When I do my “finance any property” seminar or “first time homebuyer” seminar, I tell the audience that they need to choose the right professionals to work on their transaction.You need a realtor, attorney and loan officer; all of whom are experts in their field and predominately work on the type of deal you have.In other words, if you are a first time homebuyer, buying a coop in

     Harlem, you have bad credit and little money to put down you are special!You need a realtor that knows the specific area and building, an attorney that does lots of coop deals and a loan officer that can do a low down payment – bad credit coop purchase.That is a mouthful, but these people are out there.

     How do you find them?Referrals and references from friends, family and the other professionals on your team would be a great way.Ask for recommendations and interview them.Ask questions such as how long have they been in the industry, how long have they been with their firm and how many coop deals have they closed last year.How do I reach you is also important to know.What is your fee and how do you get paid might also be important to ask.I would speak to at least three people in each field because by the time you get to the third one, you know the right questions to ask and will get the right feel for them.Line your team up early, so you are ready when you find your dream home. If there is something you do not like but cannot put your finger on it, move on to someone else.These people are a dime a dozen.

Words of wisdom:

1. you do not need to know why you do not like someone, you just need to figure that out before it is too late.

2. Your deal will go as smoothly as the professionals you surround yourself with.

3.You will forget all the nonsense after the deal closes and you move in.

-Dale Siegel