Buyers

Your pathway to home ownership

The Means to Perform
While getting a loan approval prior to purchasing may sound a little like putting the cart in front of the horse, it is the most powerful tool you will have when it comes to negotiating the price of a home. In short, a full-fledged loan approval (not to be confused with pre-qualification) adds weight to any offer you forward, because it notifies the seller immediately that you have the financial means to close the deal.

Contract Negotiations
Once we find "the right home for you" and you are ready to make an offer, the time comes to quickly do a little homework. This includes obtaining a copy of the sellers disclosure of property condition, looking into what like properties in the neighborhood have sold for, trying to find out what the motivation is behind the sale, and looking into the history of the property listing to see how long it has been on the market and if there have been any price reductions.

While the final price you are willing to pay for your new home is a personal decision, we will provide you with all the information we can in order to help make a reasonable offer. Additionally, if your home purchase is going to be funded by a mortgage, the financial institution will want to make sure that the home appraises for the amount of the loan prior to closing the mortgage.

During this process there could be counter offers by the seller. These counters can be for an adjustment in price, a change in the terms of the sale or contingencies, or a combination of both. Whenever a counter offer is forwarded we will promptly contact you to review the details of the new offer, and provide you explanation of any changes in the terms.

Taking Care Of The Details
Now that there has been an agreement struck regarding the price and terms of the sale, the process of fulfilling the contract requirements at their documented timelines starts to unfold. This will likely include scheduling an appraiser to assure the mortgage company that the home is worth what they are lending for it; a professional home inspection in order to alert you to additional defects the home may have. Other items may include radon gas testing, a survey, and a termite inspection.

Should any issues arise from the sequence above, they will be taken care of per the contract requirements or by an agreement between the buyer and seller per a separate contract addendum.

Prior To Closing

This is the time to be in touch with your lender to provide whatever is necessary for the final loan documents, for the seller to take care of any requested repairs, and for the lender to go through the underwriting process.
As a buyer, you will want to arrange for the utilities to be turned on when the seller’s are turned off. Don’t forget to have the phone company ready to turn on your new service as well. Make sure all magazines, bills, and family and friends have your new address! Anything related to school registration should also be done well in advance.

After The CLosing

Everything will be done to make this a smooth transition for you. As your agent, we will keep in touch with all the parties to make sure there are no last minute glitches. We are here to help, so call on us even if you just need some local information.

We want to emphasize here that the "closing" is not the end of our relationship. We are here at this point to be your friend, and ask that you consider us one. Our goal is to make this moving experience an "adventure", not a stress!