The Home Buying Process Explained

Premier Valley Realty is here to educate and support our clients every step of the way. Our team of professional real estate agents can answer your questions and help make the road to home ownership as smooth as possible

How much can you afford? What programs are available? How’s your credit score? We have several preferred lenders that can help you answer those questions and more.

Shop around for the best mortgage rates and terms and get pre-qualified for a mortgage loan. This enables you to know how much you can afford and to move quickly when you find the right home. Sellers will be glad to know that you are a serious buyer.

Important things to consider when choosing a real estate agent are their market knowledge, ability to communicate, attention to detail and what their clients say about them.

An agent’s responsibility is to understand your needs and wants, help you negotiate with sellers, and handle all the paperwork through the escrow process. Talk to more than one Realtor to determine their experience and find if they’re a good fit for you.

Provide your Realtor with a list of features and amenities that you wish to be included (or excluded) in your ideal home. This gives your Realtor the ability to efficiently search for homes that best meet your wants and needs.

Sometimes finding the perfect home can take weeks or even months; don’t get discouraged. We’ll help by setting up a customized client portal via the MLS system which will automatically send you information on available homes that meet your desired criteria.

Travel through your favorite areas and neighborhoods, search the Internet and talk to others who may know of properties that fit your criteria. When you find something you like, we’ll schedule a private tour.

Pro tip: Keep notes on properties you view, identifying desirable features as well as any drawbacks. This can help you determine which properties are at the top of your list.

A Realtor can help you identify features that may affect home values. For instance, depending on the home’s location, a pool or other features may actually make it more difficult to sell.

Once you locate the home of your dreams, it’s time to get down to the business of making an offer.

Remember that your first, or even second, offer may not be accepted however, there’s always a possibility that the seller will make a counteroffer.

Trust your Realtor to take you through this negotiation process in order to reach an acceptable agreement between both parties. 

Once you and the seller agree on terms, the home is officially under contract and escrow is open. 

During escrow, your deposit is sent, inspections are done, disclosures are signed, contingencies cleared and financing is approved.

Your Realtor can assist you in finding a professional, trustworthy inspector. If there are repairs that need to be made, those costs can often be negotiated with the seller as part of the purchase agreement.

Your Realtor will help you complete the closing process before the closing date. There will be a check list of items that will include all monetary deposits and necessary paperwork including mortgage, title, homeowner’s insurance as well as any paperwork required by local or state governments.

After you sign your settlement statement, it’s time to celebrate the purchase of your new home. Congratulations and welcome home!