Buying a new home. How it works.

Buying a home or condo can be a stressful experience. One way to lessen this stress is to hire a competent Realtor. Using a Realtor costs the buyer absolutely nothing; Realtors are paid by the seller in a transaction. The service is free, so why not hire a professional to walk you through the process?

Keep in mind that when you are shopping for a preconstruction home or condo the same theory applies, the home price is the same regardless if you use a Realtor or if you do not. So why not use a Realtor and have someone there fighting for YOU in the transaction?

There are many steps to buying a new home or condo, we have laid out some of the more important steps here.

1. You should obtain a copy of your current credit report . Check the report for errors and have them corrected before you go to a lender so there are no surprises.

2. Analyze your financial situation and decide how much house you can afford. Do you have adequate money for a down payment? How much of a monthly payment can you afford? Use our Mortgage Calculator to find out.

3. This is an important step that will put you in a stronger bargaining position when you finally make that offer. Get yourself pre-approved. Contact a lender and get a letter of pre-approval and for an agreed upon loan amount. Visit our prequalification page for help.

4. Find that perfect home. Enlist a competent Realtor to help you. You can start your search by using our MLS Search . This step may take longer than you think, make sure you take your time and find the right property.

5. Choose a property for purchase and have your Realtor do a comparative market analysis on it. This will give you an idea of the true value of the home and gives you a stronger negotiating stance.

6. After you find that perfect property, its time to decide on a price and make an offer. Make sure you discuss any contingencies that need to be present in the offer before it is made. Ask the seller to provide a homeowners warranty.

7. Offer and counter offer . This is the fun part for some, the worst part for others. Once you and the seller come to an agreement, the contract is signed.

8. Contact your mortgage lender and fax them the signed sales contract, it usually takes between 30-40 days for the mortgage lender to actually close on the loan.

9. The Realtor will handle all details from here on out including inspections, appraisal, coordination of the title and mortgage companies and closing.

10. The day of or the day before closing, you do the final walk through of your new home.

11. Closing day arrives. You sign all the paperwork, hand over your down payment and you are handed keys to your new home.

12. Move in and enjoy your new home!

When you are ready to take that first step, we are ready. Give us a call or email us and we can get started. If you like you can fill out the contact form below and ask us any questions you wish.

[ Back ]