Buying a Home

Buying a home is an exciting and complex adventure. It can also be a very time-consuming and costly one if you're not familiar with the process, and don't have all the best information and resources at hand.  To have a successful working relationship it is imperative that we begin the journey together from the beginning, so before you step foot in an open house, or go to visit a model home, please call me first.   

 

I am specially trained as a Buyer's Agent representative specializing in Indianapolis Real Estate for the past 15 years, with a total of 20 years experience in Real Estate.  I also work for a top notch firm and have the tools to represent your best interests throughout the home buying process.  I view myself as a Real Estate Consultant for Life for my clients, and our relationship more than just a one time transaction.  Since a large part of my business comes from referrals and past clients, my goal is to find you the best home that will do well in holding and increasing its value over the long term so that when the time comes to sell I can represent you better and increase your net gain.  Anybody can write up a purchase agreement for you, but not everyone is going to care about your long term success in Real Estate as I would.  I am also a full time active agent who keeps track of market activity and knows what's going on in today's market.

 

Your Search Criteria

 

The first step is for us to communicate about what your goals are ideally face to face if possible. This includes talking about time frames, areas, specific needs and wants in your next home and financial goals.  From there my job is to show you what's available, educate you about the market trends and to advise you about the best way to go about reaching those goals.  I understand not everybody likes to be "advised" however this is always available to you.  Throughout the process I will seek to understand your goal and needs and make recommendations as I see it, but in the end you have the final say so on what and where you buy. 

 

Get Pre-qualified

 

A lot of people think that they need to find a home first then go about talking to a lender, but this is actually backwards.  Talking to a lender should come before you set foot in a home or even go online to look at properties.  Knowing what you qualify for, how much funds are needed and your credit score (which may determine your interest rate) is the foundation on which you can effectively base your search.  There is no sense in finding the "perfect" home only to find out it's not so perfect afterall.  If those were not reasons enough, Realtors Professional Code of Ethics states that agents should only show homes to buyers that are "Ready, Willing and Able", and getting pre-approved is a demostration of that.  Having a pre-approval in hand also gives you an edge in negotiation with the seller.  Think about it, it your home was for sale you would want the buyers that look through your home to be serious and qualified buyers, and you would not take them seriously if they weren't.

 

Now comes the fun part

 

The next step is to hit the road and start viewing homes.  There are a lot of great choices out there and with prices and interest rates at an all time low, the sky is the limit.  It is important to remember though that looks can be deceiving, a home that might look like a steal on the surface may turn out to be overpriced once we pull comps, so this is crucial step that a lot of buyers skip over.  In todays market you want to make sure the home you are buying is priced competitively when compared to others on the market and ones that have sold within the past 6 months.  Thankfully this is mostly the case as sellers are motivated and usually already have their homes priced accordingly.  Dollar per square footage is one way to determine this but major features also do play a roll and that's where I can help.  I can run a detailed Market Analysis comparing the home you are considering, by adding and subtracting value from the property against other comparables.  This will give us a good range as to what the home should sell for. 

 

We find "The One"

 

The next step is to prepare a purchase agreement.  There are many other terms than just price on the purchase agreement.  Dates are very important because they may not always be changed later.  There are some flexibilities on some of the terms and I can help by advising what the best way would be to accomplish your goal.  Again good communication is very important.  Once we have an "Accepted Offer" which may come after a few rounds of countering, we are ready to get busy getting things lined up for closing.  This is a typical progression from this point on highlighting the major phases: 

  • Delivery of Earnest money
  • Ordering and attending the Home Inspection
  • Formal Loan Application
  • Reviewing the Inspection Report and preparing Responses
  • Gathering items to submit to lender as needed (until closing)
  • Lining up Home Owners Insurance
  • Appraisal - by lender
  • Final Walk-through
  • Final Approval and Transferring of funds
  • Closing

We will discuss each step in detail prior to each event, and I will answer any questions you might have.  This will be a busy period and each situation, home and closing is different.  But I will be here for you to walk you through and advise you throughout each step, even after closing. 

 

Congratulations! It's now time for you to move in and enjoy.

 

 

  

The following articles provide useful information and are a great place to start if you're considering buying a home.

How to choose a Neighborhood for Your Home Search Why use a Realtor When Buying a Home?
How to Choose a Home Home Inspections Avert Future Headaches
Take Charge When Buying a Home The Basics of Making an Offer