A recap of the buying process...

Let's talk about it

Congrats! You have already accomplished step 1 and we are well on our way to establishing your specific game plan for buying your new home! We will continue to guide you through the pre-approval process and will continue to work with you on updating your goals, timelines, home search criteria, deal breakers, must haves and all the things that are important to you.

I'll set you up on a digital home search based on the criteria discussed at your initial consult. From there, we'll coordinate in person or virtual showings based on listings you're interested in that match your criteria. *24 hour notice possibly required for showings. 

We're only human, so if any of your criteria changes during the time it takes, please let me know and I can update your search for you. 

It is so helpful for you to share your faves with me from the Homesnap app. This app is connected to our MLS and has the most up to date information. Some of the other apps have outdated information, so I am happy to look into homes and see if they are 'under contract.'  Please do not press 'book an appointment' on an app like zillow, realtor.com, trulia, because this starts another conversation with a new agent, who is NOT the listing agent. Please direct questions about homes to me and I will find out more information. 

First, we need to talk strategy. Are there other offers on the table, how long has the home been on the market, how does the list price compare to other homes in the area, what can we do to accommodate the sellers, what is the assessed value, etc. How do these compare to the goals we discussed in our initial consultation and what contingencies do we need to include? We'll use digital signatures to sign offer docs.

Be prepared to negotiate with the sellers. They may counter our offer on price, closing date, inclusions, etc. From here we'll determine our next steps and proceed accordingly. *It's important not to let your emotions get involved here. We need to look at this logically so you can make smart real estate decisions.

All offer documentation will be forwarded to your lender. You will submit your earnest money to the sellers (typically within 3 days of ratification), start your loan application and schedule your home inspection (if applicable). I'll be sending you a timeline of dates and deadlines along with weekly updates to keep you on track and in the loop.

I will share my list of Home Inspector recommendations but feel free to choose anyone who is licensed in the state of Virginia. They will coordinate a date and time to do your in person home inspection and share a digital report following the inspection. I encourage you to attend the inspection and learn as much as you can about the house. The cost of the inspections vary - home is about $500-800, well is about $100, pest is about $40-50, septic is about $800-1000. These are all up front costs.

You will start the loan application process with your lender and submit all required documentation. They will then order an Appraisal to be done by an independent 3rd party Appraiser to verify the market value of the home. This is usually paid up from and is about $500 

Between now and closing is when we'll need to make sure all contingencies in the offer have been satisfied. If there were repairs required from the home inspection, a home sale contingency on your end, other inspections being done, etc. Once these are completed we're almost there!

Once your contingencies have been satisfied and your financing has been approved, you'll receive your final loan commitment and clear to close from the lender. Your lender will reach out to your employer 3 days prior to closing to verify your employment - make sure they can get a hold of your supervisors' information. Our final step prior to closing is to schedule a final walk through of the property. We'll want to go through and make sure everything is as agreed upon with the sellers. Typically, we recommend hiring a professionally cleaning company to clean your new home the day of closing and prior to moving in, so that it's clean and ready for you. 

It's finally closing day! Time to sign all the official paperwork and get the keys to your new home! Plan to arrive to our scheduled place of closing on time and with a check in the amount determined with your lender. Bring Photo IDs and plan to be here for about 45 minutes. Once everything has cleared, you'll receive your keys and are off to celebrate!