The Buying Process has many different steps. It is not simply a matter of finding a house, writing an offer, taking money to the closing table, and moving in. We will guide you through the process in a manner that is consistent with your real estate goals. That being said, there are some general steps that we will follow in finding you the right home:
- Initial interview and touring package – Before we go out looking at homes for the first time, we will supply you with a folder with information about the buying process along with a map of our tour that day along with MLS information about those homes. We also include information about the areas and real estate magazines for discussion points. We will also talk to you about the lending process, the importance of getting pre-approved and how to go about doing so. We have mortgage brokers and lenders we can refer you to if you need a lending solution.We will go over what we will be looking at that day to weed out anything that isn’t going to work so we don’t waste your time. Feedback that you can provide us about your search and goals along the way is very helpful.At the end of the day (and each day we go out) we are going to ask you, “out of everything we looked at today, what is your favorite?” Your answer is important for us to receive insight regarding what you liked and didn’t.
- Continuing home tour – You will likely continue to look for homes online and we will be vigilantly looking for homes that meet your needs. When either of us find one that warrants a live look, we can either all view it together. Along the way we will be educating you on what is common in the area such as history of the area, points of interest, and also topics such as septic systems and wells.
- Finding the right home – Once we find the home that might be “the one,” we will review the particulars – what it is listed for, what the market value is for the home and what the market is doing in that area. This will give you the information you need to determine your offer strategy. We will work on the offer paperwork together and make sure that your goals are kept in mind.Whenever possible, we present our clients’ offers to the listing agent in person to give it the strongest punch. Many agents these days rely on email to present their offers, but we find that building a connection with the other agent often is in our clients’ best interests.
- Negotiation – Sometimes there is a little bit of back and forth involved in getting an offer accepted. Again, that face to face communication with the listing agent often makes shorter work of this as we can highlight the benefits of the offer and share our perspective on the market. We also learn what we can about the sellers’ situation so we may find the common ground that is needed for a mutually-accepted offer.
- Pending to Close – Congratulations! We have a mutually-accepted offer. There will usually be a lot of moving parts to the transaction and we like to stay in touch daily, even if it is just a quick emailed update or a phone call. We will discuss what works best for you. Please see the flowchart on the following pages for additional details on what happens during this period.
- Closing – We will be working directly with the escrow company (the transaction coordinator who works with both the listing and selling agent to make sure all the contract requirements are met) throughout the transaction and now that it is about to close, we will make sure that both parties sign, there are no last-minute complications, and that it records signifying the property has indeed changed hands. We will make sure the keys get in your hand as promised so you can begin making the home yours right away!