• Get an accurate idea of your price range, an estimate of your monthly payments and a pre-approval letter, so sellers will take you seriously when you make an offer.
• Work with your agent to hone your “wants” and “needs” list. Think about what’s most important to you: the location or the house itself.
• Preview homes either through your Pulse Account or with your agent to eliminate those you do not want to see in person.
• You and your agent can plan an itinerary that works with your schedule.

• You and your agent agent typically visit homes together, however we do offer complimentary video and 3-D photo tours should you not want to see any or all homes in person
• Homeowners usually are not home, so you’re free to spend as little or as much time as you want.
• Buyers often have a gut reaction to a home. First impressions count, but you can also consult your agent to learn more about home values and possibly to reevaluate your priorities in the context of what’s available in your price range.

• Sometimes buyers find their future home the first time out and others look at 30 homes before they see one that meets their “must-have” checklist. It’s a good idea to see at least a few alternatives so you have some points of comparison, but sometimes you just know a place is where you want to live. Our agents are happy to show you as many homes as it takes for you to find “the one”, so no worries!

• Look beyond the staging and decorative items to see the features and fixtures that convey with the house.
• Check the condition of the home.
• Keep track with photos and notes in your VRP “My Little Open House” Booklet
• Consider possible home improvements you might want to make so you can research costs later.
• Don’t forget to check out the outside of the property and the neighborhood. Your agent has access to neighborhood insights and data to help inform your decision.
• If the property is a condo or located in a homeowners association, find out the fees and rules to see if you can live with them, your agent can obtain this info for you.

Your agent will have the most up to date buyer agreement and sales agreements that comply with state and local laws.

• The price
• Terms – such as a request for closing cost help or that the offer is subject to your obtaining financing and a home inspection
• Target date for closing
• Earnest money deposit, this will most likely be determined by the sellers
• Request for final walk-through to ensure this is the one
• Time limit for the offer, we recommend 24 hours

• Financing. Unless you’re paying cash, it’s typical to write your offer with a contingency clause that lets you off the hook if you can’t finalize your mortgage within a certain number of days, or if the mortgage terms are to your favor. Even though you have a pre-approval for a loan, it’s smart to protect yourself.
• Home inspection. Your offer can be made dependent on a satisfactory home inspection report within a certain number of days. This protects you if the inspection uncovers expensive necessary repairs.
• Home appraisal. Your offer can be made dependent on a satisfactory appraisal to ensure you are buying your property at a safe price.

In a competitive housing market, you may find yourself competing against other buyers. In that case, your agent is your best ally in strategizing for your offer to be accepted. With access to real-time market data, your agent will know how to best position your offer. If there’s more than one offer, the sellers can:

• Accept the best offer
• Counter all the offers to get a better price and terms
• Counter one offer that’s close to what they want
• You and your agent can work together to find out what’s important to the sellers, such as a specific moving date, and to discuss possibly waiving contingencies, adjusting your price or writing a “love letter” about the house.

• Sellers can accept your offer as is or they can make a counteroffer with an adjustment to some or all of your terms. You can accept or reject the counteroffer and make your own counteroffer. The contract is final once you and the sellers have agreed to all the terms.

Ask your agent to explain the key points in your multi-page contract, such as:

• Accuracy of information, including the correct spelling of your name and the property address
• The effective date of the contract – important because your contingencies have time limits.
• A list of contingencies, such as that the sale depends on financing, an appraisal, a satisfactory home inspection and perhaps the sale of your current home.
• Property disclosure information from the seller, depending on your state laws.
• A complete list of what conveys with the property
• A list of required inspections, such as a home inspection and a pest inspection
• Information about when you can move in.
• In some cases, such as if your offer is contingent on the sale of your home, the seller may add a “kick-out” clause, which means that the seller could accept another offer if one is made before your home is sold.

Your agent can guide you, but you also need to decide how much you want a particular property and what you’re willing to accept to get it. You may want to let go when:

• The appraised value of the home is below your offer
• A home inspection finds defects that would be expensive to repair
• The sellers are unwilling to make reasonable repairs
• You learn about homeowners association rules that won’t work for you

Your agent will help you watch out for:

• Unrealistic deadlines: you’ll need time to arrange a home inspection and receive the report, as well as arrange financing
• Missing deadlines means you lose your chance to end the contract and keep your deposit
• Items that don’t convey with the property: if you’re not sure, ask your agent to confirm
• Communications from your lender

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the most common reasons for contracts to fail or to be delayed are home inspection problems, financing problems or an appraisal issue. Give us a call to help you navigate the complexities of a real estate contract.

As your closing nears, you should:

• If you are utilizing
• Stay in close touch with your agent, lender and title company.
• Avoid lowering your credit score with a new credit application, new accounts or late payments.
• Confirm that your contract contingencies are resolved, including the home inspection, an appraisal and your financing.
• Finalize your homeowner’s insurance policy.
• Gather your down payment and closing cost funds in an accessible account.
• Review your Closing Settlement form, which you’ll receive a few days days before your settlement, and ask questions if you don’t understand something.
• Arrange a wire transfer or get a cashier’s check for the funds you need for the settlement.
• Schedule a walk-through of your new home within 24 hours before your closing to check its condition.

Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork! Allot a few hours for your closing. Bring to the closing:

• A government-issued photo ID
• Proof of homeowner’s insurance
• Your copy of the contract
• All paperwork associated with your loan and the home purchase
• Your cashier’s check or wire transfer confirmation
• Your checkbook for miscellaneous funds that weren’t included on your closing estimate

After your closing:

• Keep all your signed documents in a safe place.
• Avoid lowering your credit score with a new credit application or late payments.
• Change your address.
• Change the locks and security codes on your home
• Review your due dates and new budget.