Can I Find a House Myself and Still Get Professional Offer Help?

Many buyers are comfortable using online tools to identify homes that interest them.

You may already know:

• Which neighborhoods you want
• Your preferred price range
• The type of property you want
• Your preferred school or geographic area
• How much space you need
• Which properties are worth visiting
• Which homes you want to pursue

If you are comfortable doing that research yourself, you may not want someone else conductingthe search for you.

Once you find a home you want to pursue, the next set of questions is very different.

You may need to determine:

What should I offer?

What contingencies should I include?

How much earnest money makes sense?

Should I request seller-paid closing costs?

What closing date should I propose?

How should I respond if the seller counters?

What happens if the inspection reveals a problem?

These are transaction questions rather than home-search questions.

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A buyer may want professional assistance with:

• Evaluating offer terms
• Preparing an offer
• Structuring contingencies
• Presenting the offer
• Negotiating with the seller
• Responding to a counteroffer
• Managing contract deadlines
• Navigating inspection or appraisal issues
• Coordinating the transaction through closing

The exact services and representation available depend on the agreement and applicable state law.

Working with a real estate professional on an offer does not necessarily mean that person has to determine which homes you look at.

A buyer can remain highly involved in identifying and researching properties while using professional expertise when the transaction becomes more complex.

That can be particularly useful for buyers who are confident in their ability to find homes but want another level of expertise when negotiating the purchase.

There is an important difference between:

Finding a house yourself

and

Handling the entire transaction yourself.

A buyer can take responsibility for the first without necessarily taking on every responsibility involved in the second.

That's the basic idea behind JustTheOffer.com.

If you already know how you want to search, you can focus on finding the property you want while getting professional help when it is time to turn that property into a negotiated transaction.