The spring is arguably the most popular season for homebuying, but that doesn’t mean the market dries up during the summer. In fact, there are plenty of great opportunities for prospective buyers to make a splash on their dream home.

Once you get through the home buying process, it’s time to move on to the next big thing: moving! It can be a stressful and tedious event, and you want to avoid scams. Whether you bought a home across the country or just a few blocks away, here are five tips to choosing reliable movers.

When you visit a public open house and an agent asks you to sign the "sign-in sheet" what should you say? What should you write down? What are the rules for who can represent you if you decide that the Open House is, in fact, your future Dream House? 

Many times the agent holding the open house states the seller is requiring a list of everyone who walked through the house as a measurement of interest and to get feedback on the price and condition of the property. Some agents state that their company policy, brokerage and/or seller require the list of visitors for security reasons in case something ends up missing from the house.  

While these are legitimate reasons, if you have ever provided your real contact information at an open house, you have probably experienced being contacted for something other than the explained reason. Most likely you were solicited to see if you wanted an agent to show you a different house or if you needed pre-approved for a mortgage.

Summer is peak home buying season and that means the competition can be fierce. Use these five tips to stay ahead of the game and land the home of your dreams.

Once you’ve found the right home, it’s time to get serious! That means submitting an offer and signing a contract agreement with the sellers.  Recently about one-third of homes nationwide sold in less than 30 days. Homebuyers are having a tough time simply making offers before their potential dream homes are snatched up by other buyers.

Though your search for homes may start online, it won’t end there. You can do a lot of research on your own. The National Association of Realtors reported that 68% of home buyers found the home they ended up buying on their phone last year, but once you find your perfect home, you will need the help of an expert when it comes to actually securing it.  A buyer’s agent can help you navigate through the home-buying process. When it comes to making an offer, your agent will negotiate on your behalf so you don’t pay a penny more than you have to.

Are you ready to start looking at homes?  At any one moment, buying a home can be: challenging, vulnerable, thrilling, terrifying, life-changing, savvy, collaborative, complicated, fun, overwhelming and immensely rewarding. Yup, it’s all that and then some.