Let's FindYou a House

The Buying Process

Step One: Finances

• Gather your documents
• Obtain pre-approval or proof of funds from the lender
• Source your down payment funds
• Prepare for any additional costs, such as the home inspection (about $500) and appraisal (about $700)

Step Two: Home Search

• Sign the buyer's broker agreement with your agent
• Preview potential properties online
• Schedule showings and view the properties you are most interested in

Step Three: Under Contract

• Write an offer to purchase on your favorite property
• Negotiate the terms of the offer and accept the contract
• Schedule the home inspection according to the timeline in the contract
• Deposit earnest money and complete your loan application within the designated time frame (we will discuss dates for these)

Step Four: Due Diligence

• Conduct inspections
• Resolve and negotiate any issues from the inspection
• Your lender will order the appraisal
• Obtain homeowners insurance

Step Five: Closing Time

• The title company will conduct a title search and order the survey
• Call and set up utilities, and make sure service starts the day of closing
• Receive your closing statement and clear to close
• Wire funds to the closing company
• Conduct a final walk-through of the property
• Meet the escrow closer and sign for the home
• Closing day: get your keys, it's all yours!
• Leave your fav Realtor a 5-star review! Hehe :)

The Buyer's Broker Agreement

A Buyer's Broker Agreement (also called a Buyer Representation Agreement) is a written contract between you, the buyer, and your real estate agent. It outlines how your agent will represent you, what services they'll provide, and how they'll be compensated. It also clarifies the working relationship so everyone is on the same page from the start.

But do I haaaave to sign it? YES. If an agent is willing to show homes without signing this, they can get in BIG TROUBLE. Realtors have to adhere to state and brokerage legal requirements. Real estate laws and brokerage policies now require written consent before agents can show homes, write offers, or represent a buyer in negotiations. This protects everyone involved and keeps your transaction compliant.

It clearly states how your agent is paid, whether by the seller, the listing brokerage, or you, so there are no surprises at closing. This became especially important after recent national commission lawsuits that changed how commissions are disclosed and paid.

So who pays commission? Glad you asked! Once you sign the agreement, your agent is legally and ethically bound to represent your best interests, not the seller's. It is the buyer's responsibility, but it is often negotiated into the offer. Commissions are ALWAYS negotiable. Your agent will discuss this in further detail. Always ask if you have ANY questions before signing ANYTHING.

Transaction coordinator: a TC keeps your deal on track once you're under contract. Deadlines, paperwork, and signatures are all handled so nothing slips. $425, paid at closing, for a smooth, organized process from contract to keys.

Under Contract

You found the one and put an offer in! Here's a quick rundown on what happens after you make an offer and your new home is “under contract.”

Step one: my transaction coordinator will send you and all involved parties an email within one business day going over all the details and important dates. I will carefully review the timeline and all important dates with you right away to make sure we're all on the same page moving forward!

Step two: I will contact your lender to loop them in on the process. I recommend following up with them as well to firm up financing details and lock in your fixed interest rate.

Step three: you will be responsible for submitting your earnest money to the title company or escrow closer. We will get you in touch with them so you have the address and contact info for where to wire your funds. You may also submit your earnest money as a personal check or cashier's check. Please keep in mind that wire fraud is VERY real, so make sure to double and triple check with the title officer that you have all the right info before sending ANNNNY money.

Step four: we will schedule the home inspection within the time frame designated in your offer. Inspectors are VERY thorough. You do NOT need to attend, because the inspector will give us a full PDF report with pictures of all findings. We will then go over it together and address any concerns.

Home Inspection

What is a home inspection? The inspection will uncover any issues in the home that would otherwise be unknown. You will receive a written report of the inspection with pictures of everything the inspector finds, so you do not need to be there. The cost for the inspection is around $500.

What does the “inspection period” mean? The length of the inspection period is determined when we make the offer and is written into the contract. The buyer has the right to hire a professional to inspect the condition of the home. You as the buyer and I as your agent will each get a copy of the report. We do NOT share it with the seller or listing agent unless you give permission. If the inspection report comes back with issues that need to be addressed, the buyer may ask the seller to cover the costs of the repairs, reduce the sales price, or fix the repairs before closing. If an agreement can't be made, the buyer has the right to back out of the contract and get the earnest money back with no consequences. But it MUST be within this time period.

Do I REALLY need a home inspection?! 1000000% YES. You may think the home is in great shape, but some of the costliest problems are often invisible to the untrained eye: leaks, foundation issues, poor ventilation, faulty wiring, and more. A home inspection gives you the chance to have a professional find any problems that need to be addressed, replaced, or fixed before you purchase the home.

Does the seller repair the items we find? Great question! This is where we draft a document called the Notice of Required Repairs (NORR). We can ask the seller to fix any and all items. They have the right to say no, but if it would cause the deal to fall apart, they are usually on board to cooperate and negotiate. If they stated in the offer or counteroffer “the seller will make no repairs,” then it is unlikely they will fix anything.

Appraisal FAQs

An appraisal is a professional assessment of the value of the property by a licensed, unbiased appraiser. This is a major piece of the transaction. It will be ordered by your lender and paid for by you, the buyer (unless otherwise negotiated in the offer). The goal of the appraisal is to verify the value of the property for the lender and to protect you from overpaying. The contract is contingent on whether the appraisal comes in at or above the purchase price.

What happens if the home doesn't appraise? A house “appraises low” if the value assessed by the appraiser is lower than the purchase price agreed to between the buyer and seller. The appraisal is a snapshot of the appraiser's opinion of the current market value based on similar closed sales in the area. When the appraised value comes in below the contract price, it limits the amount a lender will finance, because the lender will not lend more than the appraised value. With a low appraisal, the buyer and seller negotiate new terms or the deal does not proceed. In some cases the seller agrees to sell at the appraised value; in other cases the buyer pays the difference. The outcome depends on the parties involved, the power of negotiating skills, and the willingness of the seller.

Title, Escrow & Earnest Money

What is a title company and what exactly do they do? The title company conducts a title search to make sure the property is legitimate and to find any outstanding mortgage liens, judgments, restrictions, easements, leases, unpaid taxes, or anything else that would impact your ownership. Once the title is found to be valid, the title company issues a title insurance policy, which protects lenders or owners against claims or legal fees that may arise over ownership of the property. This is also part of your closing costs. Having a good title company is vital. You want one with a great reputation.

What is escrow? Escrow will hold your earnest money deposit, coordinate all paperwork between the buyer, seller, lender, and title company, make sure all terms of the purchase contract are met before anyone gets paid, and disburse funds (like paying the seller, agent commissions, and closing costs) only after closing. Think of escrow as the referee of the transaction: neutral, organized, and making sure everyone follows the rules. In short, escrow means safely managing the money and documents until the home officially becomes yours.

What is earnest money? Your earnest money is a “good faith” deposit that shows you're seriously interested in the home and willing to put this money on the line to show it. Earnest money is typically 1% of the purchase price. These funds are due shortly after your offer is accepted and are held by the escrow closer in a neutral account until closing. Your earnest money is applied to the purchase. It is not “extra” money.

Please keep in mind: do NOT make any major job changes, major purchases, or open new credit cards or lines of credit, as any of these could change your qualification for a loan. And please do not CLOSE any lines of credit or credit cards before you talk to your lender, as this can have just as much of a negative effect on your credit as opening new accounts.

What does clear to close mean? This is the final part of the mortgage process. It means the mortgage underwriter has officially approved all the documentation required to fund the loan. Again, having the best team in place (lender, Realtor, and title company) is KEY to closing the deal.

New Construction

Before you go anywhere near a model home or a sales desk, call me.

With most builders, adding your Realtor after that first solo visit is somewhere between painfully hard and completely impossible. I've watched builders decide they'd rather lose a buyer entirely than let them bring me in after the fact.

You want to know why they fight so hard to keep you unrepresented? Because I know how to negotiate with builders. I know what's really on the table, where the money's hiding, and how to pull it out of them. That's exactly what they don't want sitting across from them at that desk. Walk in alone and start negotiating for yourself, and I promise you, you're leaving money on the table you didn't even know was there.

That nice person at the sales office? They work for the builder. Every single answer they give is built to protect the builder's bottom line. Not yours. Never yours. You need somebody in your corner whose only job is YOU, and that's me.

So many people think they don't need an agent for new construction. Wrong. Flat wrong. It's one of the most expensive assumptions you can make. Best part? Having me on your side costs you nothing, because the builder pays my commission. You get a fierce advocate for free, and you'd walk in without one? Not on my watch.

Now Let's Talk About That Financing

Builders push their in-house lender hard, and there's a reason. Those shiny incentives they're waving at you, the closing cost credits, the upgrades, the fixed-rate buy-downs, are almost always tied to getting approved through THEIR lender. What they leave out is that their lender is often tougher to get approved with than a traditional one. So if your approval hits a snag, you're not just risking the loan. You're risking every incentive attached to it.

And that, honey, is exactly where I come in. If you don't qualify the first time around, I know how to get you there. I've got the relationships, the lending partners, and the game plan to get that money, honey. That's the whole reason you want me in this before you ever sit down. More on buying new construction.

Real Estate Terms

Contingent: when a house is listed as contingent, an offer has been made and accepted, but some additional criteria must be met before the deal is complete.

Deed: a legal document that transfers property ownership from one person to another. The deed to a home is also known as the title, and it is the written proof of who owns it.

Escrow/title officer: the person at the title company responsible for completing the escrow transaction by determining requirements, clearing title, preparing and reviewing closing documents, and disbursing funds.

Earnest money: a deposit for the home purchase held by a third party (NOT the seller or buyer), typically the closing company or an attorney. This deposit goes toward your down payment at closing.

HOA fee: a fee paid by homeowners to an association in their community that goes toward costs such as, but not limited to, water and sewer, property maintenance, electricity, and community amenities.

Home warranty: a contract covering repairs and replacements on systems and appliances in your home.

On record: the magic words when you finally own your new home! It means all of the documents have recorded, and the county records now show YOU as the new owner.