Kenn Renner's (kennrenner) Blog

Engage a buyer’s broker (agent). As a buyer, you have the right to exclusive buyer’s representation. The real estate industry is set up a little different than other industries. The inventory of homes for sale is controlled by seller’s representatives. All of those signs you see and all of those ...

Real estate professionals are perceived by the public as “sales people.” It is too bad that my associates are perceived as sales people but it is our industry’s own fault. Fortunately, the image is slowly changing by the educational efforts of organizations such as the National Association of Rea...

After you have made the decision to buy a home and have a preliminary plan, a budget, and a needs & wants list, the next step is to consult with trusted advisor professionals who will help you through the process. This is a very important step. If you miss it, you may end up making choices you l...

Another important consideration in timing is how long do you plan on being in your next home? If you are buying your first home, it will probably be three to five years or longer. If at all possible, I recommend that my first timers consider purchasing their second house first. I see first timers...

The timing associated with your lease is always a factor. If you are planning to buy a home it would be best to go on a month-to-month rental, even if the month-to-month rental rate is higher. Even better is to get a lease with an option to leave early at no penalty with thirty or sixty days not...

Part of planning is timing. When do you want to be in your home? If you are going to buy a resale home you will need to start the process ninety days or more in advance of when you want to move. Even if you are ready, willing, and able, it may take you one to three weeks or longer to find your ho...

Needs & Wants List During the preliminary planning stage, I like to have my clients start a needs and wants list for their first home. I recommend they take out a piece of paper and put a line down the middle. On the left side, I tell them to put “needs” and on the right, I have them put “wants.”...

Ready & Willing Now ask yourself and your home buying partner (if you have one) “If we could accomplish a majority of our objectives, would we be ready to move forward?” If the answer is yes then you have stepped into the next phase – willingness. I have known people who were “ready” for years bu...

First, start with an honest self-analysis of where you are. Look at your current lifestyle and think about your future living style. Where are you at personally? Are you single? Getting married? Planning a family? Getting a divorce? Where are you relationally? Who will be living with you? Who wi...

Step two in the home buying process after having made the decision, is to make a plan. Planning involves self-analysis and determination. Determine the end result and then make a commitment to get there. You will want this plan with you when you meet with your trusted advisors because your plan w...