Our Commitment

A house is the biggest purchase most people will ever make, but most people don't know the best way to buy a home. Finding someone you trust to guide you through this process is vital. Our agents will provide you with the knowledge and combined expertise of 40 years of experience. Working with a skilled agent ensures this momentous investment is right for you. 

Whether you are ready to upgrade, downgrade or invest in that vacation home you have been dreaming of, having the right person to sell your home is vital. Just like in purchasing your home, you want a team of experts behind you that will guide you through this process. From selecting the right listing price to marketing your home, we will be there to make this as stress-free as possible. 

Looking to build your real estate portfolio? Buy that amazing vacation cabin? Finally ready to take the plunge and buy a multi-unit complex? Need help navigating a 1031 Exchange? We are here to help not only with securing that property, but to help you find the right tenants! From negotiating terms to tenant procurement, we are here to help you from start to finish!

There will be a down payment of anywhere between 3.5% to 20% of the purchase price (unless it's a VA loan, which is zero down), but the home buying expenses don't stop there. You may also have to pay closing costs on the loan and impound accounts, and those can add up to several thousand dollars. In some cases, lenders may require several months' worth of mortgage payments in cash reserves.

It is important to set a budget before talking to any mortgage lenders. Add up all of your monthly expenses and subtract it from your take-home pay. Be sure to include savings contributions, lifestyle expenses, and any other expenses that are important to you. This will help you determine what monthly mortgage payment you would be comfortable with. Be sure to discuss this with your lender.

Lenders use your credit score when making their approval decisions, and when deciding on an interest rate for the loan. You should review your credit report in advance for errors, and to make sure there are no surprises.

The lender will pre-qualify you based on your financial situation, down payment and work history. It will determine the maximum loan amount that you qualify for and determine the maximum sales price of the homes to look for. The lender will let you know what items will be needed, will require your full cooperation, and full disclosure of your finances. 99% of all offers are rejected if they do not have a letter from the lender. 

Your agent will pull up a list of similar homes that were recently sold in the same neighborhood and use that data to support your offer. The offer may include contingencies for financing, home inspection, or even make it contingent on the sale of your current home. Included with your offer, you may need your pre-approval letter, and a monetary deposit with a check. This deposit will be held uncashed until the seller accepts the offer or returned if the seller rejects the offer. 

It is strongly recommended that you get both a home inspection and a termite inspection done, especially if you buy a home "as is". You may be able to see the obvious surface flaws of the home, but the home inspection and termite inspection will find what lies beneath the surface. The home inspector will examine the structure of the house, all the installed systems, and identify issues that you may want to consider having corrected before moving forward. The fee for the home inspection varies and is non-refundable. The termite report and “Section 1” repairs will usually be covered by the seller. Even with an inspection, don't forget to request a "One Year Home Protection Plan."  

The mortgage lender will hire a professional appraiser to determine the value of the home. In most cases, the lender has a larger financial stake in the deal, so they want to make sure the house is worth the amount you agreed to pay for it. If the home is worth at least as much as the purchase price, then the lender will move forward with the loan. If the appraisal comes in low, the price will either need to be renegotiated or you can come up with the difference. This fee is usually charged to you and is non-refundable. 

When the loan is submitted to the underwriters of the loan, they may request additional information or documents from you. Be prepared to submit any additional items that may be requested as soon as possible. You should also be patient during this process, newer guidelines are always being imposed in the lending industry, so at times it may seem lengthy and never-ending. 

Once your loan has been approved, loan docs will be ordered. After the loan docs are then prepared, you will have the choice of going to escrow or have a notary come to your home for the signing. Please make sure you review your loan docs to make sure they are what you expected. Escrow will inform you of the amount of funds needed to close, and you should wire the funds from your account directly to the designated account that escrow instructs you to.

Once the loan docs are signed, they are returned to the bank for final review to ensure they have everything required for funding.

When the loan is finally funded, the deed is recorded, which transfers the title for the property from the seller to the buyer. Congratulations, the home is now yours. Arrangements for the keys and possession are then made, escrow will finalize all the closing paperwork, and the sellers will get their proceeds. The final closing statements will be sent where you have instructed them to mail to.