8 Common Mistakes NOT to make as a home buyer OR as a buyer's agent

Here are some common mistakes to avoid as a home buyer. The more volatile the market, the more you need to be attentive to these:

1. Making a low-ball offer early on in the listing - don't do it. If the property is overpriced, let the seller have enough time to realize it before you present a lowball offer.

2. Not seriously reviewing comps before making an offer - don't make the mistake of offering what YOU think the property is worth, because what YOU think is irrelevant to what the MARKET thinks.

3. Not knowing what it's really going to take to get an accepted offer in the current market - don't use strategies that you learned or read about from a year ago. KNOW YOUR CURRENT MARKET and know what the competition/pool of buyers is like right now.

4. Bombarding your agent with blanket offers all over the place - don't do it. Don't burn your agent out and/or give them the impression that you're a frivelous buyer by making low-ball or unrealtistic offers all over the place. If you do so, you're agent will not be able to have laser focus and the sharpness necessary to do what it takes to get you into a home.

5. Being discourteous before or during a showing - don't treat the sellers home or schedule like it's disposable trash that you can take or leave. THIS IS STILL SOMEONE'S HOME AND YOU NEED TO RESPECT THAT. Regardless of what condition it is in, it is still someone else's home and NOT yours yet!! Be courteous with your showing requests, and be courteous once you are in their home. Ask if it's necessary to take your shoes off, don't make ANY negative comments about the home until AFTER you leave the house and are a safe speaking distance from the house. Play the reverse role: how would you feel if someone stepped foot into your home and was rude and careless?

6. Being discourteous to the listing agent - same as #5 above. Don't make any negative comments while the listing agent is around, and be courteous to them or their schedule. YOU NEVER KNOW IF THE NEXT LISTING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WILL BE WITH THE SAME AGENT!!!

7. Writing a sloppy offer - don't do it. Any good listing agent will probably shy away from an offer that looks like something the cat dragged in, because it's probably reflective of the type of escrow you'll be putting them through. Make sure you have your current pre-approval, proof of funds, copy of deposit check (although that seems to be going away), FICO scores along with the COMPLETE offer (meaning all the right forms, depending on the type of property - i.e. short sale addendum, etc.). If you feel it's too tedious to keep doing this over and over, then that's probably a sign that you're going around town blitzing offers all over the place. BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHICH PROPERTIES YOU WRITE ON.

8. Writing an offer with the appearance of "rape and pilfrage" - do not write offers asking for tons of personal property as personal property is not part of real property, it is entirely seperate. Appliances, mirrors, rugs, etc. - THEIR NOT YOURS, NEVER HAVE BEEN AND NEVER WILL BE. At best, be willing to negotiate a fair price for personal items if you feel the need to do so. Try to do it outside of escrow if possible.

Overall, be respectful of the entire process so that negative energy doesn't end up following you into your home once you're in. Be respectful of all the professionals that have to spend time working with you - your agent, teh listing agent, the seller, the escrow officer, the appraiser, your loan officer, the inspector - ALL OF THEM.

You want to be able to feel good about your purchase, good about the process, and feel like you've made a fair deal.