### The Durham Region Home Buying Lab — Get the Inside Edge
Most buyers enter the market backwards.
They start touring homes, then talk to a bank, then try to figure out price after emotions are involved.
That is exactly why people overpay.
This session restructures the process.
The Home Buying Lab is a hands-on working workshop built around a 3-stage framework: Learning → Empowerment → Action.
You don’t sit and listen. You calculate, analyze, and practice using real tools.
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### 1) Learning Stage — Understanding Before Shopping
You will learn how to evaluate a property properly instead of reacting to photos, finishes, or staging.
• How to analyze a property step-by-step
• How to choose the right Durham neighbourhood using real maps
• Offer price vs. listing price — what the number actually means
• True ownership cost (closing costs, taxes, utilities, insurance, maintenance)
• Using the Total Cost Calculator to determine affordability before you make an offer
You will see how two identical-looking homes can have completely different real costs.
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### 2) Empowerment Stage — Becoming Prepared
This is where buyers stop guessing and start making decisions confidently.
• Determining your real pre-approval (not just a bank conversation)
• Understanding monthly payment and amortization schedule
• Comparing properties objectively
• Analyzing power-of-sale opportunities safely
• The exact framework investors use to evaluate homes
By this stage, you know what you can afford and what a home is actually worth.
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### 3) Action Stage — How Deals Actually Happen
Now we move to execution.
• How offers are structured
• Practical price negotiation strategies
• When to push, when to wait, and when to walk away
• How to negotiate price instead of competing emotionally
• Why and when a realtor protects you during a transaction
You will understand how buyers either save tens of thousands — or accidentally overpay.
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### Hands-On Components During the Session
You will actively work through:
• Pre-approval checklist
• Total cost & payment calculator
• Property analysis framework from the ebook
• Durham neighbourhood mapping system
• Offer evaluation method
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Outcome:
You leave knowing three things with clarity:
- What you can truly afford
- How to analyze any property
- How to negotiate the purchase price
This is for first-time buyers, move-up buyers, and anyone who wants to enter the market prepared instead of pressured.
