Your team

• Real estate agent: Finds and prices properties, writes offers and negotiates for you.
• Loan officer or mortgage lender: Arranges a mortgage and gives you the loan terms to compare.
• Hard-money or private lender: Short-term loans for auction buys and fix-and-flips, at higher cost.
• Title and escrow company: Checks the records for liens, insures title and handles the closing.
• Real estate attorney: Explains your rights, reviews liens and sale problems, and can file a quiet-title case (a court order that settles who owns it).
• Home inspector: Examines the home’s condition and writes a report before you buy.
• Appraiser: Gives a written opinion of what a property is worth on a date. A professional appraisal is the best way to determine value.
• Contractor: Bids on and does the repairs, with the license your state requires and the right permits.
• Insurance agent: Insures the property from the day its risk is yours, including when it’s vacant.
• CPA or tax advisor: Explains how your deal is taxed and how to hold the property.
• Property manager: Finds tenants, collects rent and handles repairs on a rental.
• Eviction help: An eviction attorney or service handles the court process when someone still lives in a home you bought.
• Environmental consultant: For commercial property: a Phase I environmental report, a records-and-site check for past contamination.