If you are thinking of buying soon, the following information will help you save time, energy, find a better property for your needs and secure the best possible deal:

Learn the market by visiting open houses and real estate web sites like www.LandmarkRE.com to search properties.

Speak with a mortgage lender and discuss and clearly understand all financing options available to you. This time spent will help you understand how you can buy the most home for your monthly investment and have a payment you are comfortable with. A good loan officer can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars over the life of a loan.

Get Pre-approved for a mortgage. Most lenders now offer this service for FREE and when you do find the property that is right for you, the seller will know they are dealing with a serious buyer. This can also help you get a better price on the property and in the case of multiple parties interested in the same property, a written pre-approval could be the reason you get the property instead of someone else.

Write down the features of a home that are important to you and prioritize their importance. Write the communities and type of neighborhood or setting that you want to live in and anything else that is important to you. Also write down the features you do not want in a home.

You only need one real estate agent to work with. Ask friends and family which agents they know that provide high levels of service. Good agents will discuss with you your wants and needs in a property, financing options and clearly explain the entire buying process. At the first meeting with an agent, the agent must provide you with the Massachusetts Agency Disclosure form. This form describes the different types of relationships available between a buyer and their agent. Once you have an agent that you are comfortable with, a mutual commitment to each other will provide you with an agent that will work hard to get you the best results. Most agents can show you all properties available on the market including those marketed by owners.

Arrange to view properties that fit your needs. Candidly share with your agent what you liked and did not like about properties you viewed. This will allow the agent to have a better understanding of your likes and dislikes and avoid showing you properties that do not meet your needs.

Once you find a property that feels right, structure an offer on the property based upon data that your agent has provided you and with their assistance. This is when your homework will payoff allowing your agent to help you negotiate a fair deal.

In most cases, your agent will guide you through the transaction, helping you to coordinate inspections, financing and communications between attorneys, brokers and the parties involved all the way to a smooth closing.