Buyer's Guide

Do you already know what area or neighborhoods you are most interested in? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? Now is the time to start researching online and reviewing what's available. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

Just because you feel that you can afford a certain payment every month, that doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, 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 cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. Having a prequalification letter takes very little time, but it can be a big advantage, because some sellers require buyers be preapproved prior to approving a showing appointment. Further, when you make an offer on a home, you have to submit a copy of the letter with the offer, because sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process, other than moving in! We will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. We take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. We don’t limit our time with you to the home itself. We make sure you take the time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close the home is to necessities like school, work, entertainment, and grocery stores.

In almost all cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. We will help you arrange this. Any inspections are scheduled within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there are issues, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, you can ask the seller to make repairs, or you can cancel the contract.

Your lender will order the home appraisal so there is an independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.