Buying & Selling
WITH THE TEAMSTER ADVANTAGE
Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most families will ever make. Preparation turns a complicated process into a clear one, and helps you avoid surprises, pressure, and unnecessary costs.
Home Advantage exists for one reason:
To help you get the advantage, not get taken advantage of.
Everyone Starts with a Search
Let’s be honest, most people begin online, browsing prices, neighborhoods, photos, and maybe you click “request information.”
What many don’t realize is that large home search platforms are marketing businesses. When you request information, your contact details may be sent to agents who paid for that lead. That can trigger multiple calls, emails, and pressure before you even know your real budget.
Home Advantage is built for preparation.
We believe you should understand how the system works before stepping into it.
Buying a Home, Simplified
Phase 1
Know Your Numbers
Budget clarity comes first. Stability matters more than maximum approval.
Review your income, debts, credit, and monthly payment comfort before moving forward.
Phase 2
Get Pre-Approved
Pre-approval helps define a realistic budget and strengthens your position before you begin your search.
It shows sellers you’re serious while helping you stay focused on homes that fit your financial goals.
Phase 3
Search with Purpose
Your home search should reflect your budget, not the other way around.
Focus on homes that fit with your needs, long-term comfort, and overall financial stability.
Phase 4
Make an Offer
An offer is strategy, not just price.
Strong offers consider timing, financing strength, market conditions, and seller priorities alongside the number itself.
Phase 5
Inspection & Appraisal
Verify the condition. Confirm the value.
Inspections and appraisals help identify potential concerns, support informed decisions, and reduce unexpected surprises later.
Phase 6
Close with Confidence
Closing costs typically range from 2-5% and may include lender fees, title, escrow, taxes, and insurance.
Planning ahead helps you avoid surprises and budget more confidently at closing.
Selling a Home, Simplified
Pricing Matters
Price too high and buyers hesitate.
Price it right and you create stronger competition.
Preparation Matters
Clean, repair, and present with purpose.
Strong first impressions help maximize value.
Marketing & Negotiation
Strategic marketing creates interest.
Strong negotiation helps secure better terms.
Best Offer ≠ Highest Offer
The highest offer is not always the strongest.
Terms, timing, and reliability also matter.
Working with a Real Estate Agent
Know what to expect—before you choose who to work with.
Whether you’re buying, selling, or doing both, working with the right real estate agent can shape your entire experience. Understanding how agents operate, who they represent, and how they’re compensated helps you stay informed and in control from the start.
FINDING THE RIGHT REALTOR
For sellers, that shows up in pricing, marketing, and negotiation.
For buyers, it shows up in how homes are evaluated, offers are structured, and opportunities are identified.
Look for someone who understands your goals, communicates clearly, and explains the process, not just moves it along.
HOME ADVANTAGE QUESTIONS
- How do you approach pricing or evaluating homes in this market?
- How many clients are you actively working with right now?
- What does communication look like throughout the process?
WHAT THEY DO
A real estate agent does more than facilitate a transaction.
They help position a home, manage showings, structure offers, and negotiate terms that impact your outcome, not just your price. They also coordinate with lenders, inspectors, and other parties to keep everything moving.
In competitive situations, how a deal is structured can be just as important as the numbers.
HOME ADVANTAGE TIP
The difference between a smooth transaction and a stressful one often comes down to how well pricing, timing, and negotiations are aligned from the start.
WHO THEY REPRESENT
This matters because it determines whose interests they are responsible for protecting throughout the transaction.
Before you begin, make sure you understand who your agent represents, and how that affects advice, negotiation, and decision-making.
HOME ADVANTAGE QUESTIONS
- Who will you be representing in this transaction?
- How do you handle situations involving both buyers and sellers?
- What should I expect when it comes to advice and negotiation?
HOW THEY GET PAID
Agents are typically compensated through a commission tied to the sale price. Traditionally paid by the seller and shared between agents, compensation structures today can vary.
For buyers, this may impact how representation agreements are structured.
For sellers, it affects how commissions are offered and negotiated.
Make sure you understand how your agent is paid, what services are included, and whether any additional costs may apply.
HOME ADVANTAGE TIP
If compensation or services aren’t clearly explained upfront, pause and ask for clarification before signing anything.
Why Home Advantage Exists
Real estate can feel complicated and sometimes aggressive.
Home Advantage was created to make it simpler and more transparent for Teamster families:
– Education before commitment
– Budget clarity before offers
– Understanding before signatures
When you understand the system, you control the outcome.
That is the advantage.
You can explore publicly. Participation in Teamster aligned programs requires verification of membership or eligible family status, which protects the integrity of the platform.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Mortgage Readiness Platform, Consumer Choice, and Program Protections
The Teamster Home Advantage Program is a mortgage readiness platform designed to help Teamster Members prepare for homeownership. Through the Program, Members have access to educational resources, planning tools, and a personalized mortgage readiness profile that helps them understand affordability considerations and general readiness indicators before pursuing a mortgage.
Members retain full control over their readiness profile. Members may choose to print or export their readiness profile and provide it directly to any mortgage lender of their choosing, whether or not that lender participates in the Teamster Home Advantage Program. The Teamster Home Advantage Program does not require Members to use a participating lender and does not restrict a Member’s ability to shop for, compare, or obtain mortgage financing outside the Program.
Members may elect, at their express direction, to transmit their readiness profile to a participating lender within the Teamster Home Advantage Program framework and may be eligible for additional program features or mortgage options offered by participating lenders, subject to the lender’s eligibility criteria.
Certain union-sponsored benefits and protections, including the Teamster Home Advantage Program Mortgage Relief Payment (MRP), apply only to qualifying mortgages originated through participating lenders within the Teamster Home Advantage Program framework. Mortgages originated outside the Program framework are not eligible for these program-specific protections. Members remain free to choose the lender and mortgage option that best meets their individual needs.
