Buying or selling a home?

Purchasing a home is stressful for many people, but it's not that hard with some up-front planning. We like to supply buyers with an overview of the entire deal so they'll understand exactly what they can expect. Here are our nine steps to buying a home.

Step 1 – Prepare to buy a home
There are many things you should do before you start searching for a home. You'll probably want to put together a checklist of must-haves, get a plan of what school districts you want to live in, and start planning your budget. A good guideline to adhere to is that your mortgage payment should be less than or close to 1/3 of your net monthly income.

Step 2 – Contact a real estate agent in Berthoud
That's where we come in. We can schedule a time to get together so we can talk about why you want to buy a home and get an idea of your upcoming plans. We'll talk about neighborhoods, schools in the Berthoud area, the mortgage and housing industries, and any additional economic factors that could potentially affect your buying decision today or in the future.

In addition, we'll help you start the loan process. There are some great mortgage professionals in Berthoud, and we partner with a lot of them, so you'll be in great hands. They will help you choose which kind of loan is best for you, as well as help you get qualified.

Step 3 – Start your home search
After our first meeting, we'll begin looking for available houses on the market that suit your needs. We'll get a sneak peek of most of the houses and reject the duds, and then we'll schedule appointments to tour the houses when it's convenient for you.

As we tour homes, we'll identify good features and negative ones. we'll even ask you to talk about things you like and dislike. It's common for buyers to revise their wish list as we view homes and some features become more necessary than others. If that's the case, we'll go back through all the listings again and narrow it down to the home you've been waiting for.

Step 4 – Know the housing market
An agent's knowledge of the Berthoud housing market is a crucial component in your home search. And we can assure you we're very familiar with all the neighborhoods and school districts, and we can let you know certain districts are "hot" and demand immediate action and the ones that are "cold" and allow for more consideration.

As we view homes, we'll make sure to communicate when the list price has room for negotiation and when I believe the home is "priced to sell." Any REALTOR^® will tell you they know the home market, but trust your instincts, and be sure to ask your agent a lot of questions. If things don't add up, call us at 303-638-7814 or e-mail us at c.cathyheckman@gmail.com, and we'd be glad to answer any questions you have. Our market expertise will help you stay a step above the rest through the entire process.

Step 5 – Find the home you've been waiting for
We're confident we'll find the home of your dreams in Berthoud. When that happens, we'll carefully create your purchase offer. The offer will be tailored exactly to your needs, including many contingencies. A few examples are acquiring financing, carrying out the home inspection, and a clean title.

When we present your purchase offer, you'll need to submit "earnest money." This is a cash deposit made to the home seller to secure an offer to purchase the property. The amount is typically put towards the cost of closing. If the offer is accepted, we should close on the home within 30 to 60 days after. This allows plenty of time for your mortgage financing.

Step 6 – Negotiate the deal
Most contracts aren't closed on the beginning offer. It's pretty common to receive a counter offer. But don't let it discourage you. We'll discuss whether or not to take the counter offer, propose our own counter offer, or refuse the seller's offer and go on.

Market circumstances determine how aggressively we negotiate the contract. We'll also work within your financing limits. And when it's all said and done, we'll assemble a deal that's best for you.

Step 7 – Secure financing
Upon completing the contract, you'll start working with your mortgage lender to close the loan. If you've been pre-approved, this shouldn't take much time at all, but you'll want to stay in close contact with your lender. And we'll look after all the property information your lender needs to close the loan.>

Step 8 – Close the deal
You'll get a Loan Estimate (LE) outlining your closing costs from your lender within three days of accepting your loan application. This estimate depends on the loan amount, and RESPA requirements require that it has to contain all closing costs and be within a close range of accuracy. we'll analyze the estimate and let you know if everything looks okay.

Then we'll close on your home. This will most likely happen at a title company or escrow office and will most often be a smooth and easygoing occasion.

Step 9 – Move in
You made it! It's time to move into your new home. Enjoy it. And if you have any questions, just call us at 303-638-7814 or send us an e-mail.