Real Estate wasn't the first industry to require a 9-person team.
First time buyers tend to focus entirely on their choice of Realtor when it comes to choosing the associates that you'll work with over the course of the purchase and moving process. It's their general hope that a Realtor will be sufficiently well-connected to hook them up with all the other experts that they will need to get the job done right. This is potentially true.
However, no Realtor can know every expert in every area, and very few can know precisely what issues will arise during the course of your particular search. While your Realtor may be able to make some very solid recommendations for these 10 roles, your personality type and learning style may demand someone outside of their sphere. As is always the case here at StrawStickStone, I recommend doing some research on your own to find the team members that are best at making you feel comfortable with the process.
1. Credit Counselor.
If you're like most of the renters out there, your credit is not in the best condition. You'll need a credit score in the high 600 range to even be considered for a loan, and in the low to mid 700's to get a prime interest rate. According to Andrew Ross, the NYU professor who recently wrote the controversial "Are Student Loans Immoral" for Newsweek's DailyBeast.com, 41% of the college class of 2005 is already delinquent or in default on their student loans. These former students are now in their late 20's, what used to be prime position for becoming first time buyers. They will need help.
