Buying Your First Home? Realtors Are Your Professional Guides!

Hey, we’ve been there before, too! You might be a bit afraid or intimidated by the whole process of buying your first home, or maybe you feel like you don’t even know where to start. It’s our job to guide you, from beginning to end. We promise you will be expertly represented, and we will take the time to fully explain everything, every step of the way. There are no dumb questions!

Together, we will:

• First, we will discuss the tax advantages of owning a home, and determine whether renting or buying is better for you, given the market conditions at the time.
• Early on in the process, we’ll help you through the loan prequalification process. We know what it takes to get approved and actually have an in-house mortgage lender, so all of your real estate and mortgage needs can be handled under one roof! Or, if you prefer to handle the financial end of things elsewhere, we can direct you to reputable lenders who we trust and respect.
• Certain actions and purchases can hurt your ability to get a loan, so we’ll advise you to avoid those things which could affect your ability to purchase a home.
• We can calculate how much financing you will qualify for AND how large a monthly payment you are comfortable with. It’s not uncommon for a buyer to qualify for a much larger mortgage than it really makes sense to pay, depending on how much disposable income you’d like to keep and what your future plans may be. We will help you determine your total monthly payment (“PITI” – mortgage principle, interest, taxes, and insurance), discuss various financing options, and help you figure out how much cash to put down and how much money you will need at closing.
• Then, the fun part begins! We’ll discuss what you are looking for, in terms of cost, square footage, number of bedrooms, neighborhood, school district, etc. – the more details you can provide, the better!
• We can start the house-hunting process online if you like, e-mailing you links to homes that match your criteria. When we’ve narrowed it down to your favorites, we’ll take a look at those homes in person.
• When you’re ready to make an offer, we’ll do a market analysis of the home you’re interested in to make sure that it is priced fairly. Then, we’ll negotiate aggressively on your behalf, to get you the best possible deal.
• Once an offer is accepted, we’ll help you with the home inspection process, and then re-negotiate the offer based on those results.
• As it gets close to the closing, we’ll explain the HUD statement with you. This document outlines how much you are paying for the home, which closing costs are your responsibility (and which ones the seller pays for), and the amount of money you will need at closing.
• We’ll be with you at the closing to make sure you understand everything you are signing, and that all of your questions are answered.
• Our service goes beyond the sale – call us anytime for advice, helpful phone numbers (such as those for the gas, electric, phone, and cable providers for your new home) and referrals (such as movers, pest control, lawn services). We will stay in touch with you – we are committed to being your family’s real estate firm for the long run!