So, You're Ready to Make Your Move?
Congratulations on making the decision to buy a home. Whether this is your first home or forever home, buying is a big deal! The home buying process may seem daunting, but I’ll have your back every step of the way, providing support and guidance to make the transaction as smooth as possible. Here is a typical step-by-step home buying process you can expect to follow.
Step 1: Before the Search Begins
First, you must select your real estate agent – That’s me! You need someone you can trust to advise you through one of the biggest decisions of your life! Once you’ve selected, give me the opportunity to get to know you, your needs, hopes, and dreams for homeownership.
Step 2: Applying for a Home Loan
You will need a Pre-Approval Letter from a Lender who can determine the loan amount you qualify for within the range you are comfortable paying. This will establish the budget for your search and offers. When you apply for a loan, the lender will review your credit, work history, debt-to-income ratio, and available funds. If you need help finding a trusted lender, I can help with that too!
Step 3: Now About that Home
Before we jump in and start looking at homes, we must have a clear idea of what you want. What kind of property are you looking for? What are your desires, needs, and can’t-live-without’s? What are your preferred neighborhoods? Do you have a timeline?
Step 4: The Search is On
Now the fun begins. We will find homes that fit your criteria and you can decide if you would like to see them in person. As we shop, we will further refine our search and adapt it to your needs. Once we’ve found a home that you like, we prepare an offer.
Step 5: Making the Offer
We will write an offer that you are happy with and submit it to the seller. When accepted, this creates a binding agreement for the purchase of the home. I will represent you at the negotiating table to reach an agreement between you and the seller on the purchase price, inclusions and exclusions, and contract terms.
When your offer is accepted, you typically have 7-10 days to do inspections on the home. During the inspection process, we learn more about the home and determine if there are concerns we need to discuss with the seller. I will guide you through this process to help you understand what assets and liabilities come with your purchase. Remember, every home requires maintenance, it’s part of homeownership. Inspectors will call out regular maintenance items on the home, this is not always causing concern. Think of it as a conveyance of information, so you better understand what you are buying.
If you are financing the property, we will work closely with the seller’s agent, your lender, and the title company to make sure the loan approval process is completed timely.
Step 6: The Closing
The sixth and final step is closing on the home. We will get the final approval from the lender, do a final walk-through of the home, and sign all the documents. You will get your keys and the home is officially yours!
