you should always visit a mortgage lender before you shop for a house to get pre-approved. Getting this letter of pre-approval does not completely guarantee that you will qualify for a loan, but it does show that you probably will qualify.

Never call another agent if you have questions

The second rule of etiquette that you should know about involves never calling another agent to find things out about a house. If you already hired an agent, you should talk only to that agent. If you have questions about a house, your agent will find out the answers. You should not contact listing agents if you already have an agent. Your agent is the person that you will be working with, and this agent will be helping you with every step of buying a house. He or she will gladly find out details about homes if you have questions, and your agent will also set up viewings and help you negotiate. If you contact a different agent, it can send mixed signals and cause confusion in the deal.

Show up on time

The other rule of etiquette that is very important when buying a house is to show up on time. Anytime you schedule a showing to see a house, multiple people are affected by this, including the homeowner and the agent you are working with. Because time is important, you should not waste anyone's time. To avoid wasting time, you should show up on time for every single showing request that you make. If you cannot make a showing, contact your agent hours before the appointment is scheduled.

These are all important rules to follow as you begin shopping for a house to buy. If you have questions about these rules or the process of buying a house, you should ask a real estate agent.