Steps to Buying a Home

Buying a new home can be an exciting and challenging experience. With a good real estate professional every effort will be made to meet your needs and requirements necessary to match your lifestyle. We will assist in every step of the way, from negotiating and finding the perfect home for the perfect price. Whether you are moving from across the street or across the nation, take advantage of our many resources available to you from lender pre-approval to moving companies, each available to make the move as easy and smooth as possible. Let us help you by contacting us today.

Our goal is to help lead the way, with each and every step. Here we provide an outline of steps to follow so you know what to expect in the home purchasing process.

DECIDING TO BUY:

Purchasing a home could be one of the single biggest investment that most people may make in their lifetime. When you find the right home at the right price, then the time is now. If you are financially ready, the right home can offer equity build up, tax benefits, appreciation potential and a place to call home.

FIND A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL:

Finding the right real estate professional is the key to your success. A good agent will put you and your needs first securing the biggest investment you may every make. With the right professional, you will be kept abreast of market trends and evaluations. Your real estate agent will search high and low to finding the right home, matching your criteria and lifestyle requirements. They'll be skilled in negotiating the best deal possible, review and execute all paperwork, watch and meet deadlines, problem solve arising issues and assist in coordinating other professional services needed throughout the process. We provide each of these services which are free to you.

FINANCING APPROVAL:

Before looking at homes, it's highly recommended to get pre-approved, unless you are paying cash. Why? Because you will have a greater understanding of the price range of homes you should be spending time looking at. And when you do find the right home, no offer in today's market will be considered without a pre-approval letter from a bank. So secure financing today by finding a good loan officer, complete a loan application and get pre-approved. Contact us today for a list of lending options for you to call.

FIND YOUR HOME:

So now you have your pre-approval in hand and you are ready to buy a home. It's now time to sit down with your real estate agent and go the list of criteria for finding the right home for you. Some the most important things to think about are location, price, size of home, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, yard, schools, condition of home, features, amenities, foreclosure, short sale, house or condo are all factors in finding the right home for you.

NEGOTIATING THE PURCHASE:

Once you have found your home, your real estate agent will draw up your offer, making sure the 3 basic components are fully covered-price, terms and contingencies. Your agent will be skilled in negotiating the best offer and one aimed at a successful acceptance.

ESCROW:

Your offer has been accepted, now what? Escrow must be opened usually within 24 hours of acceptance. Your EMD (earnest money deposit) will be deposited into an escrow account. A preliminary title report will be run by the title company, insuring that the home will be free of liens and ownership from previous owner.

DUE DILIGENCE:

This is the time where you will conduct a home inspection. This is a crucial time of the home purchasing process because you can withdraw your offer at any time without penalty of losing your Earnest Money Deposit. But this can only be done within a certain time-frame of the offer acceptance and the terms written in your purchase agreement. Why do a home inspection? Because this is your biggest investment, you'll want to make sure that the home you choose doesn't have any hidden or obvious concerns. It will be up to the inspection to find any issues that may need to be concerned prior to closing the deal. Please feel free to contact us for a list of licensed inspectors.

CLOSING THE DEAL:

So you've completed your loan process, appraisal and inspection. Now your lender will submit your loan documents to the title company for you to sign. Once you have signed, the lender will fund and the title company will record. However, until closing your job is not yet over. It's crucial that during this escrow period, your financial situation remains the same as the day you were pre-approved. This means you must stay in control of your finances and credit, make no large purchases, keep in touch with your agent and lender, return all calls and complete all paperwork promptly and efficiently. The minute this purchase records at the County Recorder's Office, the keys will be given to you! Congratulations, you are now a home owner!

Leslie will be happy to assist you in your new home purchase. If you have any questions, or require more information, please do not hesitate to email or call: (702) 321-1763.

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