The 9 Steps to Home Ownership

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.

Step 2 - Seek Professional Guidance

We need to have a preliminary discussion to make sure you take the appropriate first steps. This begins with making sure you are pre-approved with a lender for your mortgage. If you don't have someone you already work with, I can introduce you to various lenders with good track records for getting the job done. Once we have the price range, we can begin to look through your options.

Step 3 - Begin the Hunt

I'll search all my resources for houses on the market that fit your criteria. Then, I'll schedule appointments to tour the houses that interest you at times convenient to you.

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.).

You will also be expected to put down Earnest Money if the offer is accepted. This amount is typically around $1,000 in our area but can be more or less depending on the circumstances. The money will be placed in an escrow account and come back to you at the closing table, usually this will go directly towards your closing costs.

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.

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 hope you will now consider me your Realtor and whenever a need arises in the future, I will be here to work with you again! Thank you so much for this opportunity, if you know of any friends or relatives that could use my service, please have them give me a call and make sure they tell me you referred them. I'll make sure they thank you!