Home Buying Process

Buying a home is an emotional experience. Our home is our escape from the world. A place to raise a family and hopefully build up some equity along the way. It is exciting, sometimes stressful, and often has a few curve balls thrown in the process. But searching for and buying a home can be a nightmare with the wrong real estate agent.

My job is to help you navigate the waters of buying a home, whether it’s your first or your twenty-first, avoid the curve balls, and minimize the stress. I am your advocate, your negotiator, and your trusted advisor making sure you find the right house, at the right price, that meets your needs.

I’ve broken down the home buying process into five areas that are involved starting with Choosing a Real Estate Agent.

In addition, I’ve included a Property Organizer where you can create and manage saved searches and properties. You can also sign up for email alerts that notify you when properties meeting your criteria become available.

Selecting an Agent

If you are planning on buying a home chances are you’ve already done some searching on your own. The internet is full of home search portals such as Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and more. To be honest, these are a good starting point but unfortunately their information is limited and not always up-to-date, especially when it comes to pricing. Just for fun read Zillow’s disclaimer sometime.

The first step in your home buying adventure should be selecting a competent real estate agent. Someone to not only find your dream home but to represent your best interest. I just happen to know one… me! I am Queen Creek’s Hometown Realtor and local market expert.

Not only can I get you the most up-to-date real estate listings I can tailor the search by neighborhood, price, features, school district, time on market, and the list goes on. I have access to pricing history, market trends, and other useful information to help you make an informed choice. No wonder statistics prove that you’ll be more successful in finding your dream home at the right price with your own personal real estate agent

I work for you

As a licensed real estate agent in Arizona, I have a fiduciary responsibility to act at all times, solely in the best interest of my client, excluding all other interest, even my own. In other words, when you employ me as your real estate agent I put your interest ahead of mine, and that’s the way it should be. I take this duty very seriously and consider it an honor to be entrusted to help you find, negotiate for, and purchase your dream home.

When I represent you as your buyer’s agent my services cost you nothing. I am paid by the seller of the home but my loyalty is strictly to you.

As your real estate agent I…

Take the time to listen and to truly understand your needs and goals.
I explain everything thoroughly, in plain language, so you are never in the dark or caught off guard.
I know how to find great properties in your price range.
I will advise you on the best price to offer when you find the right home.
I will prepare and present the offer to the seller’s agent and skillfully negotiate the details such as price, conditions, closing dates and the like.
I can also recommend reputable lenders, home inspectors, movers, and other professionals in your area.

And most important, make sure you choose an agent who you feel comfortable with. Someone who you know will watch your back and treat every transaction as if it were his/her very own. This is how I do business.

Next Steps

The best way to select the right real estate agent is to meet face-to-face. This way we can ask questions and determine if we are a good fit. Let’s face it, some folks just don’t work well together or see eye-to-eye, so let’s get together and find out!

To schedule some time for us to get to know each other, please call or email me, or complete the form below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Arrange Financing

The first step I recommend, even before starting your search, is to get a Mortgage Pre-Approval. By getting a pre-approval you will be confident in knowing that you can afford the homes you are viewing, you will not waste time looking at homes you can’t afford, and:

It lets you know how much home you can afford so you don’t waste time looking at homes that are outside your range.
Helps ensure you won’t have problems arranging financing
It’s also a sign to sellers that you are a serious, qualified buyer.

During the pre-approval process, you may discover items on your credit file that need addressing. A competent lender will help you resolve these issues.

You can arrange for a Mortgage Pre-Approval with your bank or lender of your choice, but I encourage you to work with a local lender whenever possible. Once pre-approved you lender will provide you with a pre-approval document. Most sellers will require this document when submitting an offer to buy their home.

I’m well-connected in the local real estate market os if you need a referral to a reputable broker or lender please contact me.

Viewing Homes

As your Realtor® one of my most important duties is to make your home shopping process as easy and painless as possible.

Once we identify your wants and needs I will set up a direct portal into the same MLS system I use. From there you will receive daily email updates on homes meeting your criteria. This email will reflect new listings, listings that have been sold or gone under contract, and listings that have had a change in price.

But my job doesn’t stop there. In addition to searching the MLS, I also notify the other 250+ agents in my office of your search criteria. They often know of homes coming but not yet listed for sale. Our entire time goes to work to find you a home. I have also been known to reach out to agents I am familiar with from other companies to increase my odds.

When we find homes you are interested in I will provide you with in-depth details about the home before we view it so that you can make an informed decision. This information will include when it last sold, market value, and more.

I will schedule showing around your schedule to minimize any inconvenience.

When you find a property you like I will give you my honest, professional opinion about the property.

As your Realtor® I’m here with you through the entire process, beginning to end, making sure to represent your best interest.

What to Look for when Viewing a Property

Here are a few questions and ideas to consider when viewing homes to help make the process easier and more productive:

Does the home have your “needs” features (those features you must have)? (For example, number of bedrooms, closet space, kitchen size, etc.)
Does the home have any of your “wants” features (those features you’d like to have but would be willing to forgo)? (For example, large backyard deck, spacious family room, etc.)
What is the general condition of the home? (Are there signs that the owners have kept up with repairs and maintenance?)
Will the home need any major repairs, remodeling or renovations? Is there anything, such as the furnace, that may need to be replaced soon?
What do you like most about the home?
Is there anything about the home you don’t like? Can that be changed with a remodeling or renovation now or in the future?
Take a walk around the neighborhood. Are the homes well-kept, indicating pride of ownership?
Do you like where the home is situated in the neighborhood?
Does the neighborhood have what you want? (For example, access to public transit, shopping, local parks, etc.)

Viewing properties should never be a frustrating ordeal. It’s my job to help make the process easy and productive for you, so you can find the home you want.

Ready to get started? Call, email, or complete the form below and let me know more about the kind of home you’re looking for.

Making an Offer

When you find that perfect home that you really want the next step is to prepare and submit the offer. You might worry that someone else will scoop it before you but don’t worry. My job as your real estate agent is to make sure you get that perfect home at a price that works for you.

The Offer is the documentation I present to the seller’s agent outlining the price you are willing to pay along with any contingencies (conditions).

The price we offer is critical. You want the price to reflect the true market value of the home so the seller will take you seriously but you don’t want to overpay for the home either.

How the Offer Process Works

This is what typically happens when you make an offer on a home.
I will suggest a price that has the best chance of being accepted by the seller without overpaying for the home.
I may also suggest some conditions be included for your protection such as passing a home inspection, appraisal, and financing.
I will prepare the offer and have you sign it (usually digitally) and present it to the listing agent.
If the offer is not accepted the seller may make a counter-offer. If that happens we will discuss the counter offer and determine the next steps.
Once we reach an agreement I’ll help you schedule any inspections, appraisals, etc.
Once all the terms of the offer are met we meet with the Title company and sign the proper paperwork and the home is transferred to you.

This can often be a stressful time but my job is to minimize the stress. Rest assured that you have a professional in your corner who knows how to get deals done. I will take care of making sure every detail is handled and that we keep on schedule for a successful closing.

Have questions? Interested in finding a home of your own? Just submit the form below, email me, or give me a call.

Closing the Deal

Once your offer has been accepted, the conditions waived and a closing date has been set, you’ll be ready to start packing!

But that doesn’t mean the work stops. There is a multitude of things I’ll do to make sure things go smoothly and we close on time. I’ll take care of all the administrative tasks, work with the seller’s agent, your lender and the title company to ensure all the necessary paperwork has been completed and submitted.

If you need help finding a good lawyer, insurance agent, moving company, doctor, barber, mechanic, dentist, or the best little hole in the wall diner, I’m your guy! Being Queen Creek’s Hometown Realtor® I’m well connected and that means you are well connected.

Now, sit back, relax, and leave the driving to me.

If you have questions about the home buying process please feel free to call, email, or complete the form below. I’ll get back to you right away.