Buying a home can be an overwhelming process. From financing to negotiating to closing, there are a lot of moving pieces that can leave homebuyers bewildered.
As your REALTOR for life and someone with both a mortgage, real estate and closing background, I can help guide you through each step of the buying process. I will offer sound advice every step of the way. By working with a professional agent who knows the ins and outs of the mortgage and real estate industry, you’ll not only end up with a great home, but you’ll also walk away with a great experience.
Step 1 – Getting pre-approved by a lender
With my background in mortgage compliance and education, I will help you find several mortgage originators to choose from that will really work with you to get the best mortgage to fit your needs. You will provide them some basic information about your income, savings, and debt, and they will assist you in getting pre-approved by a reputable lender. They will carefully go over your financing options, what monthly payment amount you can afford, and what you can expect for down payment requirements and closing costs.
Step 2 – Choosing a home
For most buyers, choosing a home is an emotional process. I can assist you in this process by offering objective information about each property we look at to make sure that you are getting a home that meets your needs. From local community information like schools and zoning to home-specific details like condition and amenities, I will help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Step 3 – Making an offer
Once you’ve found the home of your dreams, I will research recent comparable sales of similar homes in the area to help determine a fair selling price. Based on those comparable sales, as well as other factors like inspections and repairs, I will then help you structure an offer and negotiate to get the very best deal possible.
Step 4 – Inspections
Once the home goes under contract, I will guide you through the process of getting home inspections taken care of by quality professionals. Even when you are buying a new home or going through the construction process, the inspector represents YOU and will point out all of the things you never thought to notice so that you know exactly what you are buying. Sometimes, this also requires that we negotiate for the seller or builder to complete certain repairs.
Step 5 – Mortgage approval
Now that you have your home under contract, you will continue working with the mortgage originator who provided your pre-approval to finalize the loan application. Within a few days, the lender will send you a statement of your closing costs called the Loan Estimate or LE for short. Please share this with me so that I can review it with you and answer any questions about it. I had nearly two decades in the mortgage business and still teach mortgage originator classes. I will happily answer any questions that you have along the way. You will need to provide the lender with all of the documentation they request so that all of the loan requirements can be met. The goal is to get to the “clear to close” stage where the lender will then draw closing documents for you to sign.
Step 6 – Closing
Closing (or settlement) can be a complicated process. You met all of the requirements of the lender and now it’s time to finalize the whole transaction and get the keys to your new home. A few days before closing, the lender will send you a statement of your closing costs called the Closing Disclosure or CD for short. Please share this with me so that together we can compare it to the Loan Estimate and ensure that all of the closing costs are being properly allocated between you and the seller.
In Texas, the title company handles the actual closing process and signing all the documents. I also used to do closings for title companies many years ago, so I have the experience and background to know what you are signing. I will help ensure that everything goes smoothly and I try to attend ALL of my closings. I will not leave you alone in the process!
