Home Buyers

1. Determine Your Why

When deciding to buy a home it is important to determine your why. While everyone should aspire to own their own home it is important to understand why you want to make the leap.

Are you starting a family, have you outgrown your current home and would like more space, are you a first time homebuyer that is looking to start building equity, looking to relocate in or out of Florida, or just be closer to loved ones.

Whatever your reasons may be, it is important to share your goals with us so that we can support you and help you find the perfect place that you can call home.

2. Talk With A Lender

Speaking with a lender before beginning your home search is highly recommended. Florida is becoming an increasingly popular place to live and Florida has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade. With increased interest buyers looking to purchase a home in Florida should know what they can qualify for, making the home search more productive and enjoyable. 

As your Florida real estate agent, I will never pressure you into a home that you can’t afford and will set up a tailored home search so that we can find the perfect home for you, one that meets your needs, wants and your budget. 

Before beginning your home search I recommend obtaining a pre-qualification letter as it improves the strength of an offer should you find the right home and having a prequalification letter can indicate to the seller that you are serious about purchasing the home. Without a prequalification letter or DU, most sellers will not even consider your offer, which may mean you could lose the home to another buyer.

3. Start Your Home Search

Now it’s time for the exciting part, starting your home search. As your Realtor® I will work diligently to send you the most up to date listings. As a licensed real estate broker, I have access to the most relevant and modern real estate tools to ensure I have the most recent listings and information to share with my clients. As a member of GFLR, I can set up specially tailored searches that are specific to you and your home buying goals. 

4. You Found A Home, Time To Write An Offer

We have found a home for you and it’s time to pull out the preapproval letter and make an offer. As your Realtor®, I will act as your guide through the offer writing process. A few things we will review include other similar properties that are up for sale or recently sold, the general condition of the property, and market conditions that may affect an offer price and our negotiation strategy. 

The closing date, any financial contingencies, inspection reports and concessions will be additional variables to discuss when writing an offer. Once you have reviewed and agreed upon the offer, we will deliver the offer to the seller and await a response. 

5. Offer Accepted, Time for Due Diligence

Great news, your offer has been accepted! Now that the seller has accepted your offer, we will need to promptly deposit earnest money into an escrow account which begins the due diligence process. 

I will work with you to hire inspectors, review the title history, survey, neighborhood covenants and deed restrictions. Homeowners insurance quotes should also be obtained at this time. Once the inspections are complete we will evaluate these reports with you and determine whether repair bids from contractors and repair concessions from the Seller should be pursued.  If the condition of the property terms of the contract are acceptable to you we will proceed to closing!

**It is extremely important if your acquiring a loan that your financial situation remains constant, holding off on making large purchases on a credit card like furniture and other luxury items. Avoid buying another vehicle especially if your getting a loan because this can cause your “Debt to Income Ratio” to increase.

6. The Closing

In a typical 30-45 day escrow period you will close about 2 weeks after the due diligence and inspection process has been completed. 

There are a few items to complete in advance of your closing date. This includes scheduling utility transfers, booking the movers, and collecting moving boxes.

While you are preparing for the big day I will monitor the process of loan underwriting to ensure final loan approval is obtained on time. On the day of closing we will perform a final walkthrough of the home to ensure the condition of the property is acceptable in concurrence with the terms laid out in the contract.

Lastly, you will be presented with a very large stack of papers to sign at the closing table but don’t worry, we’ll review the final settlement figures and the title company and/or attorney will explain each document before you sign. 

After all documents are signed, lender has funded and monies have transferred you are now home owners!