First time home buyer question

[Benjamin Blackburn]

I hope this isn't a weird question.

So, I plan on purchasing my first personal residence in a few months and have a question.  Do you all try and find a super good off the market deal or go the traditional route(finding one that's listed?

[Chris Mason]

Well connected investors that know people, etc, out to find a non-mls great deal will very often find that deal.

FTHB out to find that non-mls great deal generally never find it, because some well connected investor will always find it first.

I'll still write those preapproval letters for FTHB obsessed with finding that killer 1 in 1000 deal even though they don't know anyone, but I already know it's unlikely to go anywhere. I'll scan that loan file into one PDF and put that PDF into my "Cold Files" folder on our secure server the same day I issue the preapproval, and typically shred-bin the physical file right then because it serves no purpose and just takes up safe space in about 95% of cases.

My $0.02. YMMV.