Our area is a beautiful place to live in, replete with landmarks, lifestyles and attractions as diverse and colorful as the people who call it home. With so many lifestyle options available, it is important to have a team that knows the area representing you and helping you make the most important purchase of your life.

The Initial Consultation

During an initial consultation we will ask questions and listen thoughtfully to your responses to help determine your specific needs for a home, and we will use that information to develop your personalized search criteria.  Using our state of the art listing alert and home search platform from RealScout, you will be setup with a search that brings homes that best match your preference to the top of the search list. All properties within the system are reviewed to determine their proximity to local amenities, their visual characteristics, and they are tagged to aid your search.

After the initial consultation, we can provide you with a local mortgage lender contact for loan pre-approval based on the needs discussed.  There are certain lenders that specialize in FHA, VA, or other specialty loans, and there are also certain lenders that have better rates and/or terms with their loans. We will assist in getting you in touch with the best lender to meet your goals.  We also have an in-house lender that can assist you with pre-approval if you are interested. Just ask, and we will be glad to provide the referral.

Finding your Home

Once the initial consultation is completed and a pre-approval has been obtained, it is time to start looking for homes.  Our listing alert system is going to be an integral part of this process as it will act as a communication platform regarding the properties available for sale. If there is a property you would like to view, you can request showings directly through the Realscout platform with a quick click of a button.

Some buyers find their perfect home on the first tour with their Agent, and some buyers take a little more time to see enough homes to create the picture of an ideal home. We will work with you during this time to help you hone your thinking and make sure you stay on track with your goals and wishes for a home.  Many agents will push you toward any home that you show interest in, but we believe it is important to discuss how the home fits into your life and what you are looking to accomplish before preparing an offer.

The Offer Process

Once you find the the home that is right for you, we will assist in preparing an offer for the home.  The steps of this process involve some of the following activities:

1. Prepare sales comparables of home to help determine the true market value.  In determining value for the home we will take into account the location, recent sales, any deferred maintenance, and any improvements a market buyer would make in order to make the home livable.
2. Obtain any pre-offer disclosures for the home and review these documents with you to help you understand all of the details.  If anything in these documents causes you to need additional information, we will work with you to answer all your questions.  Our goal is to ensure you are fully informed about the condition of the property prior to making any offer.
3. Based on the condition of the home, the disclosures provided, and your financial capabilities, we will discuss an offer strategy for the property. Once the strategy is in place, we will work with you to get all of the appropriate documents signed.
4. We strive to present your offer in person to Seller or the Listing Agent.  We are not always afforded this opportunity, but we believe it is in your best interest to do so.
5. If the seller accepts the offer you submit, you will be in contract and the escrow process will begin.  Often times there will be some counter offer or further negotiation before a contract is accepted.  We will counsel you through this process, and make sure you don't exceed your prescribed price limits for the home
6. Once in contract, we will coordinate all inspections, reports, or access needed for the property to complete your loan process.  Depending on the structure of your purchase offer, the escrow period may be short or long.  We will work to accomplish whatever you desire during this period.
7. If any additional inspections are needed for the property, we will work to get those on the schedule ahead of any contingency removal or close dates.  Our strong referral network allows us to have professionals visit the home on short notice.
8. If there are any negotiations needed with the seller we will represent you on these and will work to get the best possible settlement in your favor.  Once all contingencies are removed, we will makes sure the remainder of the escrow process moves smoothly.
9. Within 5 days of the close of escrow, and after any loan documents are delivered to escrow we will schedule a sign off with the escrow company and we always try to be in attendance to ensure all of the terms and conditions are in agreement with the purchase contract.
10. On the date of the close of escrow we will get confirmation of the recording at the County.  Once this occurs we will coordinate to deliver keys to the property and also provide any necessary utility information to transfer services.

the road map to buying

1. Loan:  I can provide a list of great local lenders to work with and get “pre-approved” for a loan. Ask the lender to provide in writing the terms of the loan and monthly payment, which includes your mortgage, taxes and insurance to determine the maximum purchase price that you are comfortable with. Be sure to ask for an estimate of closing costs that you will need to set aside for later. Determine the amount of funds you have available or down payment and discuss various loan programs with the lender. Cash Buyers: You should consult with your banker or financial advisor as to availability of funds and time frames required to place money in escrow.
2. Wish list: Now that you have a purchase price to work with, it is time to make a wish list for your new home. The next step is to take your wish list and break it down to your “needs” vs. your “wants.” The needs are the non- negotiable items such as maximum price range, minimum bedrooms, bathrooms, neighborhoods, etc. All other items on your wish list will be categorized as “wants.” The last step is to prioritize your wants.  This is a working list – by no means is this list final. Our goal is to find a home that fulfills 100% of your needs and meets as many of your wants as possible.
3. Real Scout: We will set up an automated search that will send you daily emails from Real Scout with any properties that meet your criteria. If a property catches your interest or you want to view it, all you need to do is click a button and I will receive a message and call you to set up an appointment. You will also receive a username and log-in, so that you can browse the properties and choose your favorites at your convenience 24/7.
   • Other Sources: We will send you email updates, but it is important for you to check for open house ads in the newspapers and websites. During your day to day driving, if you pass by a “for sale” sign, call me with the address & brokerage name, and I will research it for you. It may be pending or in a different price range, but we are happy to do the research for you and see if it might be something you want to view.
   • Open Houses: Feel free to stop by any open houses that look interesting. You can let the host know that you are a client of mine.  If you find something interesting, let me know. A call or a text message is the best way to reach me.
   • Drive by the listings: If you view a listing that we sent you via Real Scout.com or another online source that looks interesting, feel free to drive by the property and familiarize yourself with the exterior and the neighborhood. Often times you can rule in or out certain properties just by looking at the location, neighborhoods, exterior or type of land (severely sloped, shaded, etc).
4. Showings: Once you have found the properties that you are interested in seeing the interiors of, either by viewing the profiles we’ve sent you on the computer or by driving by, let us know the MLS numbers or the addresses and we will research showing instructions and contact you to set up a showing appointment.
5. Golden Questions: I will ask you, “Can you imagine yourself living here? If yes, is it in your price range? Does it meet your needs? Does it meet enough of your wants? If yes to all, are you ready to make an offer?”
6. Make an Offer: Once you have decided upon the home you would like to purchase, I will pull a list of comparable properties that have sold recently in the neighborhood to help determine the offer price. Together, we will also discuss negotiation strategies and terms to put in your offer. 
   • Good Faith Deposit: Please see my guide to the purchase and sale agreement and I will discuss the key terms such as Offer Price, Amount of Down Payment, Close of Escrow (COE), Time Frames for all Contingencies (Physical Contingency, Appraisal Contingency, and Loan Contingency), Closing Costs, and Personal Property such as appliances, etc.
   • Review and Sign the Offer: This can be done in person or over the phone and signed through electronic signatures as well. (DocuSign)
   • Seller Response: Seller accepts/counters/rejects your offer.
7. Escrow: Once your offer is accepted – Congratulations, you are in escrow!
   • Good Faith Deposit: This can be done in person with a check or through wire transfer from your bank, though your bank may charge a fee.
   • Loan approval/Appraisal: Your lender will begin working on your loan. They will order an appraisal and request additional documents as needed for approval.
   • Inspections: We will advise you on available inspections and set up the inspections you would like. Based on your inspections, we would either remove your physical contingency and move forward with the sale, negotiate with the seller or cancel the contract.
   • Loan and Physical condition: once satisfied, we will remove all contingencies.
8. Closing: Your lender will order loan/escrow documents for you to sign. Your escrow coordinator will arrange for you to sign and bring the remaining balance of your down payment to deposit in escrow. After you sign the loan documents, your lender will fund the loan. The following day the sale will be recorded at the county. Once recorded, we have the pleasure of delivering the KEY to YOUR new home!

The close of escrow is not the end of our service.  We are available for you to discuss any details regarding your home, and also provide vendor recommendations to make your homeownership experience an enjoyable one.