Open Houses Can Help, or Hurt, First Time Homebuyers
On any given weekend, a first time homebuyer can find a large number of open houses in the Triangle area. Houses are open from Zebulon to Hillsborough, with Knightdale, Garner and Cary in between. While they can be fun to visit and get ideas, attending open houses probably isn’t the best way to find the right house for you. First, remember that the agent on site represents the seller’s best interests, not yours. So, whatever you say “can, and will, be used against you.”
You cannot always tell if a home meets your criteria by what you can see riding by, or by reading an ad. Also, only a small percentage of the homes that meet your criteria are going to be open at any time and you will be deciding to look at them with a limited amount of information. So you can spend a lot of time looking at homes that don’t fit your needs, and miss the ones that do. Searching the computerized MLS for homes with the features you want, then looking at twelve pictures on the computer screen is a much more efficient way to pick the homes you want to see.
It just makes sense to work with a Buyers Agent, one with your best interests in mind and who can identify those homes that meet your criteria. If you are already working with a broker, it is important to make that clear as you attend open houses. If your real estate agent cannot attend the open house with you, take along a business card or otherwise let the agent at the house know, so that you will be given the proper respect for being properly represented.
