Buying a home is a complex journey with thousands of decisions to be made along the way. Guidance you can count on is essential to buying a new home and negotiating the best price.

9 Steps of Successful Buying Strategy

  1. Define Your Goals, Research Your Options, Make Your Plans.

  2. Get Pre-Approved for a Loan

  3. Set Your Budget

  4. View Homes

  5. Make an Offer and Negotiate with the Seller

  6. Review the Title Commitment

  7. Schedule a Home Inspection & Approval

  8. Secure Your Financing

  9. Close the Deal

Getting a Home Loan

Pre Approval: Meet with a Lender and authorize them to examine your current financial situation and credit history. You will receive document detailing the amount you can borrow to buy a home. Need a referral? Shoot us a message and we will put you in touch with some of the best!

TIPS:
- Be prepared to submit the following documents: W-2 or 1099’s, current pay stubs, copies or current mortgage(s), tax returns, bank statements and other debt
- Be sincere about your financial situation
- Be realistic about how much you can pay each month

Viewing Homes

While most home searches begin online, it is still important to view homes in person. While the property details may seem similar online, homes can be very different in terms of layout, design, workmanship and other aspects.

The key to the home search process is knowing what you're looking for and distinguishing between “must-haves” and “like-to-haves.” Having a member of the ATS team with you can help you notice things you might miss, provide expert analysis and act as an impartial sounding board. With direct access to Matrix and an office full of experienced listing brokers, you will gain access to homes that you might not be able to find on your own.

Once we’ve identified your specific needs, we will set you up on a customized Matrix search that is interactive so you can delete or favorite properties and make notes.

Making the Offer

When you find the home you want to buy, it's time to make an offer. With your input, we will write-up your purchase contract to officially make the offer that includes:

  • Sale Price

  • Earnest Money Deposit Amount

  • Terms of Purchase

  • Preferred Closing

  • Possession Dates and Other Conditions.  

You should carefully review these dates and terms with us to be sure they accurately express your intended offer. We are happy to address all of your questions along the way to be sure you understand.

Once your offer is written, we will present it to the listing broker for them to present to the seller. It may be accepted, countered or rejected. If your offer is not accepted as-is, we will help you through the negotiations for the counteroffer.

Inspection & Property Appraisal

Inspection
A professional home inspection is crucial to the buying process. It will give you an evaluation of the overall condition of the home and items that need to be repaired and/or replaced. Inspectors are trained to identify all observable defects in a property, report them accurately and recommend the most appropriate way of addressing these conditions. Once this is complete, you can request that the seller:

  1. Make the needed repairs/replacements in the Inspection Objection

  2. Purchase the property as-is

  3. Terminate the contract

Tip: Radon testing, Sewer scopes and Roof certifications are common for buyers to have performed on the home they are purchasing.

Appraisal
If you are using a mortgage to purchase your home, your lender will require an appraisal to ensure that the value of the property is in line with the price you are paying. The licensed appraiser will visit the home and compare it to other similar homes that have recently sold nearby. If the appraised value is lower than the contract price then you and your broker will try to negotiate the selling price based on the appraisal value. Other options would be:

  1. Pay the contract price knowing that the value has been determined to be lower

  2. Terminate the contract

Closing DAY

Once you have completed all of these parts of the buying process, you are ready to close. Key steps at this point include:

The Final Walk-Thru
You can look at the home one last time to make sure it’s in the same condition as when you signed the sale agreement.

The Settlement
On the Closing Date, you will meet with an escrow agent to verify and sign all the paperwork required to complete the transaction. Here you will take care of paying closing costs, legal fees, property adjustments, and transfer taxes. After this is complete, you will receive the property title and copies of all documentation.

Celebrate!
You are a new homeowner!