How early should I contact a real estate agent if I want to buy in the winter time?

[Dave Vidales-Sanjuan]

-I plan on buying my first house hack in the Pinellas County area around winter time when hopefully prices drop a bit.

-I will reach my savings goal in September. No debt and good credit score.

Are there any steps I should take before I contact one? Also, how would I screen for a good one that has knowledge and can help provide guidance with house hacking?

[AJ Wong]

Quote from @Dave Vidales-Sanjuan:

-I plan on buying my first house hack in the Pinellas County area around winter time when hopefully prices drop a bit.

-I will reach my savings goal in September. No debt and good credit score.

Are there any steps I should take before I contact one? Also, how would I screen for a good one that has knowledge and can help provide guidance with house hacking?

Congrats. If you're set on timeline, up to six months out can be a reasonable lead time. Here in OR we're focused on STR's and Multifamily which usually has tight inventory so it can take some time for the right property to come to market..also some of the active listings might still be available later this year and become prospects at more negotiable terms.

Check in with @Joseph Chiofalo he's a FL mortgage and RE broker and can point you in the right direction for a local RE broker. Definitely worth connecting for a pre qual call as well if you haven't already done so. 

Good luck! 

[Raymond J. Rodrigues]

Hi @Dave Vidales-Sanjuan, reach out to @Josh Green. He has assisted a ton of my clients in the Tampa Bay Area successfully house hack. He is an investor that has done several house hacks himself and is also an investor focused realtor. He is the local expert in our area and assists most of the BiggerPockets members on the forums looking to accomplish the same goals as you. If you have any lending related questions, feel free to contact me. 

[John Mason]

You should already contact them and make sure to give details of what sort of property , number of rooms etc and they can set up a  search for you etc

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Dave Vidales-Sanjuan:

This leaves you plenty of time to research and find a quality agent that works well with investors.

Here's a good article with tips for finding a good agent: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/how-to-find-an-investor-f...

[Jonathan Greene]

You are doing the right thing by getting your ducks in a row and understanding your timeline. When you present yourself early to an agent, you want to have at least a pre-qual set and a lender so they know you are serious. You want to find someone who works with other investors and knows what house hacking is. You have some other recommendations in here, but feel free to reach out to @Kelli Bonner too. She owns a short-term rental staging company and works with investors and holds my investor meetups in Florida.

[John Mason]

Search these forums and you can see personal experiences   which may give you guidance

[Josh Green]

Quote from @Dave Vidales-Sanjuan:

-I plan on buying my first house hack in the Pinellas County area around winter time when hopefully prices drop a bit.

-I will reach my savings goal in September. No debt and good credit score.

Are there any steps I should take before I contact one? Also, how would I screen for a good one that has knowledge and can help provide guidance with house hacking?

Good on you for being prepared in advance!  I do a lot of house hacks in Pinellas and Hillsborough county and have done 3 myself! I’d be happy to jump on a quick call to go over your plan and planned budget to see if you’re on track or if there’s any strategies you may have overlooked. I also have a duplex coming up on the market soon that would make a suitable house hack that you might consider either financing or creative financing. Feel free to DM me 👍 

[Joseph Chiofalo]

Hi Dave, 

Its great that your taking a pro-active approach to be prepared to purchase over the next few months. 

Prior to house hunting it would be best to work with a lender in getting pre-approved to have your financials reviewed so you know the maximum price point you can start a property search around. 

Feel free to use us as a resource.  

[Amber Stout]

Hi Dave, that's exciting. I am located in Pinellas and own properties in the area. It's a great market! After going through the process of purchasing, I would personally work with an agent that has experience/results in what you're looking to do. That way they'll be able to look through their own investment lens to make sure you're buying a decent a deal. I typically work with investors and have a couple agents I work with in which I can share their contact information with you if you have interest.