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Buying A Home

House on a Puget Sound Lake

At ALLEN Realtors®, our classic red and white signs are recognized throughout the greater Tacoma-Pierce County area as hallmarks of real estate excellence. As a buyer, you need the expertise of professionals who knows and understand the challenging home buying process. In real estate, experience means a lot. ALLEN Realtors® is the proven leader in market knowledge, experience, service and results! No other company even comes close to our 67-year track record, or the 16-years-per-agent average our sales associates have in experience.

If you are a buyer, ALLEN Realtors® can represent you exclusively and will:

  • Help you assess your wants and needs to find the perfect match between what you can afford and the home that best suits your needs;
  • Keep your personal style in mind when selecting properties to show;
  • Access by computer all of the properties for sale in your desired area. For Sale signs and ads are not always a true reflection of everything that is on the market. Your ALLEN Realtors® agent is familiar with what is available at any given time;
  • Help you negotiate. Once you’ve found the home you want to buy, your ALLEN Realtor® will write your offer and present it to the seller. This gives you the best opportunity to have your contract accepted.
  • Help get the right price. Your ALLEN Realtor® is a specialist who knows and understands the market inside and out so you will get the best price possible.
  • Allow you to make your own decisions. ALLEN Realtors® agents never forget that they work for you. They respect your opinion and will never try and force you into a decision with which you feel uncomfortable.
  • Help protect your rights. Real estate law has become increasingly complicated and sophisticated. Your ALLEN Realtor® will be there every step of the way to assist you.

Our service to our clients begins with the initial face-to-face consultation and continues throughout the entire transaction. We’re with you every step of the way, answering questions, explaining and negotiating offers, communicating with all the parties involved to make the entire home-buying process as worry-free as possible.

Rates are Great!

Over the past 30 years, rates have gone up and down.  They're currently at almost all-time lows!   Check with your lender for today's rates. 

Historical Average of 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages

2007 – 6.34
2006 – 6.41
2005 – 5.87
2004 – 5.84
2003 – 5.83
2002 – 6.54
2001 – 6.97
2000 – 8.05
1999 – 7.44
1998 – 6.94
1997 – 7.60
1996 – 7.81
1995 – 7.93
1994 – 8.38
1993 – 7.31
1992 – 8.39
1991 – 9.25
1990 – 10.13
1989 – 10.32
1988 – 10.34
1987 – 10.21
1986 – 10.19
1985 – 12.43
1984 – 13.88
1983 – 13.24
1982 – 16.04
1981 – 16.63
1980 – 13.74
1979 – 11.20
1978 – 9.64
1977 – 9.87

Buying 101 - 10 Steps For
A Successful Home Purchase

  1. Make certain you're ready to buy   Do you know what you want?  Do You Have The Money?  Knowledge and experience are the keys to any successful real estate transactions.
  2. Find a Realtor®  Buying and selling real estate is a complex matter.  It just makes sense to have a professional assist you with buying what will likely be one of your biggest assets.
  3. Get pre-approved with a lender.  Be certain you know what you can afford.  Additionally, demonstrating to a seller that you are pre-approved strengthens your offer.
  4. Look at homes.  How much home do you need?  Where do you want to live?  These and other questions will help.  Most buyers will recognize the home they want the moment they walk in the door.
  5. Select a home.  Look at as many homes as possible, but don't be shy of pulling the trigger.  Trust your instincts.  Ask your ALLEN Realtor® for his/her opinion. 
  6. Obtain funding.  There are dozens of loan programs from which to choose.  Your lender can assist you to find the right type of loan for your circumstance.
  7. Make an offer.  Your offer should depend on a number of things: the condition of the market, the number of competing homes, days on the market, and more.  Rely on your ALLEN agent ot help determine the offer price. 
  8. Get insurance.  Accidents and catastrophes can happen to anyone.  It just makes sense to have homeowner's, title, flood and other types of insurance on your home.
  9. Go to your closing.  "Closing" or "escrow" both refer to the proper execution of all of the instructions given by the parties in the transaction -- buyer, seller, lender, insurance company, title company, governmental agencies, IRS, and more!
  10. Move in!  Congratulations, you've done it!  Home ownership is a great source of pride and, if done wisely, a proven method to build wealth.