Buyer's

Guide

8 steps buying process

Beginning your home search can be an overwhelming and daunting task. Because of that, our team makes sure that you, and all other potential buyers, understand each of the 8 steps that we take to make the process as easy and painless as possible. By the end of your search, with our support and guidance, you will live happily ever after in your new, dream home.

Define Your Goals

Before you start looking, consider why you want to buy a home. Are you tired of renting? Do you want to buy an investment property? Figuring out why you want to purchase a home will help you make important decisions down the road. Considering what you want and need out of your home will help you narrow down your home search as well. What neighborhood do you want to live in? How many bedrooms do you need? Knowing your preferences can help with filtering out homes that don’t fit your criteria.

Pick a Agent

Buying a home is one of the biggest investments you may ever make. Whether you’re buying your first home, relocating or just moving down the street — you want a trusted professional by your side. Working with a qualified agent can make this process easier, helping guide you through the home search, purchase agreements, inspections, closing matters and more. Having an agent who has your best interests at heart can ease some of your stress and can help make it go as smoothly as possible.

Determine Your Financial Standing

Knowing your budget up front helps you focus your search and can save you both time and stress. Talking to a mortgage professional can help you to determine your buying power. They can help you to find out how much you can afford, how much you should put towards a down payment, and can walk you through loan options and other costs or fees associated with purchasing a home. Consider asking your agent for a referral; they understand your needs and can help find a professional for your situation.

Make an Offer

Once you find a home you’re interested in, your agent can help negotiate a fair offer based on comparable homes in the area. If your offer is accepted, you’ll make a down payment and be officially under contract. During the due-diligence period between signing the purchase agreement and closing on your home, your agent can help you understand the conditions, provisions, and obligations of your contract. They can also help guide you through the appraisal and inspection processes.

01   Meet in person and create a wishlist

Let’s get to know each other! Once you’re ready to work with our team, we’ll meet for a Buyer Consultation to focus your search and determine what you want and need in a home.

02   Pre-qualification

We’ll introduce you to our mortgage partner, who can help you determine your buying price range with confidence. Be prepared to dig into paperwork during this part of the process such as pay stubs, W2’s, and tax returns. The lender will do a full review and then tell you what you will be able to borrow to purchase a home. This is a vital step in the home buying process!

03   Listing alerts sent to you based on your criteria

Our agents get to know you — Need to move for a job? Want a shorter commute? Getting married? Having a baby? Need to upgrade or downsize? At this stage in the process, we’ll send you notifications about the listings that you’re most likely to be excited about. Be sure to let us know if one (or more) jumps out at you so that we can skip to the next step and schedule a viewing.

04   Schedule viewings and attend open houses

Here’s where the buying process gets fun! We’ll go to local open houses together and schedule viewings of the homes that you’ve loved from our listing alerts. We’ll talk about how the budget will work and make sure that we find you the perfect home.

05   Find the perfect home and write an offer

When you’re ready to make an offer, your agent will present a written offer to the seller. And while everyone loves getting their offer accepted right away, the seller could come back to us with a counteroffer or reject your initial offer altogether. We’re happy to walk you through each of these possibilities and exactly how to handle them. Once the offer is accepted, it’s time to get your financing in order and move forward to the next step!

06   Acceptance, appraisal, and inspection

The sellers accepted your offer, and the home is going through appraisal and inspection. The appraisal guarantees that the price of the property matches the condition of the property while the inspection makes sure that everything in the home is functioning properly and there are no major issues inside. These are the last steps before the shiny keys to your home are placed in your hand… for good!

07   Time to close and get the keys

Get excited because it’s time to close on your home! This process includes going through all the final paperwork and signing your name (a lot!). Don’t forget to bring all the paperwork you’ve collected along the way and your down payment.

08   Celebrate!