Buying or selling a home?

Buying a home is an intimidating event for most people, but it isn't very complicated with a little planning ahead of time. I like to furnish buyers with an outline of the entire deal so they know exactly what to expect. Here are my nine steps to buying a home.

Step 1 – Get ready to purchase a home
There are a lot of things you need to do prior to beginning your home search. It's likely that you'll want to make an outline of features you want, plan for what school districts and neighborhoods you'd like to live in, and start working on your budget. Keeping your mortgage payment less than 30 percent of your net monthly income is a good rule of thumb to adhere to.

Step 2 – Get in touch with a real estate agent
This is where I come in. I'd like to arrange a time to get together with you and talk about why you want to buy a home and get an idea of your plans for the future. We'll talk about neighborhoods, schools in the Fort Myers area, the mortgage industry, and any other economic factors that may affect your buying decision today or in the future.

I can also help you get started on your loan. There are some great mortgage professionals in Fort Myers, and I work with a lot of them, so you'll be in great hands. They will assist you in deciding which type of loan is best for you and help you get approved.

Step 3 – Begin looking for a home
After our initial meeting, I'll start searching for available homes on the market that are great for you. I'll research most of the houses and exclude the bad ones, and then we'll schedule appointments to view the houses whenever it's convenient for you.

As we tour homes, I'll call attention to positive features and negative ones. I'll also ask you about things you like and don't like. Frequently, buyers update their wish list as we view homes and some things become more substantial than others. If that happens, I'll search the listings once again and narrow it down to the home of your dreams.

Step 4 – Know the market
An agent's awareness of the Fort Myers housing market is a necessary agent in your house search. And I can assure you I'm informed of all the schools and neighborhoods, and I can let you know which districts are "hot" and require prompt action and the rest that are "cold" and allow for thoughtful analysis.

When we view houses, I'll let you know when the list price has room for bargaining and when I trust the house is "priced to sell." Any real estate agent in Fort Myers will convince you they understand the market, but be on guard, and make sure you ask your agent lots of questions. If things don't add up, just call me at 239-297-5858 or e-mail me at lorig4realestate@gmail.com, and I'd be more than happy to answer your questions. My market expertise will keep you a step ahead throughout the entire deal.

Step 5 – Find your dream house
I'm confident we'll find your dream house in the Fort Myers area. When we do, I'll carefully create your home purchase offer. The offer will be tailored keeping your needs in mind, including many contingencies, such as getting financing, carrying out the home inspection, and a clean title.

When we submit your offer, you'll likely want to submit "earnest money." This is a cash deposit made to the home seller to secure the offer to buy the property and is often put towards the closing costs. If your offer is accepted by the seller, we should close on the property within 30 to 60 days after. This allows plenty of time for your mortgage financing.

Step 6 – Negotiate the deal
Most deals aren't closed on the beginning offer. It's widely common to receive a counter offer. Don't let it intimidate you. We'll consider whether or not to agree to the counter offer, propose our own counter offer, or reject the seller's offer and go on.

How aggressively we negotiate the contract depends on the state of the market. In addition, we'll work within your financing budget. And when it's all said and done, we'll compose a deal that is best for you.

Step 7 – Get your loan
After we sign the final deal, you'll begin working with your mortgage lender to close the loan. If you're already pre-approved, this shouldn't take long at all. But you should to keep in close contact with your lender. And I'll deal with all the property information your lender will need to close the loan.>

Step 8 – Close the deal
Your lender will give you a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) outlining closing costs within three days of accepting your loan application. The estimate rests on the loan amount. RESPA requirements order that it has to involve all closing costs and fall within a close range of accuracy, and I'll study the estimate and let you know if everything looks permissible.

Then it's time to close on your home. This should happen at a title company or escrow office and will most often be a smooth and easygoing occasion.

Step 9 – Move in
Congratulations! It's time to move into your new house. Enjoy it. And if you need anything, simply contact me at 239-297-5858 or lorig4realestate@gmail.com