Buy your dream home with confidence

So, you want to buy a house—now what?  When purchasing a home, each client has a unique set of needs and circumstances, requiring a keen eye with experience to guide them to the finish line. You may also be wondering along the way—what am I missing? This is a common question. Here’s a quick guide on how the buying process works from start to finish.

• Find an Agent or Broker. A good Real Estate Agent or Broker will help you navigate the process every step of the way. With over 20 years of experience in Real Estate, Mortgage Financing, and Appraisal, I am able to provide a rare and valuable set of skills and knowledge when assisting clients with their Real Estate needs. The first step is to set up a free consultation to discuss your plans to purchase and provide valuable guidance and information to help you get prepared to buy with confidence.
• Get pre-approved. Not all Lenders are equal. Selecting a lender that will assist you with the financing process from start to finish will increase your odds of making it to the closing table without the need for therapy. I can provide referrals and contacts to help you find the right mortgage to fit your financial needs. Also, consider the amount your lender approves you for as a maximum – this is by no means necessarily what you should spend. Staying comfortably within your budget will ensure you are happy with your purchase in the long term. 
• Look at homes. This is the fun part! We will customize a home search based on the information gathered from your free consultation. I will then show you a variety of homes that suit your needs, and listen to your feedback to help find the home that's perfectly suited to you. This process may or may not take some time, so be patient. It typically takes up to 5 home showings to find the perfect dwelling but can take longer depending on the type of home you're seeking. 
• Make an offer. Once you’ve found your dream dwelling, we will want to move quickly. I will guide you on a reasonable first offer to start negotiations based on market conditions. Also, make sure you consider closing costs and pre-paid items such as the appraisal and inspections. 
• Negotiate. Prepare to go back and forth with the seller a few times on price and selling conditions. I will be your advocate here and try to get you, their client as much as possible for your money. There are endless ways to negotiate a home purchase, depending on your individual circumstances, we will come up with an offer that makes sense to you and provides an edge against the competition. 
• An accepted offer. Pop the champagne! If you reach an agreement, you’ll make a deposit to an escrow account to show good faith. Escrow (the time it takes to get the keys to your new home) is usually 30 days from the date your offer is accepted.
• Banking. As soon as your contract is accepted, the bank will begin Underwriting your loan application. Be prepared to provide at least 2 years of tax returns, 2 years of work history, and possibly other financial documents to support the income and assets you quoted to the Loan Officer. Time is of the essence when these requests come through, so try not to take more than 24 hours to provide any information they've requested. 
• Do a home inspection. Even if the home appears to be flawless, there’s no substitute for having a professional inspector review the property for the quality, safety, and general condition of your potential home. You don’t want to be surprised with a home that needs a lot of unexpected repairs. If the inspection reveals undisclosed serious defects, we can negotiate further to have the seller make repairs or discount the selling price. You’ll also likely have the option to withdraw your offer and get your deposit money back should you decide this is the best choice.
• Appraisal. Once the inspections are complete, your bank will order an appraisal. The appraisal is used to determine the market value of the home you intend to purchase. The bank will use the appraisers' opinion of market value to determine if the home is worth what you are paying. While extremely rare, should an appraisal come in below the offer price, there is another period where you have the option to walk away from the contract or renegotiate the purchase price.
• Title. The Title company has been working since day one to ensure your new home has a clean and insurable title. This means there are no liens attached to the property, no record of possible owner conflicts, or other issues tied to the property that can come up later. Once they have completed their checks, they will offer you a warranty to cover anything that may have been missed or not yet recorded. I always recommend buyers purchase this warranty as it provides a high level of security and peace of mind.
• Closing. Once we have passed the inspections, appraisal, and title, we just wait to close. There may be a week or two when nothing happens. I call this the waiting room period.  Not to worry, this is just the time needed for Myself, the bank, and Title to finish up paperwork. At your closing, you’ll spend a little over an hour signing lots of paperwork and then will be handed the keys to your new home!