Buying a home is a huge milestone – and we can help you get prepared! Follow this guide to make sure you have everything in order before you get those keys. 

Consider The Reasons To Work With A Realtor

• PRICE: Homeowners who sell on their own typically generate $47,000 less than if listing with an experienced agent like me.  
• TIME: Let us handle the open houses, the listing flyers, the website updates. Your time is precious and this is our job to handle!
• ACCESS TO BUYERS: We have full lists of buyers and their interests to save time and help find the best candidate quickly and seamlessly. 
• EXPERIENCE: The paperwork involved in selling a home can be overwhelming but we can help you immensely here. 

What I Offer Buyers:

• I am data-driven by nature; I like to take a professional, structured, and organized approach to finding the right home for you while holding market analysis and data points as king. But beyond the data, I am incredibly communicative, informative, engaging, and easy to work with. You’ll never have to worry about not hearing from me!
  
  
• One of the most helpful things I offer my clients is a Pre-Home Listing Seller Information Package. This provides clients the opportunity to review important information they need to be aware of as they prepare to enter into a real estate transaction, without the stress of being under an immediate time constraint. Another thing I offer is a Customized Web Portal to organize your ideal searches and favorite homes you are interested in.
  
  
• I have a comprehensive team of experienced professionals that I’ve worked with for years – Lenders, Title Officers, Vendors, Appraisers – all of which work hard to get you in the home you want.
  
  
• Another thing that comes along with working with an experienced realtor such as myself is that I’m well known in the community and an active member of global luxury real estate networks; lenders and selling agents want to work with me and since we’ve done this process many times together, it can be an incredibly seamless process for you.
  
  
• And I promise you this: we will have some fun!

1. Get Ready To Be A Homeowner

• Make sure your credit score is in line and there are no errors on your credit report. 
• Try and pay off some debts before speaking to a lender. This will make you a more attractive borrower!
• Reduce your spending and make a monthly budget. You will be coming into some large costs soon so now is not the time to go crazy with online shopping and large unnecessary purchases. Remember: you’ll soon have to deal with inspection fees, closing costs, and moving services, and those can add up! 
• Peruse Zillow and see what kind of homes appeal to you, what style of home you would like to be in, and other important factors. 
• Save up for a down payment! This is where most buyers end up delaying the process. Make sure you have at least 10-20% of the cost of a house. Work out an estimate of how much you’d need for your ideal home. 

2. Speak With Us!

• When you’ve got the above in order, we should start our conversation so we can help narrow in on some homes you would like. 
• We can then recommend you to some of our lenders we have worked with before to help you get pre-qualified for a mortgage. You will need to start getting your W2, pay stubs, and bank account statements together for a credit check and a full overview of your finances. 
• Before we start to tour some homes, let us know how many bedrooms you’d like if local schools are important to you, what size you’d want, and any other factors that are important to your next home. 

3. Time To Start Touring!

• Once you are pre-qualified, let's start looking at some homes!
• Remember to keep an open mind but let us know your real feelings about each home we show you. You won’t offend us if you don’t love what we show you and we would rather you be happy than disappointed in the end!
• Keep detailed notes on each home, what you liked, what you didn’t like, and give us some direction if you want to see different things. 

4. You Found One! Let’s Make An Offer!

• You found the one you love, so it's time to make an offer!
• Contact your lender so they can run a search on the title. 
• The lender will go over the financing terms with you. Make sure you clearly understand the terms and what is expected of you as borrowers. Ask lots of questions if this is your first time buying. 
• Negotiate! Sometimes the seller will come back with a counter-offer. Let us help you here with appropriate counter-offers back to them. 
• You’ve settled on the price: now, get the home inspected. This will run you about $500-1000 so be prepared for that cost!
• PRO TIP: It’s always a good idea to add a contingency clause into your offer stating that you have a certain amount of time to have the property inspected. This gives you the right to back out of the agreement if you and the seller can’t agree on repairs or if there are glaring issues with the home. 
• Keep your credit score stable during this time! ANY large purchases or changes to your credit score in this time could cause the seller or lender to back out. 
• Get an appraisal: the bank or lender will order that the appraisal, title search, and final financing terms are set before you can officially close. The qualified appraiser will create a report based on market value, square footage, and amenities to determine the property’s appraisal value. 
• Once everything is set, it’s time to sign those papers! 

5. You’ve Closed! Pop The Champagne! But Now…

• Protect your new home with homeowner’s insurance with flood, fire, and disaster coverage. 
• Weatherproof your new home if necessary. 
• Make sure you have copies of your warranty and homeowner’s insurance inside your home. It’s smart to digitize these documents for easy access!
• Keep your original closing documents in a very safe place, like a safe or bank deposit box. 
• Set up utilities in your name at your new address.
• Complete any painting before you begin moving in.
• Determine a move-in date and hire movers if needed. 
• Move in and start your new life in your new home! 

I hope you found this guide helpful and informative to the long process of buying a new home. We would be thrilled to assist you in your search of the Sonoma area and we promise to make this exciting new chapter of your life as seamless as possible. We look forward to speaking with you soon!