Buying and selling a home is the largest financial transaction most people make during their life. If you are considering buying a home answer the following 20 questions. Your answers to these questions will help you determine if you require the services of a real estate professionally to help you locate and purchase your next home.

1. Do you have the time, energy and contacts to do the home search, price negotiations, home inspection, mortgage financing, contract preparation, and contract review yourself?
   Yes     No
2. If you do it yourself, do you think the results would be as good or better than if you use a "competent" real estate professional to assist you with your home purchase?
   Yes     No
3. Can your personal time be spent better doing other activates, rather than searching for homes for sale that match your search criteria?
   Yes     No
4. Are you comfortable dealing with contracts and legal issues?
   
   Yes     No
5. Do you have "free" access to legal real estate advice and real estate contracts?
   Yes     No
6. Do you have the ability to quickly locate all the homes for sale in your desired area that match your search criteria?
   Yes     No
7. Can you objectively determine the true "fair market value" of the home?
   Yes     No
8. Can you support your offer price with facts of home sales in the neighborhood? 
   Yes     No
9. Do you have proven negotiating skills to help you negotiate your best price and terms?
   Yes     No
10. Can you objectively make a buying decision without having an emotional attachment to the home?
    Yes     No
11. Do you know what appliances, fixtures, window treatments etc. should be included in the purchase price of a home?
    Yes     No
12. Do you know what to look for when viewing a home? Do you know the tell tale signs a home may have a problem?
    Yes     No
13. Do you know how to review the owners title to find out about easements, encroachments, title defects, ownership, liens, rights of access etc?
    Yes     No
14. Do you have access and time to gather information about locals schools, zoning, utilities, land use plans for your selected area?
    Yes     No
15. Do you know if any future highway development, landfill, commercial development is planned for the area?
    Yes     No
16. Do you know a reputable and competent home inspector?
    Yes     No
17. Do you know what you can request a seller to fix, what a seller is required to fix, and what a seller does not have to fix.
    Yes     No
18. Do you know how to handle the situation if you have a home to sell before you can close on your next home?
    Yes     No
19. Do you have any formal training or business background in real estate or real estate law?
    Yes     No
20. Do you know that you can use a real estate professional who "exclusively" represents your interests, and the real estate professional who is representing you is paid out of the listing agent's real estate commission?
    Yes     No

Add the number of "yes" answers. If you answered "yes" to:

• 20 questions - Give us a call we need your help.
• 18 to 19 questions - If you do not use the services of a real estate professionals to help you locate and purchase a home, be sure you have a contingency plan and help for the questions you answered no.
• 15 to 17 questions - You should consider using a real estate professionals to help you locate and purchase your next home.
• Under 15 - No question, use the services of a real estate professional to help you locate and purchase a home.