So You Want to Buy a House
You've been saving for a while and you know what you want so it's time to buy a house right? 
Well, it's not quite that easy, however, with the help of a good real estate agent, your house buying experience can be an exciting and rewarding experience.
You need to ask yourself a few questions. How long am I going to live in my new house? Did you know the average Canadian moves every 5 years? Am I looking for a starter home or am I an empty nester? Where do I want to live?
So you have a down payment. The next thing you should do is go to the bank and get preapproved for a mortgage. This will tell you your absolute top dollar that you can afford to pay for a house. Remember though, you don't want to by at the top of your budget if you don't have to and don't forget about closing costs. These are roughly 1 1/2% to 2% of the purchase price of the house.
Never put an offer in on the first house you see because you may see something later that you like more. It's always best to write out a list of what you want in your house. How many bedrooms? How many bathrooms? How many levels? Location. And of course budget. Once you have seen a few houses and you find one that you really like; you'll want to contact your real estate agent and discuss fair market value and put in an offer. Fair market value is the value of what the property is worth and what houses in that area have been selling for. You will want to discuss comparables of similar houses that have sold and then when you're ready. You put in an offer. It is always a good idea to include a house inspection because a house inspection can give you the peace of mind that your plumbing, electrical and structure are sound and in good condition.
Don't be upset if your first offer comes back with a counter offer, this is a good thing. You don't want the seller to accept the offer right off because then it could mean that they are in a hurry to get rid of the house. Good healthy competition is good. But make sure that you have a number in your head of what you are willing to spend on a specific property and don't go over that number. If you have to sign back final offer, the sellers will know that they will not get any more out of you and more than likely they'll take your highest offer..if it comes to that.
Once your offer has been accepted, you just sign on the doted line, we get your conditions fulfilled and then get some boxes, cause you are moving!! Of course before any of this happens, you need to write out your list and call me! Together, we'll find just what you're looking for.