Buyers

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features are your must haves? What do you like and dislike? Do you want to be in an HOA? Do you have a preference for a particular school district? These are great questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of the price range. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help narrow down your search.

A lot of factors determine how much a mortgage lender will approve you for.  Just as a lender may approve you for more than you are willing to spend, they may also approve you for a lesser amount, or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can prevent you or may postpone securing a preapproval letter from a lender. Before you get your heart set on a home, let's chat with a mortgage lender to find out what amount you qualify for and a monthly payment you are comfortable with. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as Sellers typically won't entertain offers from Buyers who aren’t already prequalified for a loan or do not provide Proof of Funds.  Julie can connect you with one of our local lenders to start the process.

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). Julie will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range and that check most if not all your boxes. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details.  Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood at different times of the day, traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities/lifestyle you envision such as schools, park, and grocery stores.

Now that we are Under Contract- we will have the opportunity to inspect the home during the Due Diligence Period to ensure there are no major structural damage or large repairs needed, flood zones, survey, County/City, CAMA regulations. Julie will help you arrange inspections, and can schedule them within days of offer acceptance and once we receive the reports, we will review the inspection reports together. Should the inspection report disclose major issues, with Julie's expertise we will strategize the next steps. This is an opportunity to decide if you wish to move forward with purchasing the home before the Due Diligence Period Expires to protect your Earnest Money Deposit. 

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.