Let’s Find Home
Your step-by-step timeline to purchasing a home.
1. Find Your Agent: Buying a home is going to be one of the most important decisions you will make. Who you hire as your buyer agent matters. It will impact how much advice, inside access, and information you’ll receive. Bianca, along with her team at Coldwell Banker, is committed to finding you the right home, at the right time, and the right price. She’ll be your overzealous advocate throughout the entire process.
2. Get Pre-Approved: Your #1 home buying preparation tool is going to be getting a pre-approval letter. Unless you are paying with all cash, you’ll need this pre-approval for a few reasons; (1) A pre-approval letter helps us to determine an appropriate price range for what you’re willing to pay, (2) A pre-approval letter identifies you as a serious home buyer, and (3) A pre-approval letter will make the mortgage process smoother and faster. But don’t worry. We’ll work together to find lenders and receive your pre-approval.
3. Your Home Search: Where will you find homes for sale? Online, websites like Zillow or Realtor.com, open houses, a custom search set up on a local MLS through your agent and off-market or coming soon listings. Some of these you’re able to find on your own & others you specifically need a real estate agent to get you access. When you work with Bianca, she’ll start by setting you up on a custom search to find listed AND coming soon homes before they reach the online sites like Zillow. Bianca will not only scour the listed properties, but will find the off-market listings that fit your search criteria to view. Increasing the inventory available to you! Once we discover the properties that are right for you, it is now time to view them. Bianca will visit right along side you at open houses and private viewings to ensure nothing goes missed and all your questions are answered, even the questions you didn’t know you should ask.
4. Disclosures Review: Disclosures refers to the set documents that sellers and the listing agent are required to complete and provide buyers regarding the property they’re selling. This package can be daunting and hard to understand if reviewing on your own. Bianca will walk you through the necessary paperwork and help you to truly understand what you’re reading.
5. Submit an Offer: In a hot market, writing an offer can be disheartening. A buyer’s agent will help you in understanding what will be your best offer on your dream property! Bianca will work with you to draft the offer letter, submit all necessary paperwork and negotiate on your behalf.
6. Escrow: The escrow process occurs between the time a seller accepts an offer and the buyer takes possession of the home. A neutral 3rd party will hold the earnest money and any other payment associated with the transaction. Once all of the contingencies are cleared, all the forms reviewed and signed off and the terms of the contract have been completed, the escrow officer will prepare the closing documents. Once moved to the seller & buyer the transaction can close.
7. The Mortgage Process: Your realtor will be able to connect you to a local, trusted lender that will explain and walk you through the entire mortgage process. Your lender will walk you through the down payment process, loan options, other fees associated with buying a home and connect you to trusted vendors, like a home insurance agent. Both your lender and your realtor are your trusted advisors who will advocate for you through the process.
8. Final Walk-Through & Close of Escrow: Before you sign your closing papers you get a chance to have a final walk through of the property. This walkthrough is to make sure that no damage has occurred since your last home inspection. It is also a time to ensure all agreed upon improvements and fixes have been completed. Lastly, you want to make sure that nothing included in the purchase agreement has been removed from the home.
