Ben Walkley - REAL Experience: The Tactical Field Guide for Buying and Selling a Home

Imagine standing at the edge of a large forest. Your new home is waiting for you on the far side, but youre uncertain how to get there. Between here and home , there are countless winding paths that might lead you in the wrong direction. Guides step forward, offering you help, but youre not sure if you can trust them. You dont know this forest well enough to navigate the hidden dangers, and you sense that a single misstep could cause a disastrous fall. You need to get through this forest if you want to make it to your safe havenbut how can you make sure you do so successfully?

For many, this sums up the anxiety that arises when you prepare to buy or sell a home. Youd prefer a straight path through that forest, but thats rarely the norm. You want transparency from the people you deal with, and you want to be alerted if youre about to make a bad move. Is that too much to ask?

No, its notwhich is why weve written this book.

Unfortunately, its easy to get lost or hurt in the world of real estate. Navigating all the various steps requires tons of information and expertisemuch of which you likely dont possess. The real estate industry can feel opaque and full of barriers: banks, loans, title work, contractors, inspectionsits no wonder most people experience general confusion. There are plenty of people eager to guide you through the forest, but how many of them actually know the best paths? How many of them are wolves dressed in sheeps clothing, eager to make a buck even if its at your expense? The pressure is high, too; were talking about the place your family will create a home and one of the largest financial decisions of your life.

If youve never bought or sold a house before, you may feel hopelessly nave. For those who have, your experience may have been negative, which can exacerbate the fear, suspicion, anxiety, or bitterness you might be feeling. You may not feel like you know enough, and youre not confident about who to trust. As a result, you might feel stuck from ever stepping forwardor plagued with anxiety every step of the way.

Now: imagine if someone handed you a tactical field guide to navigate this forest. Inside is a map highlighting the different routes available. There are descriptions of the pros and cons of each different option, along with insider tips alerting you to hidden dangers and directions to discover the best views. Youll also get recommendations on how to choose guides who know the intricacies of the forest, will advocate on your behalf, and look out for your best interests.

With the guidebook in hand and trusted guides at your side, the scenario ahead would seem radically different. Instead of feeling plagued by fear, youd be able to relax and open your eyes to the beauty around you.

Thats what we want to give you with this book. We know this industry inside and out, and were ready to guide you through it. Why? Weve realized that one of the best ways for us to live meaningful lives is by using our professions to bless others. As well share in a moment, weve both experienced the soul - sucking emptiness of doing real estate in a way that focuses on making money as the sole priority. Weve also experienced the incredible privilege of guiding people through the home - buying or home - selling experience that blesses everyone involved. At heart, we are educatorsand were eager to equip our readers so that they can have the fulfilling experience we all want.

Weve divided this book into two sections: Part 1 is for people preparing to buy a house, and Part 2 is for those preparing to sell . You may need the information in both parts simultaneouslysuch as if youre preparing to sell your current home and immediately buy a new oneor you may find these two sections relevant at two totally different stages in your life.

We invite you, therefore, to use the book as best suits your needs. You can skim the highlights, or you can read it cover to cover, gleaning every last nuance from the stories weve provided. You can read Part 1 now, as you prepare to buy your first home, and read Part 2 years later when youre preparing to sell it. Weve tried to provide you the flexibility you need to reap the maximum benefit in your circumstanceswhether you need to absorb this information in a hurry or are ready for a close read.

Still, regardless of where you are in the process, youll find that the experience of home - buying and selling contains a journey: theres a beginning, when you first decide to buy or list your home. Theres a middle: if youre a buyer, thats looking at homes and making offers; if youre a seller, thats preparing your home for the market and effectively listing it. And finally, theres an end: contract to close. Along the way, you need good people beside you who will actively work for your best interests. With all that in mind, here is what you will learn from this book:

• Buy, sell, or rent? For buyers, well discuss key points to consider about whether you should buy or if renting makes more sense. For sellers, well discuss the pros and cons of selling your property versus leasing it out as a rental.
• The importance of mindset: homeowner versus investor. Some people only evaluate a property in terms of how it might feel to live in; thats the homeowner mindset. Others view properties only in terms of their potential profit; thats the investor mindset. In order to make a wise financial decision that will bless your family, you need to think like a homeowner and investor. Well explain why and how.
• Find your guides: choosing a good real estate agent and mortgage lender. Having the right people around you makes a world of difference as you navigate home ownership. Were going to provide recommendations about the qualities you should look for to ensure you choose good guides for the journey.
• Financing: understanding the tools and timing. As a buyer, there are a number of financial tools youll want to be familiar with to maximize the opportunities available to you. As a seller, its critical that you tee up your financing so you can sell your current house and also buy your next home.
• Evaluating the property. Were going to walk you through how to closely examine a house and property, so you know exactly what kind of property youre dealing with, its relative quality and condition, and how those variables should impact price.