Now more than ever, it is critical to have a knowledgeable, experienced agent by your side through the home-buying process.
6 Steps to Buying a Home
Connect with a REALTOR®
The first step in your home-buying journey is to connect with a REALTOR® that will be your advocate all along the way. It is of critical importance that you work with someone who understands your needs and how to best meet them. Beyond unlocking doors, a REALTOR® helps home-buyers with negotiations, navigating inspections, working through the mortgage process, protecting your legal interests, and much, much more. Lucky for you, if you’re reading this, you’re well on your way to completing Step 1! Click on the button below to fill out a quick Buyer Questionnaire so we can learn a bit more about you and what you’re looking for.
2. Get Pre-Approved
Forming a relationship with a mortgage lender and obtaining a pre-approval letter is a crucial early step in the home-buying process. Along with your Realtor, your lender will be with you every step of the way- from the time you make an offer to walking you through paperwork at settlement. A pre-approval letter is also critical to help you know what you can afford. Your lender will work with you to come up with a comfortable monthly payment and back into an overall sales price from there. This way, you’ll be ready to make a strong offer as soon as you find "the one”!
With over 8 years of Real Estate experience in NJ & PA, I have worked with countless local lenders and would be happy to help connect you with the best.
3. Start Your Home Search
This is where the fun really starts! After discussing your needs and wants, we’ll come up with a list of properties to tour in person or virtually if you’re relocating from out of town.
4. Make Your Offer
What goes into making an offer? Everything is negotiable so we take a few factors into consideration when coming up with the best offer strategy. The main focuses will be price, settlement date, inspection and contingency periods, and financing details. Each scenario is different and every seller has a unique desired outcome. We’ll work together to find the best terms that suit everyone’s needs.
5. Do Your Due Diligence
The immediate step after your offer is accepted is to complete any inspections you elected as contingencies in your offer. Typically, you will have a 14-17 day window to complete your inspections and negotiate the findings. The standard timelines vary by state and will be negotiated with your offer.
The most common and most highly recommended inspection is a Home Inspection. During this inspection, a certified Home Inspector will scrutinize everything in the home from the foundation to the roof. If any potential issues are found, your inspector may recommend additional inspections by a specific professional- plumber, electrician, roofer, etc.
Other common inspections to consider when buying a home include a radon test, pest inspection (these two are highly recommended and can often be completed by the same company and at the same time as your home inspection), a sewer line scope, chimney inspection, septic system inspection, and structural inspection. The location of the property and the condition of the home should indicate which of the inspections are necessary. This may sound a bit overwhelming but luckily, I know all the best inspectors around and will guide you every step of the way!
6. Close the Deal
On the day of settlement, it is the buyer’s right to walk through the home one last time to ensure things are like they were when you wrote the purchase offer or any repairs negotiated after your home inspection were completed.
Don’t be afraid to test the HVAC system, plumbing, and lighting one last time. If something at the final walk through is not as expected, we’ll work with the listing agent to find a satisfactory resolution before closing.
At closing, you’ll be signing quite a few documents that finalize the sale of your new home. Your lender, a Title Company representative, and I will walk you through everything you're signing.
Once all the documents have been signed, you'll receive your keys and do a happy dance because you're now a homeowner!
