There aren’t many things in life that are as exciting as buying a home. Whether it’s your first home or your tenth, the feeling is always equally as exhilarating. As fun as the process is, there are several important steps to the process of finding and buying a home that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Connect with Jeanne
The first, and most important step, is to find a professional REALTOR® to represent you. Jeanne can help, call or text her at 978-478-8656.
Get pre-approved for a home loan
After connecting with Jeanne, the next step is to get pre-approved with a mortgage broker. If you don’t already have a mortgage broker, Jeanne is happy to put you in touch with one of her trusted mortgage professionals. After meeting with your mortgage broker you will have a clear understanding of what your home buying budget is. And with your budget in hand, you’re now ready to start the next (and most fun!) part of the process: the search.
Search for a home
Jeanne will help you get your home search started by discussing your home search parameters. Not only will you talk about how many bedrooms, baths and square feet your perfect home should have, she will also guide you in looking at school statistics, the job market, property taxes, entertainment/leisure opportunities, commute times, public transportation options, crime statistics, and a multitude of other things you should be considering. A home purchase, for most people, is one of the biggest investments they will make in their life, so it’s important to take a little time with your agent to make sure you’re considering all of the factors.
Once you have decided on the major criteria for your home (e.g. price, bedrooms, baths, square footage, location) Jeanne will plug those items into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) search engine so that you are notified immediately when new listings that match your criteria hit the market. The goal is to make the process of searching for a home as fun and simple as possible.
Looking at homes with Jeanne
Once you have identified a home that you’re interested in, Jeanne will set up an appointment with the seller and will tour the home with you.
Make an offer
After you’ve identified the perfect home for you, Jeanne will start the process of preparing an offer with the terms that fit your budget and other requirements. She is patient and will take as much time as is necessary to make you completely comfortable with the contract terms. Jeanne will also review the sales of comparable homes nearby to ensure that you are paying fair market value for the home. Once the offer is prepared, she will contact the seller’s broker to present your offer.
Following the transaction through to closing
Before your offer is accepted by the seller, Jeanne will have discussed with you important aspects of the transaction process such as negotiation, home inspection, financing, escrow, and title insurance. While it is important that you understand the different aspects of a real estate transaction, it is even more important that you are working with a real estate professional that has the experience to take you through the various stages of the process with confidence and the highest level of competence. Jeanne will do just that, and will be with you every step of the way until the exciting moment at closing when she has the pleasure of handing you the keys to your new home!