Buying a Home

Let me take care of you through this process

In general, we don't ever go shopping without knowing what we can spend, right? Same with purchasing a home. You have to know your budget is. Finding out what you can afford is the first step. You can get a general idea yourself by looking at your finances and knowing what you currently pay monthly. 

The only real way to know with certainty is to get in touch with a mortgage loan officer. You may have someone you are planning to call, or I can recommend someone for you to get started in the process. There is no credit check up front to find out what loan types are available out there for you until you are ready to move forward in the preapproval process. That will be when we get to the fun the part. We find out exactly what your budget is, and we get to start shopping!

Once you've gotten through the pre-approval process, you and I will create a list. Where do you want to live? What school district? How many bedrooms or bathrooms? Do you want a garage? Do you want a huge backyard, a fenced back yard, or something that requires little maintenance? There are a lot of things to consider when shopping for your home!

Once we find that perfect home, we will write an offer to the seller. This will include the price you are willing to pay, and at this point you will put forth some earnest money. This is usually a small sum to show the seller that you are serious and want to buy their property. 

Once your offer is accepted, the negotiations begin. We will usually ask for an inspection. You will have to pay for this when it is completed. It is usually around $500. If there are issues with the home that a home inspector finds that needs to be addressed, we will negotiate to have them repaired or concessions (money given to you at closing to have them repaired yourself). Next, the bank will usually want an appraisal. This is to make sure the home appraises for the contract price you have agreed to pay. If there is an issue and the home does not appraise for what you have agreed to pay, the seller has the option to lower the price in order to continue with the contract. Some banks wrap the appraisal fee into your home loan, and some require you to pay it up front. That will be a good question to ask your loan officer when discussing your loan terms. 

If all of these things get negotiated to everyone's satisfaction, we proceed to closing. That will be done at a real estate attorney's office on the date set in the contract. Usually, the whole process takes about a month once you have been preapproved. 

This is where you obtain the keys to your beautiful new home and move in!

We're here to help!