Spring time is finally here! The weather is warming up and so is the housing market. With the return of sunshine comes more open houses, new listings, and more competition. In order to get the dream house in the ideal location, home buyers need to be proactive when house-hunting.

To make the home buying process easier, we asked one of our Progressive Urban Real Estate experts, Mary Hromyko, to share some tips to help when the housing market is competitive and there are multiple offers:

1. Get pre-approved! Let's say you found the home you want, you should already be preapproved for a loan so you're ready to make an offer.
2. Identify your ideal neighborhood. Walk or drive around your desired neighborhood at different times a day to get a sense of traffic and the best areas/streets.
3. Be quick! In the hot housing markets, expect homes to sell in a day or two.Your agent should have you set up automated emails with your ideal neighborhood and criteria selected so that you can receive daily listing updates.  
4. Be proactive! Go to open houses every Sunday even if you are not that interested in the house. You may not think you are going to like a house until you see it in person. If you are working with an agent, be sure to let the agent holding the open house know.
5. Be ready to jump! Be prepared to go to showings as soon as the home lists. Again, in some markets houses sell in a matter of a day or so.   
6. Ask your real estate agent. When it comes time to make an offer, this is when you can rely on the expertise of your real estate agent. Ask your agent to help you make sure your offer is competitive but also within your budget and the accurately reflective of the home's value.
7. Don't be impulsive! Be careful not to make an impulsive offer that's higher than you can afford just to knock out the competition.
8. Don't be afraid to get personal. A personalized letter might help your offer stand out among multiple bids in a hot market. The letter should be brief and describe the reasons you want the home including some personal information about you and your family.

Follow these simple steps when starting the home buying process to help the search run smoothly. In need of a real estate agent? Visit our website to connect with an agent today.