BUYING

WHEN BUYING A HOME REMEMBER:

knowledge is power.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO BUYING A HOME

MEET A REALTOR

I know, we sound biased AND if you meet with an expert up front they'll be able to help save you a lot of time, money, and energy.

They're also great for connecting you to other experts you may need like divorce attorneys, handymen, CPAs, and more.

Check out our Local Services Directory:

GET CONNECTED

GET PREAPPROVED

Knowing how much you can afford from the beginning is a lifesaver.

If you took our advice on step one,
you can ask your Realtor to send you
a few great referrals. They know who to work with and what to avoid.

START SEARCHING

First things first, work through your wants vs your needs. Being able to have clarity and communicate your needs for your next home vs your desires is going to be extremely helpful to your Realtor.

Pick your Top 5 and then hop in the car.
It's time for a mini road trip!

Check out our home search tool here:

SEARCH HOMES

TIME TO WRITE AN OFFER

The offer is often where buyers make their first mistake.

Throwing a ballpark number out to a seller is a huge no no. The seller took time to research, and study the value of their home with the help of their Realtor. You should do the same.

Ask for a Comparative Market Analysis so you can see the highs and lows of that immediate neighborhood before you settle on a price.

WOO! OPEN ESCROW!

Opening escrow is actually quite simple. It involves going to the escrow or title company and handing over your Earnest Money deposit.

This deposit is a your promise to the Seller that you will not back out of the contract for reasons outside of the contingencies agreed upon.

Your escrow officer is also going to be a huge help. As they are the ultimate mediary between the Real Estate Agents, Lender, and the County.

INSPECTIONS

Inspections are your chance as a buyer to do your due diligence.

You'll want a general inspection, sewer scope, a tank sweep, and radon inspection as necessary.

An important thing to remember during this period is that all homes need maintenance, and the seller has no obligation to fix what you find during your due diligence period.

LOAN APPROVAL

Hear us on this... Do NOT buy a new car, new furniture, that wedding dress you've been eyeing. Don't do it.

Any large purchases during escrow can result in your loan being denied. Your lender will be ordering an appraisal to get the loan value of the home, finalizing the underwriting of your loan, and working to get everything approved. Keeping your debt to income ratio the same is paramount.

CLOSING TIME

It's important to know that most often your keys are not handed to you at the closing table.

Typically you'll sign a few days before closing to give everyone time to wire funds over, triple check every document is in order, and then the sale will record with the County.

PRO TIP: Tell your work that you'll need flexibility with your schedule the week of closing because you may be asked to come sign with only a moment's notice.

MOVING IN

Before you run to your landlord and give your 30 days notice make sure you have the keys to your new place in hand. Literally.

A mistake a lot of first time home buyers make is giving their notice before the deal has closed. Closing Extensions happen, and the last thing you want is to pay more to reschedule movers or have to sleep at a hotel because you jumped the gun.