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Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by our team will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice we said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose Real Estate Experts

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without real estate experts? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for agents like us to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will we help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but we also have knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where our expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let us show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Passion & Expertise

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. We are dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). We will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. We will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. We can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams. 

Testimonials â­‘â­‘â­‘â­‘â­‘

Your experience matters
— Here’s what our clients say —

"Juan Carlos is very good agent. He worked very hard for search our apartment. He have very good skills to discuss with list agent and sellers. He have been very active to do his job and take care us in every process until got job done. He know market and local very good and we learn a lots from him."
"Juan Carlos is very good agent. He worked very hard for search our apartment. He have very good skills to discuss with list agent and sellers. He have been very active to do his job and take care us in every process until got job done. He know market and local very good and we learn a lots from him."
Buyer
"I had a fantastic experience working with my realtor, Justin Morhunsky. I found him knowledgeable, professional, and dedicated to helping me find the perfect home. He was always available to answer any questions that I had throughout the process."
"I had a fantastic experience working with my realtor, Justin Morhunsky. I found him knowledgeable, professional, and dedicated to helping me find the perfect home. He was always available to answer any questions that I had throughout the process."
Stephie V.
"I originally decided to not go with a broker, so I paid a fee to post an MLS listing of "For Sale by Owner". After not getting the desired action, I decided that I need to list through a broker. I was originally reluctant to do so because of the fee involved and the pressure of the tactics that some brokers apply including an unrealistic sale price. Some brokers will over value the house to give you a false expectation to get you to sign a commitment contract, and then afterwards justify why you need to keep lowering the price. While some other brokers will undervalue the house so they can make a quick sale especially if they feel they have a buyer in-house and are able cash in on both commissions. I had a very positive experience with Ari Lee. He offered a much lower commission and suggested a realistic listing price, leaving it up to me to decide if I was agreeable to it. However, one of the best reasons why I recommend him is due to his video skills. He did a very professional job shooting and compiling a video of the exterior of my building and the interior of my unit. He was also very responsive to my queries and did a great job keeping me informed throughout the whole process. I will definitely be using him again in a few years when I plan on selling the current place I am at."
"I originally decided to not go with a broker, so I paid a fee to post an MLS listing of "For Sale by Owner". After not getting the desired action, I decided that I need to list through a broker. I was originally reluctant to do so because of the fee involved and the pressure of the tactics that some brokers apply including an unrealistic sale price. Some brokers will over value the house to give you a false expectation to get you to sign a commitment contract, and then afterwards justify why you need to keep lowering the price. While some other brokers will undervalue the house so they can make a quick sale especially if they feel they have a buyer in-house and are able cash in on both commissions. I had a very positive experience with Ari Lee. He offered a much lower commission and suggested a realistic listing price, leaving it up to me to decide if I was agreeable to it. However, one of the best reasons why I recommend him is due to his video skills. He did a very professional job shooting and compiling a video of the exterior of my building and the interior of my unit. He was also very responsive to my queries and did a great job keeping me informed throughout the whole process. I will definitely be using him again in a few years when I plan on selling the current place I am at."
Seller
"Juan Carlos was a huge help to us as first time home buyers. He had great experience with the market and the areas we were looking into. We looked at a lot of properties in a short amount of time because of our numerous plans in the summer. Juan Carlos was able to work well with us given our schedule and made every effort to find us what we needed. Eventually we did find what wanted, and Juan Carlos helped make our first home buyer experience a positive one. We can whole heartedly recommend him and Sunbelt for their expertise."
"Juan Carlos was a huge help to us as first time home buyers. He had great experience with the market and the areas we were looking into. We looked at a lot of properties in a short amount of time because of our numerous plans in the summer. Juan Carlos was able to work well with us given our schedule and made every effort to find us what we needed. Eventually we did find what wanted, and Juan Carlos helped make our first home buyer experience a positive one. We can whole heartedly recommend him and Sunbelt for their expertise."
Jon
"Saul was an excellent realtor that helped us through all the process and was always available to answer any questions or concerns we had. I highly recommend his services and will definitely work with him again in the future. Thank you Saul."
"Saul was an excellent realtor that helped us through all the process and was always available to answer any questions or concerns we had. I highly recommend his services and will definitely work with him again in the future. Thank you Saul."
Daniel C.
"I had an exceptional experience working with Juan Carlos during our home-buying process. From the beginning, they were incredibly knowledgeable and attentive, listening carefully to our needs and preferences. He provided valuable insights into the market and guided us through every step, making what could have been a stressful experience smooth and enjoyable."
"I had an exceptional experience working with Juan Carlos during our home-buying process. From the beginning, they were incredibly knowledgeable and attentive, listening carefully to our needs and preferences. He provided valuable insights into the market and guided us through every step, making what could have been a stressful experience smooth and enjoyable."
Hector G.
"From listing to closing Ari Lee is "The Real Estate Guy!" All the details were handled promptly and smoothly. Questions and concerns were addressed in a cordial and professional manner alleviating any stress associated with selling a primary residence. Highly recommended. A+."
"From listing to closing Ari Lee is "The Real Estate Guy!" All the details were handled promptly and smoothly. Questions and concerns were addressed in a cordial and professional manner alleviating any stress associated with selling a primary residence. Highly recommended. A+."
Aris M.
"I had an excellent experience with Saul. He was incredibly helpful and persistent in finding the perfect place for me. His dedication and attention to detail made the entire process smooth and stress-free. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a reliable and hard-working real estate agent."
"I had an excellent experience with Saul. He was incredibly helpful and persistent in finding the perfect place for me. His dedication and attention to detail made the entire process smooth and stress-free. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a reliable and hard-working real estate agent."
Buyer
"Justin did an outstanding job with the sale of my co-op apartment. He is very professional and went above and beyond communicating with me I would recommend him in an instant."
"Justin did an outstanding job with the sale of my co-op apartment. He is very professional and went above and beyond communicating with me I would recommend him in an instant."
Marilyn P.
"We just closed our purchase, Juan is very responsive and helps through the entire buying process. He considers client satisfaction as the top priority and very knowledgeable on the local market(referred us to fantastic mortgage broker and attorney). We are glad working with him through the process."
"We just closed our purchase, Juan is very responsive and helps through the entire buying process. He considers client satisfaction as the top priority and very knowledgeable on the local market(referred us to fantastic mortgage broker and attorney). We are glad working with him through the process."
Tina
"Awesome experience, this is my 4th house using sunbelt, Juan Carlos has loads of experience in the local market. As well as market fluctuations.. He has helped me bye my personal home and three rental properties, in which he has provided his knowledge for the potential in every property"
"Awesome experience, this is my 4th house using sunbelt, Juan Carlos has loads of experience in the local market. As well as market fluctuations.. He has helped me bye my personal home and three rental properties, in which he has provided his knowledge for the potential in every property"
Buyer

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