First  Time Homebuyers

For most families, choosing a new home is the biggest financial decision they will ever make. There are many complicated decisions involved in choosing your new home. 9 Steps to home buying

Step 1 -Make the Decision to Buy

It seems obvious, but it's good to note that the first step to buying a house is making the decision to buy. Consider the reasons you want a new house and write them down. Determine how long you want to live in the new house - does buying still make good financial sense? Can you afford a house that will meet your list of requirements? A good rule of thumb is your mortgage payment should not exceed 1/3 of your net monthly income. Your decision to buy a home is both a sound financial decision and a commendable achievement. So what is the next step ?

Step 2 - Seek Professional Guidance By Getting a Certified Buyer's Agent

Well first of all you should only consider using one agent, not running around to multiple agents, the only thing that will do is waste gas and your time. Talking to the agent who listed the house is like going to court without a lawyer. The selling agent has only one goal and that is to get the highest price for the listing. This is not in your best interest.To protect your interests and assure that you make the best possible decisions, it's important that you have an agent on your side who is an expert in the local real estate market. A good Buyer's agent will make sure you don't pay too much for your new home. As a real estate expert in this area, I help people negotiate and make home purchase decisions every day. I can help you avoid costly mistakes. I am a Certified Buyer's Agent and am educated in the best way to help you achieve your goal of owning a home at a reasonable price. As your agent, my focus is on getting you the best possible home at the best possible price. I will work hard not only in finding you potential new homes to see, but also in keeping you informed of everything that takes place. I will immediately put you on a daily update of all the homes that fit your criteria and will adjust it as your criteria changes. As a top expert in the local market, I'll negotiate the best prices and terms for you and answer all of your questions as they arise. I'll be representing you, not the seller. This assures that my experience and expertise in the local market will be used in your best interests during the negotiation process. Then, I will walk you through the mind-boggling financial details associated with buying a home, including understanding the various mortgages and home buying programs available to you. At this time I will recommend several mortgage companies who will get you on the road to being qualified for a mortgage.

Step 3 - Begin the Hunt

I will lead you through every step of the exciting home buying process. I will help you define your "wish list" of features you want in your home, your neighborhood and your school district. I will to schedule a time to meet with you to hear the reasons you want to buy a house and your plans for the future. We'll talk about neighborhoods, schools, economic factors liable to affect the market today and tomorrow, as well as how you would like your house and neighborhood to grow with you.     After our initial meeting, I'll search all my resources for houses on the market that fit your criteria. I'll preview these houses to eliminate the duds. Then, I'll schedule appointments to tour the houses at times convenient to you. I will monitor all new listings and alert you to new houses as soon as they are put on the market. I will assure that you see all the properties in the area that meet your criteria. Not just those listed on the local MLS, but also many un-listed properties that I find through my local contacts and affiliations.      As we tour houses, I'll point out positive features and negative features. I'll ask you to tell me what you like and what you don't like. You'll probably amend your "wish list" as we tour houses, some things will become more important and others less important. With this new information, I'll refine our search criteria to narrow in on the house of your dreams.

Step 4 - Know the Market

My knowledge of the local market is an essential factor in the house search. I'll let you know when the market in a particular neighborhood is "hot" and requires immediate action or when the market is "cool" and allows for thoughtful consideration.    As we tour houses, I'll let you know when the asking price has negotiating room and when the house is "priced to sell". My unique market knowledge will keep you a step ahead of the "house hunting competition". In a "seller's market". It is not unusual to see multiple offers on a property, full-price offers and even above-price offers. On the flip side, during a "buyer's market" there are more houses for sale than buyers. This gives us more negotiating room as houses are taking longer to sell.

Step 5 - Find Your Dream House

I'm confident we'll find your dream house. When we do, I'll put together the purchase offer tailored for your needs including appropriate contingencies (such as obtaining financing, favorable home inspection, clear title, etc.). The offer is normally presented with "earnest money". This is a cash deposit made to a home seller to secure an offer to buy the property. The amount is applied to closing costs. If the seller accepts the offer, generally closing is held 30 to 60 days from the offer date (generally dependent on the turn around time of your mortgage financing).

Step 6 - Negotiate the Deal

It is not uncommon to receive a counter offer when the initial purchase offer is submitted. Don't let this discourage you. We will discuss the counter offer and decide whether or not to accept the counter offer, submit our own counter offer, or reject the counter offer and move on.    Market conditions will play a role in how aggressively we negotiate the deal. We will also work within your limits. Emotions can lead to buyer's remorse. It is better to set limits prior to negotiating an offer and stick to these limits.

Step 7 - Get a Loan

During the closing period, you will be working with your mortgage lender to close the loan. Since you pre-qualified for the loan before starting your home search, you will be that much closer to the end. I'll gather the necessary property information your lender will need to close the loan.

Step 8 - Close the Deal

You will receive a "Good Faith Estimate" of closing costs at the time the loan application is submitted to the lender. The estimate is based on the loan officer's past experience and may not include all the closing costs. I will be glad to review the "Good Faith Estimate," answering questions and highlighting missing costs and estimates I believe to be low.

Step 9 - Move In

Congratulations! It's time to move into your new house and make it your home. Enjoy this exciting time. I'll give you a checklist to help you remember the numerous details that will make your moving day a pleasure. Our company has many resources to help your set up in your new home from movers to gardeners. All of the vendors have to meet a high criteria before they are recommended.