The Buyer's Guide: The High Level Process to Buy

I’ve been working with a few first time buyer’s lately, and let me tell you, it is a lot of information to not only share, but for my buyer’s to absorb. Along with all that we have going on in our lives, buying a home is no small feat. To get you started, I wanted to share with you a quick rundown on what to anticipate when buying a house.

1. Getting pre-approved

   This 100% the first step, as it not only allows you to budget within a price you feel comfortable, but it determines the search criteria as well. If you have a budget of $1 million, and you have to have three bedrooms and a detached home, then you have less flexibility on location. All the variables matter, and your Realtor can help you define not only what it is you’re looking for, but how to best go about making that happen.

2. Defining your love list

   Now that you know how much money you can spend, especially if you’re buying with someone else, you will want to map out your wants and needs. I’ve created a great YouTube post on this, and I call it your love list. Watch here for all the details on how to create your own.

3. Ducks in a row

   You’ve found the house that you believe is the one … now what!? Make sure your initial deposit (3% of the purchase price) is in liquid form and ready to transfer to escrow upon three days of acceptance, you know your timelines of when you want to close and what you’re willing to move quickly on, ensure you have an updated pre-approval letter from your lender, and a document called ‘proof of funds’. This is just a screenshot of the funds that you will be using for your down payment. All of this will be important to have at the ready once you’re ready to submit, and your Realtor can advise on the rest!

4. Ask questions

   The buying process can be complicated and stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Your Realtor is there to support you not only logistically, but emotionally. Know that there is never a bad question, and it is always important to feel comfortable with the decisions you’re making. Even I don’t know the answers to everything, but I do know I can always find it out, all I have to do is ask.

If you are thinking of buying or selling reach out to me and we can discuss the best path forward. Believe it or not, it isn’t always a good time, depending on your personal circumstances, which I can advise to ensure that you are making the right choice for you.