Interested in Buying a Home?

 

There are so many aspects involved in the purchase of a home that buyers can often be left very confused by the whole experience. That’s why it is so important to have a real estate professional who can walk you through each step and predict the questions you may have along the way.

 

Steele Residential ensures that buyers are prepared for the experience and are fully aware of the options available to them. With superior market knowledge and a wide range of services, our exceptional team maximizes the efficiency of your home search and serve as a trusted guide before, during and after your move.

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Please reach out my phone, text or email to start the conversation about your next purchase. Whether you are ready to buy today or whether this is a goal in the upcoming years, it is never too early to start the discussion. 

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Home Buying Process Overview

 

Step 1:  Prioritizing Your Needs

 

Start by establishing a list of features that you want in a home and the reasons why. Use this as your basic search guide, but remember that depending on your financial situation, you will probably need to make some compromises. Also, talk to your real estate agent about where you want to live. Location is a critical part of any home purchase. Your agent can help you narrow down your choices by providing the latest market trends and local information like neighborhood statistics and community links.

 

Step 2:  Determining What You Can Afford

 

Once you know what you want in a home, you need to find out what you can afford. Start with getting a loan prequalification and consider getting a mortgage pre-approval. This will take into consideration your financial information such as income, debt and credit history to help determine your maximum loan amount. Once you find a property, the remaining pieces of the loan application can be completed. By definition, a pre-approved buyer has an approved mortgage subject to an appraisal of the property. A buyer can often use this pre-approved status as leverage during the home buying negotiation process. Please reach out for some amazing local referrals that we use on a regular basis. 

 

Step 3:  Searching for the Perfect Home

 

Once you have a good idea of the community you’d like to live in and have your loan pre-approval, it’s time to search for your dream home. If you’re like most home buyers, you’ll likely start your house-hunting search online. It will save you time and assist you in pinpointing properties that meet your search criteria. Your real estate agent can then arrange for visits at homes in your desired neighborhood and price range. When you start viewing properties, it’s a good idea to take notes as you walk through. When you visit too many homes, the unique features of each property will start to become a blur.

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Step 4:  Negotiating the Offer 

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Once you find the perfect home, you will need to make an offer to the seller. This is typically the most difficult part of the home-buying process because the involved parties have completely opposite goals. In general, the more you know about a seller’s motivation, the stronger negotiating position you have. For example, a seller who must relocate quickly due to a job transfer may be amenable to a lower price. Remember that the listing price is what the seller would like to receive, but it is not necessarily what they will settle for. Before making an offer, we will check the recent sales prices of comparable homes in the neighborhood to see how the seller’s asking price compares and in the likely case of competition, we'll discuss strategies for beating out the other buyers. 

  

Step 5:  Inspecting and Insuring the Property 

Once the seller accepts your written offer, the document becomes a legally binding contract. Your real estate agent will coordinate the home inspection and recommend resources for homeowner’s insurance, mortgage financing and closing attorney. The purchase contract can be written to include a contingency for any repairs needed on the property or related items that the seller must take care of before closing. Buyers also can protect themselves by inserting additional necessary contingencies. For example, you may indicate items like curtains and appliances that you would like to remain with the house and stipulate that you have the right to personally inspect the home 24 hours before closing to make sure all is in order.

 

Step 6:  Closing on Your Home 

Before closing day, make sure all the necessary paper work and deposits have been completed. If the mortgage, title work, homeowners insurance and other items necessary under local and state laws are not completed and brought to the closing table, the closing may not occur on time. Depending on what the contract calls for, this could result in further action including financial penalties and even the loss of your rights to the home. Once the property is officially yours but before moving in, be sure to consider any needed renovations or interior painting, as well as hook-ups for the electricity, water, Internet, alarm system, etc. 

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