Maybe you were referred to me by a friend, 
family or colleague. Maybe you found me via 
Social Media or a Google Search. Either way 
your journey with me will start with a Zoom or 
Google Meet call so we can get to know each 
other. Prior to this call you'll fill out a questionnaire 
via a Google Form that will help guide our 
conversation. We'll spend about 45-60 minutes 
reviewing that questionnaire. 

Part of our call will review the BBSA (Buyer 
Brokerage Services Agreement) that will be 
required in order to receive brokerage services. 
Once you decide if you'd like to exclusively hire 
me to help you to closing, or if you'd like to go 
on a Trial By Tour (nonexclusive) we'll plan 
accordingly. 

Now that you have a clear idea on what you want it's time to talk to a lender. Every buyer must have a pre-approval before seeing any homes. You must have proof of funds (cash buyer) or a pre- approval letter in hand prior to home tours and writing offers. This ensures sellers aren't prepping their home for showings for buyers that aren't in a position to buy. Your pre-approval will be submitted with any offer so the sellers know you can secure a loan for their property. Once you have your pre-approval letter, revisit your Buyer Workbook to be sure those items can realistically be secured at your price point.

As of January 1st, 2024 you are required to sign a Buyer Brokerage Services Agreement (BBSA) to receive services from a Broker. Everything in Real Estate is done in writing, including our relationship agreement - this is a good thing as this provides you transparency as a buyer and is the tool you'll use to hire me as your advocate during your home buying experience. 

There are two types of BBSA's: 

• Nonexclusive: 

Think of this as an estimate from a plumber, electrician, mechanic. You're getting estimates on what that contractor can do for you and the cost of their services prior to being committed to utilizing them. This is the minimum that will be required to receive listings, go on home tours, write offers. You're dating the Broker and ONLY the Broker that writes an offer for you and helps you to closing will be compensated. 

• Exclusive: 

You're committed to having a specified Broker represent you, and may not have other Brokers give you brokerage services. Finding you the right home you want is the most important thing to me throughout this process, and signing an exclusive agreement ensures you won't lose my dedication to you because we'll be partners from start to finish. 

I offer what I call my "Trial By Tours" where we'll enter into a non-exclusive agreement to tour specific properties. There is absolutely no obligation to use me during or after the Tour - this is an opportunity for you to see if you'd like to hire me exclusively to represent you moving forward.

Once you sign an exclusive BBSA, now it's time to start shopping for your new home! We'll automate this by setting you up on my HomeSpotter app. You'll be able to create your own search, and view listings the second they hit the market. If you like what you see, reach out and I'll set an appointment to tour the home. 

A word of caution: Do not walk homes that are not in your budget. I can promise you this never ends well and oftentimes makes you disappointed in what you CAN afford. If you're strongly considering writing an offer on a home I will conduct a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to ensure you're not overpaying for a home. I'll also review the seller provided documents with you so you can make an informed decision before writing an offer.

Once you decide to write an offer on a home, we will spend about 90 minutes reviewing the Purchase and Sale Agreement (or Contract) so you understand what you're signing and what is included in your offer to purchase the seller's home. Once your offer is accepted we are at what's called "Mutual Acceptance". From there you can expect the following: 

1. EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT 

2. INSPECTION 

3. APPRAISAL

HOME INSPECTION 

Most of the time you will have an inspection period AFTER you get into contract with a seller. This is your time to do all of your due diligence on the property. It is HIGHLY recommended that you hire a licensed inspector to do a full inspection of the home. You can Google some options or I'm happy to share a few inspectors I've worked with in the past, but who you use as your inspector is your decision. The inspector will climb into the attic, check the crawl space, run all the faucets, check all the electrical and so much more. They'll then provide you with a full report that is often dozens of pages long - you want them to be thorough! They'll point out everything that is in working order and everything that is not. Once the inspection is done, you'll have an opportunity to ask the seller to repair or replace anything that isn't working properly, request a credit or purchase price reduction, or approve the inspection and move forward, or reject the inspection and walk away with your earnest money. If buyer and seller cannot come to an agreement during this due-diligence period, the buyer has the opportunity to cancel the contract and receive a full refund of their earnest money.  

APPRAISAL 

Once the inspection is complete you typically pay for your appraisal. Most loans require an appraisal and if the home doesn't appraise for the purchase price buyers and sellers have a few options. The buyer can exercise their right to cancel the contract and receive an full refund of their earnest money, or buyer and seller can renegotiate on the price or buyer can bring the difference between the appraisal amount and loan amount in cash to the closing table to bridge the gap. It is rare that an appraisal comes back less than the purchase price, but if it does rest assured I will go to bat for you to protect your best interests. 

OTHER CONTINGENCIES 

There will be other contingencies likely built into your offer such as HOA review, Title review, Seller Disclosure Statement review, and Information Verification Period. I will review these contingencies with you and let you know when they expire so you are well- informed of the pros and cons of approving each contingency. 

FINANCE CONTINGENCY 

During this time, it's imperative that you stay in close contact with your lender and NOT change lenders after the loan application period expires. Your lender will need specific paperwork and information only you can provide them. It is also of the upmost importance that you refrain from any other major purchases that could impact your financing. This would be buying a new car or boat or swiping your credit card for furniture for the new house. These purchases can negatively impact your debt to income ratio and implode your deal before it's done. Hang tight until we close on your dream home and then you have full reign to get that home furnished or buy that new car. 

FINAL WALK THROUGH 

This occurs within 5 days prior to close and is your chance to walk the home one last time to ensure that all of the repair requests have been completed and that the house is in the same condition as when you initially viewed it. It's normal to see boxes stacked in the garage because sellers are moving too! If everything looks good, you'll sign paperwork accepting the home's condition and we'll be on our way to a smooth close.

The Escrow Company will receive loan documents typically 3-5 days prior to close and you'll have two options: you can make an appointment to sign at the Escrow Company OR they'll send the documents to you with a notary to sign in the comfort of your own home. Either way is just fine, but you'll need to be sure if you're signing at home that there is time for documents to get back to the Escrow Company in a timely manner (this only comes into play if you're signing out- of-state). Both buyers and sellers usually sign all the documents a few days prior to close, so that on closing day, all that is left to do is send the documents to record at the County Recorder's Office. Your property is officially closed once the documents have been recorded. I can now release the keys to your new home to you!