Quiz: Are You Ready to Be a Better Homebuyer than Your Competition?
The Lighter Side of Real Estate • February 21, 2023
You have to go to school and pass a real estate exam in order to become a real estate agent to help people buy a house, but you don’t need to do either of those things as a home buyer. All you have to do is rely on the knowledge and experience of your agent, and you’ll be fine.
However, your agent can be a lot more effective and help you get better results if you know a few things ahead of time! Some of the “right” things you should do are probably different than what you might think is the “right” thing to do.
Here’s a quick quiz to see how savvy you are without even going to real estate school or spending years in the field! The answers will be at the bottom…but no peeking!
(Don’t sweat it if you get some answers wrong on this quiz; even getting an answer wrong will teach you something. It’s better to learn from mistakes now than to make them when you’re in the process of buying a house!)
- True or false: You need a 20% down payment to buy a home.
- True or false: You don’t need perfect credit to buy a house.
- When you want to see inside a house you should
a) Call the listing agent to see the house.
b) Knock on the door and see if the owner can show you around.
c) Use the virtual tour and submit an offer.
d) Have a dedicated buyer’s agent you’re working with schedule a day and time to show you the house. - When should you get pre-approved for a mortgage?
a) Before you even start looking at houses.
b) Once you find a house you want to make an offer on.
c) Never; it’s not necessary.
d) After your agent has asked you to do so for the 11th time. - Which of the following shouldn’t you go out and buy before your mortgage is approved and you’ve closed on your new home?
a) Groceries.
b) A new car.
c) A nice gift for the agent who is helping you buy a house.
d) A bottle of champagne to pop open on the day of your closing. - How long should you wait to go see a house once it is listed?
a) Go as soon as you and your agent can possibly go to see the house.
b) Wait until there is an open house.
c) Give it a few weeks so the owner doesn’t think you’re anxious, excited, or even all that interested in the house, so you have more leverage to negotiate.
d) Wait until they reduce the price at least once. - Once you find a house you like, which of the following should you do?
a) Sleep on it, and give it some thought before rushing in with an offer.
b) Keep looking at every house on the market until you’ve seen them all. Then wait a couple of weeks to see if any more come on. If it’s still on the market, then you can make an offer.
c) Don’t wait; make an offer on the house right away.
d) Check your horoscope to see if it’s a good time for you to make an offer. - Your home inspection can be done by:
a) A friend or relative who is a contractor, or has at least bought two homes in their life.
b) You and your agent, using a checklist of things to look for.
c) A licensed home inspector.
d) A real estate appraiser chosen by your mortgage lender - Which of the following things found during a home inspection should you ask the homeowner to address?
a) Carpet that has pet stains.
b) A furnace that isn’t working
c) Squeaky door hinges
d) An old stove that is working fine, but probably going to need to be replaced in a few years. - What is the purpose of the appraisal?
a) So you can see how accurate the Zestimate for the house actually was.
b) To make sure the house is in good condition and everything is working properly.
c) For the seller to figure out if your offer is acceptable or not.
d) For the lender to make sure the house is worth what you’re paying for it, before agreeing to lend you the money to buy it.
OK, let’s see how you did on the quiz! Here are the correct answers:
- False. You don’t need a 20% down payment in order to buy a house. There are mortgages that require as little as 3.5% down!
- True. While having excellent credit is helpful, there are plenty of mortgage programs for people with credit scores that aren’t perfect.
- d) Have a dedicated buyer’s agent you’re working with schedule a day and time to show you the house. (It’s better to have one dedicated agent representing your interests as a buyer, than it is to call the agent who is listing any house you want to see.)
- a) Before you even start looking at houses. (It helps you know what you can afford so you avoid wasting time and disappointment by looking at houses you can’t buy.)
- b) A new car. (In fact, don’t make any large purchases or take on any new credit until your loan is approved or closed.)
- a) Go as soon as you and your agent can possibly go to see the house. (If it’s a house you’re interested in, there’s bound to be other buyers interested. The quicker you can get there, the better…regardless of whether the market is “hot” or not.)
- c) Don’t wait; make an offer on the house right away. (Refer back to the explanation for #6…)
- c) A licensed home inspector. (Doesn’t matter how many houses someone you know has bought, or how handy they are, only a licensed home inspector should do your home inspection.)
- b) A furnace that isn’t working. (Home inspection requests should be kept to issues that are operational or structural in nature, not cosmetic, minor, or a potential future issue.)
- d) For the lender to make sure the house is worth what you’re paying for it, before agreeing to lend you the money to buy it. (Coincidentally, the appraiser’s value can be as inaccurate as a Zestimate at times, but your agent can help you contest it, or request a second appraisal if it is way off from what you’re paying.)
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Mortgage Rates Just Saw Their Biggest Drop in a Year You’ve been waiting for what feels like forever for mortgage rates to finally budge. And last week, they did – in a big way. On Friday, September 5 th , the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to the lowest level since October 2024. It was the biggest one-day decline in over a year. What Sparked the Drop? According to Mortgage News Daily, this was a reaction to the August jobs report, which came out weaker-than-expected for a second month in a row. That sent signals across the financial markets, and then mortgage rates came down as a result. Basically, we're seeing signs the economy may be slowing down, and as certainty grows in the direction the economy is going, the markets are reacting to what is likely ahead. That historically brings mortgage rates down. Why Buyers Should Pay Attention Now But this isn’t just about one day of headlines or one report. It’s about what the drop means for you. This recent change saves you money when you buy a home. The chart below shows you an example of what a monthly mortgage payment (principal and interest) would be at 7% (where mortgage rates were in May) versus where rates roughly are now: Compared to just 4 months ago, your future monthly payment would be almost $200 less per month. That’s close to $2,400 a year in savings. How Long Will It Last? That really depends on where the economy and inflation go from here. Rates could drop lower, or they could inch up slightly. So, make sure you’re connected with a good agent and trusted lender. They’ll keep a close eye on inflation indicators, job market updates, and reactions to upcoming Fed policy to gauge where mortgage rates may go from here. But for now, focus on this. While no one can say for sure where rates are headed, the fact that rates broke out of their months-long rut is a good thing. If you’ve been feeling stuck, this could make the start of a new chapter. As Diana Olick, Senior Real Estate and Climate Correspondent at CNBC, says: “Rates are finally breaking out of the high 6% range, where they’ve been stuck for months.” And that’s gives you more reason to hope than you've had in quite some time. Bottom Line This is the shift you’ve been waiting for. Mortgage rates just saw their biggest decline in over a year. And if rates stay near this level, it could make a home you couldn’t afford just a few months ago feel possible again. What would today’s rates save you on your future monthly payment? Let’s connect so you can find out.
Should You Still Expect a Bidding War? If you’re still worried about having to deal with a bidding war when you buy a home, you may be able to let some of that fear go. While multiple-offer situations haven’t disappeared entirely, they’re not nearly as common as they used to be. In fact, a recent survey shows agents reported only 1 in 5 homes (20%) nationally received multiple offers in June 2025 . That’s down from nearly 1 in 3 (31%) just a year ago – and dramatically lower than in June 2023 (39%) (see graph below): This trend means you should face less competition when you buy. That gives you more time to make decisions and the ability to negotiate price or terms. It Still Depends on Where You’re Buying Of course, national trends don’t tell the full story. Local dynamics matter, a lot. This second graph uses survey data from John Burns Research & Consulting (JBREC) and Keeping Current Matters (KCM) to break things down by region to prove just how true that is. It shows, while the share of homes getting multiple offers has dropped pretty much everywhere, some areas are still seeing more offers than others: In the Northeast, 34% of homes (roughly 1 in 3) are still receiving multiple offers. That’s more than the national average. But in Southeast , that number drops to just 6%. What’s behind the difference? In general, the areas still seeing bidding wars tend to have lower-than-normal inventory . That imbalance between buyers and available homes keeps pressure on prices and competition. But markets with more listings are seeing conditions cool – and that means fewer bidding wars. Sellers Are More Flexible Than You Might Think Here’s another shift to show you just how much things have changed. According to a Redfin report, almost half of sellers are offering concessions, like covering their buyer’s closing costs or dropping their asking price to get their house sold. That’s a clear sign this isn’t the same ultra-competitive market we saw a few years ago. Back then, sellers rarely compromised. And buyers often waived their inspection or appraisal to try to make their offer stand out. Now, things are different. But again, how often this is happening is going to vary based on where you’re looking to buy. And that’s why you need a local agent’s expertise. Bottom Line If concerns about bidding wars have been holding you back, it may be time to take another look. Nationally, competition is down. In some markets, it’s down significantly. And with more sellers offering concessions, buyers today have more power and flexibility than they’ve had in a long time. Want to find out what the market looks like where you’re buying? Let’s connect.
