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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

Read what our clients have to say about working with us.

"For an old lady who had never sold a house, Garrett treated me with kindness and an abundance of patience. He made the whole process as easy and painless as was possible. He was always available whenever I needed his help."
"For an old lady who had never sold a house, Garrett treated me with kindness and an abundance of patience. He made the whole process as easy and painless as was possible. He was always available whenever I needed his help."
Nelda W.
"Garrett was very helpful in our search for a rental property. We were hopeful to identify a property that would be flexible with a short term lease due to only needing a rental home while we build a new home. Garrett was able to find a home owner that was flexible and negotiated a lease period that worked well for our time line. We are grateful for his assistance and ensuring we found something that worked perfectly for our needs."
"Garrett was very helpful in our search for a rental property. We were hopeful to identify a property that would be flexible with a short term lease due to only needing a rental home while we build a new home. Garrett was able to find a home owner that was flexible and negotiated a lease period that worked well for our time line. We are grateful for his assistance and ensuring we found something that worked perfectly for our needs."
Christin
"I just purchased my first home through Garrett, and I couldn’t have had a better experience. He is very knowledgeable about real estate and helped to point us in the right direction. I would definitely recommend him to anyone."
"I just purchased my first home through Garrett, and I couldn’t have had a better experience. He is very knowledgeable about real estate and helped to point us in the right direction. I would definitely recommend him to anyone."
Zach
"Art was truly exceptional. I heard about him through a mutual friend. I was impressed with his level of knowledge and the amount of data that he had about the market. It was a no-brainer for us to work with him since we are military and were set on buying in the Fort Worth area while living in upstate NY. I’m so thankful we did. Art was always available for home tours. His responsiveness was incredible. If they didn’t pick up, they always called back no longer than 5 minutes later. He gathered an incredible amount of information gathering about the process and status of city and county inspections and reviewed all the non-standard documents. The delivery of the information was straightforward: present the info and talk about pros/cons/strategy for moving forward. He really treats the situation like he was purchasing the property – he looks out for you and has your best interests in mind. Art will work with you to make your desires a reality and negotiate like no other to bring those desires within your budget! When there were disagreements about certain verbiage in documents, Art was patient and worked through some tough situations without breaking a sweat. His cool, calm mindset kept my anxiety low and gave me the confidence he would get the job done – and they did! His promptness, knowledge of the market, strategic mindset, kindness, and good energy made a potentially chaotic purchase process simple. I’ve already recommended him to my good friends. When I am looking to buy again I will not hesitate to call Art."
"Art was truly exceptional. I heard about him through a mutual friend. I was impressed with his level of knowledge and the amount of data that he had about the market. It was a no-brainer for us to work with him since we are military and were set on buying in the Fort Worth area while living in upstate NY. I’m so thankful we did. Art was always available for home tours. His responsiveness was incredible. If they didn’t pick up, they always called back no longer than 5 minutes later. He gathered an incredible amount of information gathering about the process and status of city and county inspections and reviewed all the non-standard documents. The delivery of the information was straightforward: present the info and talk about pros/cons/strategy for moving forward. He really treats the situation like he was purchasing the property – he looks out for you and has your best interests in mind. Art will work with you to make your desires a reality and negotiate like no other to bring those desires within your budget! When there were disagreements about certain verbiage in documents, Art was patient and worked through some tough situations without breaking a sweat. His cool, calm mindset kept my anxiety low and gave me the confidence he would get the job done – and they did! His promptness, knowledge of the market, strategic mindset, kindness, and good energy made a potentially chaotic purchase process simple. I’ve already recommended him to my good friends. When I am looking to buy again I will not hesitate to call Art."
Mel G.
"Art went above and beyond what was expected to help us find exactly what we needed. As an Active Duty family, He showed us properties that many other realtors required to learn about and gave us valuable insights into the local market. He was extremely accommodating regarding scheduling viewings and making himself available on short notice when necessary. Art's expertise in negotiation was invaluable during the purchase of our home. If you are looking for a master negotiator and someone you can trust to get a deal done, then look no further, he is your guy!"
"Art went above and beyond what was expected to help us find exactly what we needed. As an Active Duty family, He showed us properties that many other realtors required to learn about and gave us valuable insights into the local market. He was extremely accommodating regarding scheduling viewings and making himself available on short notice when necessary. Art's expertise in negotiation was invaluable during the purchase of our home. If you are looking for a master negotiator and someone you can trust to get a deal done, then look no further, he is your guy!"
Buyer
"Working with Art was absolutely fantastic! His negotiation skills are out of this world, and he actually saved me over $25,000! Since I was new to the area, I didn't have a clue, but Art recommended some amazing neighborhoods that are not only safe but also have great schools. He paid attention to every little detail and went above and beyond to make sure the sellers made the changes I wanted in my new home. I'm so glad someone recommended Art to me. If you're looking for a realtor who genuinely cares about your best interests, Art is your guy!"
"Working with Art was absolutely fantastic! His negotiation skills are out of this world, and he actually saved me over $25,000! Since I was new to the area, I didn't have a clue, but Art recommended some amazing neighborhoods that are not only safe but also have great schools. He paid attention to every little detail and went above and beyond to make sure the sellers made the changes I wanted in my new home. I'm so glad someone recommended Art to me. If you're looking for a realtor who genuinely cares about your best interests, Art is your guy!"
Buyer
"Art made our home-buying experience a breeze, and his guidance and professionalism were superb, we are so happy to have found him to be our realtor! He made sure to keep us up to date throughout the whole process and if we ever had questions or concerns, he made certain to always get back to us right away. Thanks, Art for making our first home-buying experience a great one!"
"Art made our home-buying experience a breeze, and his guidance and professionalism were superb, we are so happy to have found him to be our realtor! He made sure to keep us up to date throughout the whole process and if we ever had questions or concerns, he made certain to always get back to us right away. Thanks, Art for making our first home-buying experience a great one!"
Buyer
"We were so lucky to be paired with Art from a last-minute inquiry on a property. I’m still so amazed at how quickly Art progressed our process, from the day we met and viewed the property, to closing, and selling our previous house. He was amazingly responsive, kept us updated at every step, and did amazing with selling our previous house. I’m so thankful we met him and know we will recommend him to all our friends and family!"
"We were so lucky to be paired with Art from a last-minute inquiry on a property. I’m still so amazed at how quickly Art progressed our process, from the day we met and viewed the property, to closing, and selling our previous house. He was amazingly responsive, kept us updated at every step, and did amazing with selling our previous house. I’m so thankful we met him and know we will recommend him to all our friends and family!"
Angelica H.
"Art was amazing! He was so patient with us during the selection process but found us the perfect house. He did an amazing job negotiating the purchase contract and has been very helpful with the moving process. Highly recommend this guy to be your realtor!"
"Art was amazing! He was so patient with us during the selection process but found us the perfect house. He did an amazing job negotiating the purchase contract and has been very helpful with the moving process. Highly recommend this guy to be your realtor!"
Patricia B.
"Art is an amazing realtor! He was so patient with our search, and ultimately showed us the perfect house. He did a fantastic job with negotiating the purchase contract and has gone over and above to help us get settled. Art has always been available to answer any questions we came up with, and if he didn’t have the answers, would find them for us. We highly recommend him for any real estate needs."
"Art is an amazing realtor! He was so patient with our search, and ultimately showed us the perfect house. He did a fantastic job with negotiating the purchase contract and has gone over and above to help us get settled. Art has always been available to answer any questions we came up with, and if he didn’t have the answers, would find them for us. We highly recommend him for any real estate needs."
PJ B.

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