The Purchase Process

Although the process of purchasing a home can be complex and daunting, the rewards are so considerable that it's absolutely worth the effort. Of course, the best way to insure that everything goes as smoothly as possible is to hire the most experienced and accomplished guide you can find. In this particular area, that would be me!

Ideally, a prospective buyer will have already consulted a mortgage provider and obtained a Loan Status Report (LSR) before actually reaching out to me for assistance. The LSR not only confirms that they are qualified to purchase a home in the price range they’ve selected but it’s contractually required that it be submitted with any offer. Investing the time up front helps avoid any disappointments and can help expedite the negotiation process once a home selection is made. Details are available in the Financing The Purchase section.

Of course, first time buyers or those in need of pre-counseling as to price ranges, product inventory, communities and even lenders before deciding to spend time with a mortgage professional, are encouraged to call or make an appointment to discuss those concerns. The first formal step when we do get together is to discuss exactly what the buyer might want in terms of a home or a community and for me to explain the nature of the “agency relationships” that will govern our joint efforts during the process.

The next step for prospective buyers is to learn as much as they can about what’s required of them so that the entire exercise proceeds as smoothly as possible. Among the key elements that buyers should be familiar with are the purchase contract itself, the options they have about how to hold title and how the title & escrow company will be handling the transaction.

Once again, I have some help to offer. The adjacent links offer information on the standard contract in use here in the valley and on other important issues. If that's too daunting, contact us and I’ll be pleased to answer any questions you might have!

The subsequent step is actually the fun part of the process: finding that special house and that special community. As we begin the search process, I generally provide my clients with a Buyer's Guide that covers much of the background information that they’ll need to know about making a purchase in this area and explain how to access the local Multiple Listing Service through this website so they can browse the market on their own.

Once we find a property, I guide them through the contract preparation and the negotiation and, assuming that we are successful, the incredible 10 day whirl of activity that includes home & termite inspections, CC&R reviews, analysis of the Seller's Property Disclosure, mortgage applications, etc.

Then, after all that frenetic activity is completed, buyers get to pause for just a moment before they need to arrange for those movers, tell the postman, explain things to the kids and perform the myriad number of other tasks involved in actually MOVING!

When the big day arrives, they’ll be asked to stop by the escrow company, sign those papers, get the key, turn on those utilities (not necessarily in that order) and, alas...unpack!

The process itself can be exciting but I’ve always found that looking back about ninety days later is when the real sense of satisfaction takes hold.