Ready to start looking for a home?
Regardless of how many properties you have purchased in the past, the rules, regulations and ongoing contract and promulgated form updates make the experience of buying a home a little bit different each year. It is important you have someone to represent YOUR interests, goals, objectives and time frame.
One of the most important steps when purchasing a home is choosing a Realtor wisely. The competition in Austin and surrounding markets is fierce among buyers at all levels. Having an experienced and knowledgeable agent guide you through the offer, contract and closing process is huge. Having someone at your side who has done this hundreds of times, over the course of many years means you will have an expert to guide you through the negotiations, get you to closing with ease and expectations for your move. Finding the house is only the beginning! Knowing how to get it under contract and seal the deal is important in the Central Texas real estate market.
Working with buyers over the years, Kimberly has streamlined the process. It begins with developing a plan of what the buyer wants. There is a bit of paperwork to get out of the way as you get started, and Kimberly makes that simple. In the spirit of keeping it as simple as 1-2-3, below are three of the most important steps to get you on the road to home ownership.
make a plan
- Get pre-qualified at minimum and set a time to get pre-approved. It’s important that you see homes within your price range so you aren’t comparing your options to a home that is not available in your price point. “Nobody wants to go back to the farm once they’ve seen Paris.”
- Understand the difference between pre-qualification versus pre-approval:
- You can Pre-Qualify and determine a budget simply by speaking with a lender on the phone.
- You can become Pre-Approved to purchase a home and receive a letter of reference about your qualification by going through the pre-approval process and submitting an application and required documents. This can be done online or in person.
- Defining the wish list of your future home’s criteria.
- Set a time to discuss your home search and expectations with your Realtor
tour homes
- When will you be home searching during your week? Request time frames up front so your expectations are met.
- Are you pre-approved and ready to make an offer – you’ll need that approval letter for any seller to take your offer seriously.
- You might ride in the car with your Realtor or meet at properties. Kimberly will set appointments and schedule to get you into the homes you want to see.
Contract. Write an offer on a home.
- Again, is that pre-approval letter ready?
- Kimberly will walk you through each page of the contract and help you understand the offer. There are things to consider like home warranty, closing costs, multiple offer situations and more.
- Once under contract Kimberly will help you set inspections and get through the option period negotiations, appraisal process, and on to closing day. There is so much to consider as you purchase a home.
There are several key components when buying a home:
- Understanding property values
- Understanding the process
- Negotiating: When to push harder and when to pull back
- Protecting client interests first
Below is a helpful flow chart to see the process of buying a home.
(click to enlarge)
