BUYING A HOME?

Start Your Home Buying Adventure Here

Thinking of buying a home?

Step by Step:

BUYER’S MEETING
LOAN APPROVAL
ANALYZE YOUR NEEDS
SET UP SEARCH
TOUR PROPERTIES
MAKE AN OFFER
INSPECTION Or PRE-INSPECTION
NEGOTIATE
LENDER APPRAISAL
SIGNING
CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY

TAKE POSSESSION OF YOUR NEW HOME!

Name

First Name

Last Name

Address

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Phone

(###)

###

####

Email

What is prompting your purchase?

When would you like to be in your new home?

MM

DD

YYYY

Anything else you want us to know about your timing?

Are you preapproved for a mortgage?

Yes

No

What is your price range?

Check all the home types you're interested in:

Single Family Home

Townhouse

Condo

What are your preferred pronouns?

Home Buying Process

1. MEETING

We sit down in person or online and talk about the buying process in detail and educate you about how it all works in the current market. We listen to what your dreams and goals are for the purchase and we discuss time frames, priorities, and ways we can help you.

2. LOAN APPROVAL

Contact a lender for a loan preapproval. You will need a loan preapproval before we start looking or have proof of funds if you are using cash for the purchase. We have great referrals!

3. SEARCH

New listings come on the market each day and some sellers will wait for a week to look at offers. We will set you up on a search on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) and we will edit and send listings to you each day. You can also send us listings you find as well but all listing will aggregate from the NWMLS.

4. MAKING AN OFFER

When you have found a place you love, we will work to make a winning offer, but also get you the best price and terms we can. We go over all the purchase documents so you understand what you are signing and what is being disclosed. We will advise you on the best strategies to getting an offer accepted and communicate with the listing agent about the seller’s wants and needs.

5. INSPECTION

The inspection is a great opportunity to learn more about the house. Qualified and licensed inspectors of your choice will do thorough reports and we can also employ specialists to examine things further. You can use this information to negotiate based on what was found. Unless we have written different language into the contract, the buyer can walk away during this part of the process and retain their earnest money.

6. PRE-INSPECTION

When more than one buyer wants a home, it can be competitive. You may want to have a structural and sewer pre-inspection and then waive the inspection on the contract. Often a seller will provide a pre-inspection and you can choose to rely on this inspection or have an inspector of your choice perform a pre-inspection for you. You can always choose to not make offers on homes that may be competitive.

7. ACCEPTANCE

Your offer has been accepted and we now have a binding contract. Your earnest money will be liquidated into your escrow account and will be a credit to you at closing. We open files at escrow and send the contract to the lender so they can lock your rate. You will get homeowner’s insurance and start packing up your current home.

8. APPRAISAL

Your lender orders an appraisal of the home. Should your house appraise for lower than the contractual price, you are only obligated to buy it at the appraised price. However, the seller is not obligated to sell it to you at a lower price. Both sides may negotiate further following a low appraisal.

9. SIGNING

The escrow company will schedule you to sign documents a few days before closing. You will sign at the escrow office or with a mobile notary. You will bring in a cashier’s check or arrange to wire your funds which will include your down payment and closing costs.

10. CLOSING

Congratulations! Official closing is when the deed has been recorded under your name at the county building. Once that happens, the home is yours and we can bring you the keys!

Home Buying Wish List

Answering some questions helps us get attuned to your wants and needs.

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email

Things to Consider:

• Do you have an era or style of house that you are really drawn to or one that is a real deal breaker? • Are you looking for a home that has almost everything updated or a place to put some elbow grease into? • Do you have ideas of min and max square footage? • Are there any special spaces you need for a hobby or profession? • Are you opposed to living on a busy arterial?

How many Bedrooms do you want/need?

1

2

3

4+

How many Bathrooms do you want/need?

1

2

3

4+

Kitchen/Dining Room

• Do you have any “dream appliances” that you like to have? Is gas cooking important to you? • Do you like open layouts with kitchen and living space or more separated spaces? • Do you need a dining room space and how large should that be? • What are your ideal kitchen finishes?

The Great Outdoors

• How important is the lot size to you and what do you envision doing with your outside space? • Do you require a flat lot, would you like low maintenance or an established garden? • Do you like a sunny property or lots of evergreens for shade and privacy? • Are you looking for an outdoor entertaining space? • How important is a fenced yard? Are there animals in the family?

Fun Stuff

• Do you want a place for a hot tub or a sauna? • What size garage do you need? What size garage do you want? • Specialty spaces: do you require a Cal King bed, do you need storage for 1000 books, do you need a place to play video games that gets dark?

Location, Location, Location!

• Where do you want to live? Do you have a neighborhood in mind? • What’s the farthest that you are willing to travel on a daily commute? • Is convenience to public transportation a high priority? • Tell us how you feel about walkability and how you see yourself living in your neighborhood?

Lifestyle

• Who will be living in the home that we are looking for? • Will you have regular guests to consider? (e.g., parents, stepkids, etc.) • Are there special needs to take into account? • Do you have any environmental sensitivities that we should know about or get more information about? • Is there anything else that we should know before we get started?

The BUYER

could generally be expected to pay for:

• Loan origination fee

• Lender fees (credit report, appraisal)

• Title insurance premium

• Escrow fee

• Recording charges

• Document preparation

• Tax proration

• Interest on new loan

• Homeowners dues (for condos)

The SELLER

could generally be expected to pay for:

• Real estate commissions

• Excise tax - 1.28% for homes between $500k-$1.5 million

• Title insurance premium

• Escrow fee

• Recording charges

• Document preparation

• Tax proration and any and all delinquent taxes

• Interest accrued to lender and any pre-payment penalties

• Any unpaid homeowners dues (for condos)

• Payoff of all loans, judgments, tax liens in seller’s name