Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by our team will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.
Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. 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.
Notice we said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.
Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month 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. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.
Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for agents like us to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will we help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but we also have knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where our expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let us show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.
Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home
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. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.
Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. We will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.
In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. We can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.
Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.
Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.
No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.
After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.
Que has been managing our family’s four rental units for almost six years now, and she’s been fantastic. She’s always responsive whenever I call or message, and she takes care of things quickly. She often calls proactively to r...
I’ve worked with Jennifer for years. She knows the market inside and out, works hard for her clients, and makes the process easy and stress-free. Always a pleasure to work with!
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Debbie Wallace for her incredible work! From the very first day of my home search, she showed outstanding dedication and professionalism. Debbie was always available, answering all my...
Kara was fantastic to work with! She listened to what I wanted, guided me through the process, and made everything feel simple and stress-free. Her knowledge of the market and quick communication made a huge difference. Thanks ...
Our realtor is Jennifer McMonigle and she has helped us out above and beyond our expectations. She is friendly, extremely knowledgeable and an experienced professional realtor. Jennifer helped us through the whole process of bu...
Laura Chiappini was such a pleasure to work with on my first home, that when it was time to move on to a new home, she was my first choice in realtor. Her expert eye helped us to select a property that fit our individual needs ...
Debbie was a fantastic realtor to work with. She helped me navigate the selling process with ease, answering my questions promptly and in great detail. Debbie’s communication was wonderful as well. I was never left in the dark ...
Beverly Foster was very knowledgeable and professional which made me feel extremely comfortable.
When we were looking for our perfect home, Jill was with us 100% of the way. She was always available when a new house popped onto the market. The best thing about Jill (and Luxe Homes!) is that she didn't try to pull the wool ...
Luz was professional, communicative, and informative. Thank you for helping me relocate! Finding a home, especially in a different state is tough but she got the job done.
Laura has been absolutely amazing to my wife and me during this crazy market when it comes to educating us and teaching us what and how to approach buying our first home. We are very thankful for Laura and her patience with us ...
I've worked with Sara Stepanski on multiple occasions, she's such an awesome realtor. She's attentive, communicative, and very resourceful. She has helped me close several deals and our business would not be where we are withou...
Amy Moriel is incredible, she helped me a lot to get my first house, she is very professional, bilingual, patient, and friendly, and explains everything step by step. I definitely recommend Amy Moriel God bless her and thank yo...
Jennifer is incredibly knowledgeable about the Nepa area and well-connected. She had answered all my questions thoroughly and I felt well prepared in my search for a land/construction purchase. With Jennifer's help, I made the ...
I have worked with Que Tran for several investment property transactions and highly recommend her knowledge and expertise, from brokering the deal to property management to unique considerations. She has provided invaluable gui...
Que has been a great realtor to work with. She is completely dedicated to her work and would go above and beyond to help you find the right fit property for you. She easily understands your requirements and works with you to ge...
We got the exact house we wanted because Que was quick and knowledgeable. She knew how to navigate the foreclosure buying process even as a non-cash buyer made the deal happen even though the out-of-state management company was...
If you are looking for a realtor who will work hard to get your property sold as fast as possible while getting the best price possible, Jill is your girl! Jill sold our home quickly in 2019 and negotiated skillfully to get us ...
We highly recommend working with Que. She's a consummate professional and took our needs and desires into consideration in our house search. She was readily available at every turn during the home-buying process from beginning ...
Que was a part of our first flip house! She recommended the location based on our requests and it worked out perfectly. After completion, she also sold it to us. She makes you feel like you are her only client! I would definite...
We are here to serve you! Whether you are looking to buy, sell, rent, or fill a rental - you have come to the right place!
