We all know Murphy. He interjects himself into our lives on a daily basis rearranging timelines and causing delays in our projects. He is alive and well in the homebuying process, too.

If you know in advance the corners that Murphy might be lurking around, you can plan better and possibly send him away.

At the point at which a buyer gets the itch to buy a house, Murphy can throw a kink in things if the buyer is not pre-qualified before house shopping. Disappointment can be painful if your dream house is not actually in the budget. Kick Murphy to the curb and get pre-qualified by a local lender before you go shopping.

In today's market, inventory is low, and several buyers are looking at the same property. Murphy can create havoc if you have not done your homework with a real estate professional to structure an offer that will be accepted by the seller. You need to know for what price similar properties in the neighborhood have soldfor so you won’t waste valuable time presenting low offers if the average sold price is close to the average list price.  Knowing the market will help you get the house you want while competing with other buyers.

Knowing the market means getting assistance from a local real estate professional – a REALTOR®. Murphy really has a great time with buyers who use public websites that do not get their information from the local MLS and then claim to be the source for local housing statistics. Mississippi is a non-disclosure state which means there is no requirement to report sold prices for inclusion in public records. When public websites claim to know the value of a property, you must consider where they get their information. They cannot get it from public records, so they use formulas and algorithms. Representatives from these websites have not been in the property and therefore do not know how the amenities in one property compare to the amenities in another property. While shopping with Murphy on some public websites can be fun, it may not be reliable, depending upon where you are searching. Ask a REALTOR® which search sites are most reliable.

Also, Murphy can sometimes interfere with the home inspection process. A seller has provided a buyer with a Property Condition Disclosure statement that describes the condition of the property as the seller knows it. Buyers hire licensed home inspectors to render a report on the elements of the property that are not obvious to the naked eye. After identifying issues of which the seller was unaware, time must be spent to determine whether or not the seller and buyer can agree on how to remedy any problems identified by the home inspector.

Knowing in advance and preparing for Murphy's visits during the home buying process can make the process less stressful. Using a REALTOR® from the very beginning can keep Murphy at bay.