Greg brings you the experience to make your property buying experience a joy. But just so you're not surprised, let's go through the steps involved in purchasing a property.

1. What type of property do you want? You need to determine that before your journey begins. Are you looking for a single family house in which you and your family can reside? Or a duplex for an investment? Or something in between?
2. Find that property! You'll usually sort through a number of properties located in the areas in which you're looking. You'll visit some of them and, hopefully, decide on a perfect property. Now the fun begins
3. Write an offer to purchase. This is easier than it sounds. You should have an agent or a lawyer assist you here. Some of the things you'll need to keep in mind when writing the offer:
   1. You'll need to figure out the price you'll offer. This is an area in which an experienced agent is invaluable. You can frequently figure this out by analyzing the other recent house sales in your neighborhood and approximating from there. You'll also need to determine the amount of "earnest money" you'll come up with. This is an amount that shows the selling party that you're serious about the offer. It's often 2 or 3 % of the sale price but any amount is acceptable.
   2. Will you finance the property or will you pay cash? (Most people finance). If you'll finance, then you'll usually want a financing contingency. This allows you to get out of the deal if you can't get financing for some reason.
   3. Do you want to do an inspection? They're often a good idea especially if you're new to the game. An inspection often costs a few hundred dollars but might save you thousands or more in the long run. Don't discount the importance of an inspection. An inspection contingency allows you to rethink the offer if something important is discovered. It can also give you an opportunity to negotiate price or other things that can affect the deal.
4. Now that your offer to purchase is written you must deliver it to the buyer or their agent. At this point, they can do one of three things: Accept the offer, reject it, or counter-offer. If they accept it, congratulations! If they reject it, sorry! Just find something else. If they counteroffer, the fun starts again.
5. Let's assume that they've accepted your offer. Now what?
   1. If you are going to finance the property, you'll need to get a copy of the offer to purchase to your favorite lender. If you're unsure who your favorite lender might be, consult your favorite realtor. The lender will begin the financing process.
   2. If you're getting an inspection, you'll need to contact a Wisconsin certified inspector. They're often listed in the yellow pages or consult your realtor for suggestions. They'll need to coordinate their efforts with the realtor (or the seller) to arrange an acceptable time for all involved.
6. The closing. Here's the day! If all goes according to plan, you'll walk away with a bouncing baby property.