Charlotte, NC

Buyer Steps to Homeownership, The Series

HOME BUYERS!  What should you expect when buying a home?  You should expect unsurpassed customer service and knowledge of the area.  You should expect to have this be the easiest home-buying processes you've ever experienced!  You will no longer be allowed to ‘worry,’ we will take care of the details for YOU!   As we work together to achieve the common goal of your homeownership, the process will be broken down into four simple stages:

1.  Pre-Purchase Consult
2.  Shopping for Your Home
3.  Purchasing Your Home
4.  Settling-in

Part I:  THE PRE-PURCHASE CONSULT

Before we head out shopping, we'll spend some time ‘planning’ so that we can ascertain that you feel confident about the entire home-purchase process, including your choice of REALTORS®.

• What are you looking for in a home?  What are your jobs, your hobbies and special interests, your concerns about location, transportation, schools, places of worship etc.?  What do you like or dislike about your current home and your current neighborhood?  If you are moving to a different type of neighborhood, what would you like in your new neighborhood? 
• We’ll review your financial situation, including your income, investments, debts, and liquidity.  We’ll discuss your down payment, and what type of mortgage loan that would best suit your financial needs. 
• We’ll arrange a meeting, either online, by phone or in person with a reputable loan officer who can further assist you in narrowing down your financial qualifications and what price point we’ll be looking in while shopping for your new home.
• We’ll review my 'job' duties and the standard NC Bar Forms that you’ll be using during the home buying process.

We've reviewed the first step, the pre-purchase consultation, now let's go shopping!

Part II:   SHOP FOR YOUR HOME

Now that we know your price point, neighborhood and home preferences, location, etc., let’s go shopping!

• Using the Carolina Multiple Listing Service (CMLS®) gateway and other home shopping sites, the homes that fit your specifications will be previewed and you’ll select a few that fit your needs and preferences.
  
  
• We’ll begin by narrowing down the areas to your favorite neighborhoods, then  proceed to visit a few homes in those areas. 
  
  
• We’ll schedule appointments for us to view homes at a time that works best for you.  You will be provided a note-taking packet so that we can list pros and cons that we’ve found in each home we visit.   When we’ve narrowed down to one neighborhood, we’ll see several in that particular neighborhood so that we can help you gain knowledge of the builders and floorplans in that neighborhood.
  
  
• When you’ve narrowed your search, the lender and I will review your financial costs and monthly payment with you.
  
  
• Due diligence will begin so that we will know everything that we possibly can about the history of the neighborhood and that particular home; any planned road or neighborhood improvements, home owner’s association dues or assessments, etc. will be disclosed to you.
  
  
• You will be encouraged to visit the neighborhood at different times of the day and different days of the week so that you can visit with the homeowners in the area and get a better ‘feel’ for your potential new neighborhood.

If we are unable to find the home of your dreams, we’ll review your most pressing points of desire for a new home and start over again—until we ARE able to locate your new home!

We've reviewed the first step, the pre-purchase consultation and the shopping stage, now let's make that purchase!

Part III:  THE PURCHASE

When you find a home that you’d like to purchase, we’ll review the typical CMA and list-to-sales prices in that particular neighborhood and prepare an Offer accordingly.

• Using the standard NC Bar forms, I'll prepare an Offer To Purchase as well as other documents that will be needed  (as reviewed in Stage 1) explaining your rights and obligations related to this Contract to you. Should you need legal advice, I can introduce you to an attorney for further questions that would be beyond my scope of knowledge as a Realtor®.
  
  
• We’ll negotiate vigorously for you and assist you in evaluating any Counteroffer and any response which I would recommend that you make.
  
  
• Each step of the negotiating process will be reviewed in detail and changes made accordingly to the Offer to Purchase Contract.
  
  
• When we have arrived at an agreement, each party will initial any changes made to the Offer to Purchase your new home and we’ll forward this Contract to a real estate attorney—one of your choosing or I am happy to make recommendations should you not know one in the area. 
  
  
• You will then work closely with your lender and provide him/her all of the necessary documents required for the process.  Timely response is needed as we are all working towards a closing date which you and the Sellers have contractually agreed upon.
  
  
• You will be asked to decide if you would like a survey of the property which you are purchasing.  I strongly recommend that you have the attorney order one—they run about $350.  Should you waive having the survey done, the attorney will ask that you sign a release/waiver.
  
  
• A home inspection will be scheduled, either one of your choosing or again, I’m happy to make recommendations should you not know one.  The inspection will run about $400.  An additional $85. will be added for a termite letter/inspection.
  
  
• I will attend the home inspection either with or without you. 
  
  
• During the inspection and loan phase, I will ascertain that all contractual agreements are addressed and completed; the closing attorney, lender and I will remain in close contact while doing so.
  
  
• We will then review all items on the inspection report and request, formally, that the homeowners make the necessary repairs.  Again, this is a negotiating process and we will make certain that issues that are structural or of urgent nature are further inspected by engineers, etc.  A follow-up inspection can run anywhere from $75.00 to $350.00, depending upon the specialty; a roofer will charge about $75. and a structural engineer’s fee will be about $350.
  
  
• You will be given a list of providers for all of your utilities, depending upon the area which you select.  You can visit my website at www.DebeMaxwell.com, click on UTILITY CONSOLE and provide all of the necessary information required for your utilities to be transferred into your name and on your specific closing date.
  
  
• Your lender will also require that you provide your homeowners insurance agent/company contact information.  Should you not know who to contact for homeowners insurance, a list of several ‘tried and true’ agents will be provided for you to select and begin the process.  This should take about 10 minutes to acquire.
  
  
• The final walkthrough will take place prior to the Closing and the sellers will be notified should there be any discrepancies.  Should there indeed, be discrepancies, and there is not enough time prior to closing to remediate, this will be resolved at the closing table with the attorney.
  
  
• Approximately 24 – 48 hours prior to Closing, you will be given a final ‘tally’ which is detailed on your Closing statement called the HUD-1.  All expenses (debits) and adjustments (credits) involved in the transaction will be included on this document.  We will review this thoroughly and either the lender or myself will give you the amount which you will be required to bring to Closing.  This will need to be in the form of a cashier’s check or a bank countercheck, required by the attorneys in order to record the Deed of Trust.
  
  
• We will attend Closing with you, at which time you will sign all mortgage and sales documents and will be given the keys to your brand new, beautiful home!

Now that we've reviewed the first three steps, the pre-purchase consultation, the shopping stage, and the purchase stage, you can begin the enjoyment of your new home!

Part IV:  THE SETTLING-IN STAGE

Before we had moved too far along in the process, we would have reviewed available moving companies, listing opportunities for you, either locally or in your exit c