Buy your dream house with confidence

Ready to buy a house? Now what? Buying your first or next home can be an exciting but also overwhelming experience. Knowing what to expect and when can alleviate a lot of the stress.  My Free Home Buyer's course will take you only about an hour to complete but it will walk you through every step of the process so that when you are ready, you can hit the ground running confidently. Here is a breakdown of the home buying process to get you started.

• Set Your Budget. Use an online affordability calculator to help you determine a comfortable budget. These calculators are designed to help you understand how much house a lender may qualify you for. The affordability calculator will show you the approximate house price you may be able to afford, as well as the corresponding mortgage payment.  Keep in mind that life has other expenses that aren't factored in (groceries, daycare, utilities), so make sure to leave room for those monthly expenses as well.
• Find an agent. A good real estate agent will help you navigate the process every step of the way. This is a very personal milestone, so make sure to schedule a call or in-person meeting to ensure that the agent will be a great fit for you. They should be knowledgeable, patient, excited and willing to explain the process and NEVER pushy. If you feel any pressure from an agent, move on. You want to make sure you feel absolutely comfortable and this agent will have your best interest at heart. I'd be honored to have the opportunity to work with you. Reach out to me to schedule a no pressure, no obligation chat!
• Get pre-approved. This process does NOT have to be scary. As long as you are prepared, it should be a relatively simple process. Your agent should have some great lender referrals. Why is this important? An agent's referral generally means that they've worked with the lender numerous times and the lender has always exceeded expectations. It's so important to have a reachable, communicative and trustworthy lender. You will want to chat with at least three lenders and go through the pre-approval process with two. This way, you can ensure that you are getting the best rate and deal. As long as you complete this process with both lenders within a 14 day period, (the pre-approval process is generally only a few days to a week. Your portion will only take you a few hours) your credit will only be pulled once and you won't have to worry about multiple hard inquiries on your credit report. I have some incredible and trustworthy lenders, so feel free to reach out for a few recommendations!
• Look at homes. Although it's important to have some "Must Have" items in mind, it's important to be open to viewing properties that don't check all of the boxes. It's very common for buyer's "Must Have" list to fluctuate and adjust as they get more familiar with home styles and available inventory. Your real estate agent may show you a variety of homes to get your reaction on features they think you’ll like. Give your agent detailed feedback so they can show you homes that are perfectly suited to you. 
• Make an offer. Once you’ve found the right home, discuss writing an offer with your agent. You will need to determine an offer price, your terms (how long you need to conduct inspections, have your appraisal, etc) Your agent will help you write a competitive offer based on market conditions and explain each component of the offer. Also, make sure you consider closing costs which could account for 2-5% of the home price.
• Negotiate. Depending on the market, you may have to go back and forth with the seller a few times on price and selling conditions. Your real estate agent will be your advocate here and try to get you, their client as much as possible for your money while being fair and respectful to the seller and their real estate agent.
• An accepted offer. If you reach an agreement, you are officially in contract! You will begin the process of completing your contractual timelines such as having the home inspected and continuing to work with the lender to get your loan fully approved.  These timelines are called contingencies. They aide in protecting you and your deposit throughout the contract. You will typically have an inspection contingency (hire inspectors to make sure you understand and are comfortable with the condition of the home), the appraisal (if you are using any sort of financing, you will most likely need an appraiser) and finally the loan contingency. At this point, a lender has approved your loan and is confident that you will get to the finish line. The entire closing process is usually between 21-30 days. 
• Closing. Once all contingencies are removed and the loan is approved, you will wire the remaining funds you owe and meet with an notary to sign your loan documents. Signing generally takes about an hour. Once both the buyer and seller have signed, the money has been wired to the escrow account and the lender has funded their loan, the file will be released to record with the county. Once the county has recorded the sale, congratulations!!! You will be the Bay Area's newest homeowner! Depending on your contract, you may be able to get your keys on the same day as closing!