BUYING A HOME IN SEATTLE
These videos will provide you with a short and concise overview of the steps to buying a home in Seattle from start to finish.
1. Get educated
Educate yourself! It’s highly important to know what you are getting into when purchasing a home–especially if it’s your first time! Many people meet with and select a real estate professional at this point.
Choosing the right real estate agent for the job is highly important. All agents can drive you around and open doors. You want to select an agent that you like and trust, whose team has a track record of success, and can negotiate a favorable contract for you in the purchase of your new home.
2. Meet with a lender for pre approval
A lender will evaluate your income, assets, and credit to determine how much money a bank will lend you, and thus, how much home you can afford.
Loan pre-approval is a vital step in the home buying process that serves two primary purposes. First, it informs your home search criteria, eliminating disappointment and time wasted looking at homes outside of your price range. Secondly, it notifies sellers that you are a qualified buyer.
3. Determine your home search criteria
What is my budget? Where do I want to live? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do I need? These are a few of the important questions to answer before starting your home search. Knowing what you want and how much you can afford is essential. Your criteria acts like a filter sifting through dirt and bringing out diamonds.
Remember, there are always compromises in the home buying process. Defining your criteria is imperative so you know what you absolutely need to have and what you can live without.
4. View property online & in person
Over 90% of home buyers begin their search online. So, you may have already visited numerous real estate websites such as Zillow or Trulia to begin your research, exploring various neighborhoods, available homes, and price comparing. Way to go!
I will actively search the MLS and send you homes that best fit your criteria to compliment any online searches you have already set up. We will also look for homes not yet on the market or coming soon. Together, we will determine which homes best meet your criteria and schedule viewings accordingly.
5. Identify your ideal home & begin negotiations
Your favorite house may be the first of fiftieth home we look at. How will you know when a house is the one? You will just know.
It is important to act quickly once we locate a house you love. Together we will determine an acceptable offer price and contract terms. Price is typically the focus of any negotiation, but there are multiple other negotiable terms in a real estate contract such as the earnest money deposit and closing date. Contract contingencies are also negotiable. I will prepare our contract for signature and present it to either the seller or the agent that represents them.
Many real estate transactions involve some back and forth negotiation before mutual acceptance. Mutual acceptance is the point when both parties agree upon contract terms in writing.
6. Due diligence
All efforts are directed towards closing on the sale of your new home after mutual acceptance is reached. This period of time is commonly known as escrow.
You will conduct any inspections that are agreed upon in the contract and work with your lender to secure financing.
7. Closing
Loan documents and the Deed of Trust are typically signed at the escrow office 2-4 days prior to closing. The escrow officer will schedule a time with you to sign documents and will systematically walk you through each step during the signing.
Closing generally occurs 30-45 days after mutual acceptance depending on the terms negotiated in the purchase offer. You become the owner of your new home once documents are signed and recorded with the county. Then you can move in!
After the sale, I will be a trusted resource for you, your friends, your neighbors, and your co-workers for years to come. I’m happy to help if you ever have questions, need advice, or are looking for a recommendation.
