You are taking the true first step which is connect with me! I look forward to helping you down your home buying journey. The purpose of this guide is to provide you all the information you need to fully understand the homebuying process and be fully prepared. Use this as a guide along the way!

Creating a custom home search for you is easiest after you've been pre-approved because we know how much you're approved to spend and, even more important, you know what that purchase price means for your monthly payment. In addition to your budget there are a number of criteria you'll be looking for in your home. The number of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage stalls, square footage, location, and so many more things may be important to you! Our recommendation, keep it relatively simple, because you can always say no to a home that shows up in your search but you cannot say yes to a home you never see in your search. House Hunting Tips: 1) Trust your gut - if a home appears to good to be true it probably is. 2) Come prepared - the seller is leaving their home for you view it and we should respect their time, let's view homes we are serious about buying. 3) Investigate the neighborhood - take the time to research the schools and neighoborhood activities vefore you decide on viewing this home, it will save us time if we decide to write an offer. 4) Take notes - showings are fast and this market moves quickly, use a notebook or keep a file of the properties you've seen so that you can remember what you loved and didn't love about each home or you may find yourself getting overwhelmed or forgetting what you've seen. 5) Find a sitter - being able to focus on the home instead of the kids will help set you up for success and less questions down the road.

When we've found the right home for you, the next step is writing an offer. I will provide you with guidance on customizing your offer to the current state of the market and, even more importantly, that particular home. Some of the most important items we will discuss include; Purchase Price - there are a number of factors that determine what you choose to offer like list price, days on market, current market statistics, etc. Earnest Money - this is a promise from you, the buyer, to the seller to follow through with the terms of your agreement to purchase their home and, if you choose to cancel for a reason not protecting in the purchase agreement, the seller retains this as payment for their time and inconvenience. Earnest money is due within 2 days of the accepted offer and turns into downpayment/ closing costs on the day of closing. Closing Date - we recommend asking the sellers when they want to close and matching this date if it is possible for you. Financing - this will be decided by your pre-approval, but understanding your financing from the perspective of the seller is very important. Contingencies - these are built in protections for either the buyer or the seller, removing as many contingencies as possible makes for a cleaner offer which is more desirable to a seller. Some commone contingencies include inspection, financing, the sale of your current home, etc. Seller Paid Closing Costs - closing costs are expenses related to purchasing a home like title fees, lender fees, pre-paid property taxes and home owners insurance, etc. In some cases we can request the seller pay for these from the proceeds of their sale. This is highly dependant on the current state of the market and the number of offers on the home. Here you will find an example of the purchase agreement. There may be additional items like a compensation disclosure, seller's home disclosure, lead disclosure, condominium addendum, etc.

After we submit an offer, the sellers have the right to make a counteroffer. Typically we do not see more than one or two counteroffers and the details of your purchase are resolved within 24-48 hours of the initial offer, but there are times, depending on the complexity of the purchase, when negotiating can take more than a week. Our job is to provide you with your options and educate you on the potential benefits/ consequences of those options. All decisions are yours to make and we will present those decisions with your best interest in mind.

Congratulations, you're now under contract to purchase a home... what's next!?!? Our closing coordinator will provide you with direction on the following steps; Earnest money - you will receive direction for submitting your earnest money either digitally or by writing a check. Scheduling inspection - you will have negotiated a contingency allowance to complete AND negotiate your inspection... it is important to get your inspection scheduled right away to ensure you can complete all negotiation prior to your deadline ending.

Completing an inspection with proper expectations is very important. The inspection report can be daunting, but our focus should be large items related to health, safety, and major expenses. How to handle inspection items; Purchase Price - an adjustment to the purchase price can be made to account for the inspection findings. Seller Paid Closing Costs - an adjustment to the seller paid closing costs can be made to account for the inspection findings, this option keeps money in your pocket on closing day. Repairs - requests to repair inspection findings can be negotiated. Cancellation - if we are unable to come to common ground, you can cancel and receive your earnest money back.

Once you've completed your inspection and come to terms on any changes to the purchase agreement, the lender will order the appraisal. An appriasal is a price opinion provided by a third party company to protect the bank from issuing a loan for more than the value of the subject property. This is paid prior to closing and ranges in cost from $450-$750.

There will be times during this process where it feels like not much is happening, but trust that behind the scenes your realtor, lender, and title company are hard at work collecting documentation, completing forms, and preparing for your closing day. We have full time staff working through each transaction to ensure nothing falls through the cracks on any home sale.

Be sure to change over all your utilities! You can use are free Relocator App which you'll receive once you secure your property. This will allow you all your utility info and more...

You did it... it wasn't easy, but you are now a homeowner and you can officially celebrate! This is the day you complete your final walk through to ensure all inspection items have been completed and the home has not been damaged during the move out process or because of weather or other potential disasters, and then attend your closing appointment at the title company office where you will receive your keys and you can begin moving into your new home that day!

To help you feel comfortable working with me, here are some reviews from my past clients.