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BUY A HOME

FINDING AND BUYING THE RIGHT HOME IS A HIGHLY PERSONALIZED PROCESS, AND IT ALL BEGINS BY IDENTIFYING YOUR NEEDS.

  • The values, interests and priorities you want this move to support

  • The features you are looking for in a home

  • How a neighborhood can best match your needs and lifestyle

  • How the homefinding process will need to be tailored to fit your plans

  • The support you expect to receive from your Realtor®
     

LOOK AHEAD TO THE HOMEFINDING PROCESS

The following questions will help identify how finding and buying a home can be an enjoyable experience for you.

  • What is your timeframe?

  • Who will be included in the homefinding and buying decisions?

  • Thinking of previous homefinding experiences, what were the most positive features of those experiences?

  • Were there any unpleasant features of your previous homefinding experiences that you hope to avoid this time?

  • What are your expectations of  your real estate professional?

  • What specific services and support do you expect?
     

DEFINING YOUR IDEAL HOME

The property you buy will be much more than a house; it will be your home. The following questions will help your Realtor® find your ideal home:

  • How many people will be living in your household?

  • What would you consider a comfortable commute?

  • What are the most important activities for the members of your household?

  • What is something you disliked about the house or area where you lived previously?

  • What are one or more features you liked most about homes you’ve lived in previously?

  • What are the “must have” features of your ideal home and neighborhood?
     

HOMEFINDING PROCESS

Finding a house typically includes many of the following elements. Your Realtor® will be your resource and guide every step of the way.
 

YOUR SINGLE SOURCE FOR PROPERTY INFORMATION

Your BHHS Platinum Realty Group Realtor® will have access to virtually every property for sale in this market, regardless of whether or not it is being offered by a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices real estate sales professional, and will show you the homes that best match your requirements including:

  • All homes marketed by our network members

  • All properties listed by other brokers through the Multiple Listing Services (MLS)

  • Properties not yet on the open market

  • Many properties offered by “For Sale by Owner”

  • Properties advertised in newspapers or buyers’ guides

  • Properties advertised on the Internet

  • Open houses

  • Properties displaying “For Sale” signs
     

HOW TO LOOK AT HOMES

Discovering the right home should be an exciting event. As Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Platinum Realty Group sales professionals, our agents’ commitment is to make your home search as stress-free as possible.

  • Identifying up-front what is affordable

  • They will select only those properties that most closely meet your unique needs and interests

  • They will schedule time to look at homes and neighborhoods

  • You can use the Homefinding Worksheets your Realtor® give you to evaluate each property

  • To help your Realtor® find the right home for you, they will ask you to share your thoughts about each property you see – the positives and negatives

  • Your Realtor® will continue to assess your needs and buying criteria
     

SUBMITTING AN OFFER

Once you have found the right property, the next step is to make the offer to the seller.

  • Determine the price you want to offer

  • Decide on financing

  • Decide on other issues that are important to you such as:

    • Items of personal property you want included

    • Home Service Plan, inspections, repairs, lien search, etc.

    • Closing date and possession

  • Your Realtor® will present your offer and negotiate with the seller through their sales professional for your best interests

  • Once you have reached an agreement with the seller, you will have a firm contract to purchase the home
     

IMPORTANT WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS

There are several ways to help support a trouble-free home purchase:

  • A written property disclosure statement from the seller will reveal any problems with the house and the surrounding area that you need to know about

  • Professional inspections can reveal structural, roof, termite and other problems with the property that the seller will need to remedy

  • A home service plan can give you peace of mind by providing repair-or-replace coverage of major home operating systems and appliances

  • A preliminary title report informs you of any problems with the property’s title and a policy of title insurance protects your rights to the property

  • A walk-through before closing will allow you to make sure all required work has been taken care of and that the property is ready to become yours
     

COMPLETING YOUR HOME PURCHASE

  • It can take 15-90 days to complete all the steps involved in a home sale, depending on the complexity of the transactions. Your Realtor® will work closely with everyone involved in the transaction to help ensure that it moves ahead as smoothly as possible.

    • Explain to you in detail all the steps that will occur and answer your questions

    • Work with the seller’s broker to see that they fulfill their responsibilities under the contract

    • Stay in touch with the settlement officer, title officer, lender and others to help coordinate their activities and to help keep the transaction moving forward

    • Communicate with you on a regular basis so that you can stay informed and as worry-free as possible

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