Are you looking to buy a home in Central Virginia? Home for Life Realty, LLC can help.

With a little up-front planning, buying a home isn’t that confusing, but the event can be stressful for a lot of people. So you understand exactly what to expect, we like to furnish our buyers with an overview of the whole deal. These are our nine steps to buying a home.

Looking for listings? Contact us today to get you more information on any home in the area.

Step 1 – Prepare to purchase
There are several things you should do before starting your home search. When you start your search, you’ll probably want to assemble an outline of must-have features, plan for what school districts and neighborhoods you want to live in, and begin working on your budget. A good principle to go by is that your mortgage payment should be close to 1/3 of your monthly income.

Step 2 – Contact a real estate agent
That’s where we come in. We can plan a time to meet so we can talk about your real estate needs and get an idea of your future plans. We’ll talk about the mortgage and housing industries, other economic factors that may affect your buying decision today or in the future, as well as neighborhoods and school districts in the Central Virginia area.

We’ll also help you begin the loan process. Home for Life Realty, LLC works with some of the finest mortgage professionals in Central Virginia, so you’re in great hands. They’ll assist you in determining which type of loan is best for you and help you get qualified.

Step 3 – Start looking for a home

After we meet for the first time, we’ll begin finding houses on the market that suit your needs. We’ll preview most of the homes and throw out the duds, and then we’ll set up appointments to view the homes when it’s most convenient for you. As we view the houses, we’ll call attention to positive features and negative ones. We’ll even ask you to talk about things you like and dislike. As a rule, buyers revise their wish list as we view houses and some items become far more necessary than others. If such is the case, we’ll go back through all the listings once again and narrow it down to the house of your dreams.

Step 4 – Know the market
Our awareness of the Central Virginia housing market is a crucial resource in your search. I’m conscious of all the neighborhoods and schools, and we’ll alert you to what areas are “hot” and require prompt action and the ones that are “cool” and allow for thoughtful consideration.

When we view houses, we’ll be sure to tell you when the list price has room for bargaining and when we think the home is “priced to sell.” Be mindful and make sure you ask a lot of questions, as any real estate agent in Central Virginia will convince you they comprehend the home market. If it doesn’t seem like they know everything, call us at 804-717-LIFE(5433) or e-mail us at info@homeforliferealty.com, and we’ll be glad to answer any questions you have. Our understanding of the market will help you stay a step above the rest through the entire deal.

Step 5 – Find the home you’ve been waiting for We are confident we’ll find the house of your dreams in Central Virginia. When that happens, we’ll carefully create your real estate purchase offer. The offer will be tailored to suit your needs, including many contingencies, such as acquiring financing, carrying out the inspection, and a clear title. Upon sending in your offer, you’ll need to present “earnest money.” This is a cash deposit submitted to the seller to secure an offer to buy the property. The amount is often applied to the cost of closing. If the offer is accepted, we should close on the property within 30 to 60 days afterward. This allows necessary time for your mortgage financing.

Step 6 – Negotiate the deal
A lot of contracts aren’t closed on the beginning offer, and it’s pretty common to receive a counter offer. Don’t let this alarm you. We’ll talk about whether or not to consent to the counter offer, propose our own counter offer, or reject the seller’s offer and go on.

Market conditions will play a large role in how aggressively we negotiate the deal. We’ll also work within your financing constraints. And when it’s all said and done, we’ll assemble a contract that works well for you.

Step 7 – Secure your loan
Upon signing the contract, you’ll start working with your lender to close the loan. If you’re pre-approved, this shouldn’t take very long at all, but you’ll want to stay in close contact with your mortgage lender. And we’ll manage all the property information your lender needs to close the loan.

Step 8 – Close the deal You’ll get a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) outlining your closing costs from your mortgage lender within three days of getting your application. The estimate rests on the loan amount, and RESPA requirements dictate that it has to include all closing costs and be within a tight range of accuracy. we’ll examine the estimate and let you know if everything looks okay. Then it’s time to close on your home. This will probably occur at a title company or escrow office and should be a smooth and stress-free affair.

Step 9 – Move in
You made it! It’s time to move into your new house. Enjoy it. And if you need anything, just contact us at 910-578-6936 or send us an e-mail.