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Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically, yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, and this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Passion & Expertise

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. I am dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams. 

What My Clients Say

Testimonials

"From the initial phone call until the day of closing Carol did an amazing job in selling my property. She was familiar with all aspects of real estate including promotion of the sale, knowledge of the area, assisting in determining the selling price, organizing and writing the contract, marketing the home, open houses, etc. She was also professional and extremely helpful in working with both the seller's and buyers' attorneys and was available at all times to answer any questions or give advice. This sale had a few uncommon scenarios and Carol guided me through these situations flawlessly. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell property in NJ."
"From the initial phone call until the day of closing Carol did an amazing job in selling my property. She was familiar with all aspects of real estate including promotion of the sale, knowledge of the area, assisting in determining the selling price, organizing and writing the contract, marketing the home, open houses, etc. She was also professional and extremely helpful in working with both the seller's and buyers' attorneys and was available at all times to answer any questions or give advice. This sale had a few uncommon scenarios and Carol guided me through these situations flawlessly. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell property in NJ."
Seller
"Words cannot express how amazing this woman is! I called Carol at 6 o’clock on a Friday in the middle of July when most people are at the beach or with their family and she answered me right away and was willing to show me the house ten minutes later. By Monday morning I had my offer accepted and a deal was under contract on the house! She was amazing! Absolutely incredible. She was well-versed in every aspect of her field and incredibly accommodating to my every need. She helped us get an incredible deal and was there for us every step of the way. I cannot recommend her enough. Do not use anyone else! If you are in the the market in this area she is the one stop shop! Thanks so much, Carol for everything Ten Stars!"
"Words cannot express how amazing this woman is! I called Carol at 6 o’clock on a Friday in the middle of July when most people are at the beach or with their family and she answered me right away and was willing to show me the house ten minutes later. By Monday morning I had my offer accepted and a deal was under contract on the house! She was amazing! Absolutely incredible. She was well-versed in every aspect of her field and incredibly accommodating to my every need. She helped us get an incredible deal and was there for us every step of the way. I cannot recommend her enough. Do not use anyone else! If you are in the the market in this area she is the one stop shop! Thanks so much, Carol for everything Ten Stars!"
Buyer
"She made a stressful and unknown time in our lives calm and reassuring. She very knowledgeable on buying and selling and understands the importance in keeping her clients updated. I strongly recommend her."
"She made a stressful and unknown time in our lives calm and reassuring. She very knowledgeable on buying and selling and understands the importance in keeping her clients updated. I strongly recommend her."
Tommy V.
"Selling a first home and moving to a new area with young kids is an overwhelming project! From the moment I met Carol at an open house, I knew she was the right person to help my family. She's an absolute expert, relatable, and honestly made the process a lot of fun (something I never expected to say when embarking on a big move)! As the first step, Carol listed our house. Within days of the open house, it was sold for over asking price with many offers. It was only because of this that upgrading to a larger home was possible! When it came to looking at houses, Carol searched tirelessly with me, answered any and every question I had—always putting my family's needs top of mind as if it were her own. She provided guidance on things I never would have thought about and was determined to find us the perfect fit. And sure enough, she did! Our offer was accepted on a house that was above and beyond our expectations in a neighborhood that is truly ideal. This was in large part because of Carol's extensive network and many years of experience. I can't thank her enough for all of her time and energy over the summer months, and I'm so happy to now have her as a friend!"
"Selling a first home and moving to a new area with young kids is an overwhelming project! From the moment I met Carol at an open house, I knew she was the right person to help my family. She's an absolute expert, relatable, and honestly made the process a lot of fun (something I never expected to say when embarking on a big move)! As the first step, Carol listed our house. Within days of the open house, it was sold for over asking price with many offers. It was only because of this that upgrading to a larger home was possible! When it came to looking at houses, Carol searched tirelessly with me, answered any and every question I had—always putting my family's needs top of mind as if it were her own. She provided guidance on things I never would have thought about and was determined to find us the perfect fit. And sure enough, she did! Our offer was accepted on a house that was above and beyond our expectations in a neighborhood that is truly ideal. This was in large part because of Carol's extensive network and many years of experience. I can't thank her enough for all of her time and energy over the summer months, and I'm so happy to now have her as a friend!"
Christine H.
"Carol is very knowledgeable and provided us with everything we needed for an easy and speedy sale on our home. She was a readily available to answer any of our questions. She is very personable as well which made her extremely easy to communicate with. We would highly recommend Carol to any of our family and friends."
"Carol is very knowledgeable and provided us with everything we needed for an easy and speedy sale on our home. She was a readily available to answer any of our questions. She is very personable as well which made her extremely easy to communicate with. We would highly recommend Carol to any of our family and friends."
Seller
"Carol was very responsive and proactive in helping us close. Very professional and a pleasure to work. Would recommend her to others. Carol was very responsive and proactive in helping us close. Very professional and a pleasure to work. Would recommend her to others."
"Carol was very responsive and proactive in helping us close. Very professional and a pleasure to work. Would recommend her to others. Carol was very responsive and proactive in helping us close. Very professional and a pleasure to work. Would recommend her to others."
Seller
"Carol made selling our home an easy and pleasant experience. Her ability to stage the house and create an attractive listing helped increase the value of our home and made it more attractive to buyers. She helped answer our questions, responded quickly and ensured that our closing process went smoothly."
"Carol made selling our home an easy and pleasant experience. Her ability to stage the house and create an attractive listing helped increase the value of our home and made it more attractive to buyers. She helped answer our questions, responded quickly and ensured that our closing process went smoothly."
Seller
"Carol has been an amazing realtor! She let us take our time and really make sure we loved the house and were ready to buy. She answered all of our questions. No matter how many we asked or when we asked them, she always got us the answers quickly. She's friendly and knowledgable about all the processes. We felt comfortable every step of the way with her. I would highly recommend her to anyone to buying or selling. She wants to make sure that you make the right and best choice for you - she is fantastic!"
"Carol has been an amazing realtor! She let us take our time and really make sure we loved the house and were ready to buy. She answered all of our questions. No matter how many we asked or when we asked them, she always got us the answers quickly. She's friendly and knowledgable about all the processes. We felt comfortable every step of the way with her. I would highly recommend her to anyone to buying or selling. She wants to make sure that you make the right and best choice for you - she is fantastic!"
Buyer
"Carol did a fantastic job with the sale of my father's home. He had recently died and it was my responsibility to clear the home and prepare it for sale. Carol guided me through the process and went way beyond the expected duties of an agent. I felt comfortable with her professional knowledge immediately and I was encouraged by her positivity when the normal aspects of the transaction became challenging."
"Carol did a fantastic job with the sale of my father's home. He had recently died and it was my responsibility to clear the home and prepare it for sale. Carol guided me through the process and went way beyond the expected duties of an agent. I felt comfortable with her professional knowledge immediately and I was encouraged by her positivity when the normal aspects of the transaction became challenging."
Seller
"Carol was fantastic and I couldn't have asked for a better realtor. She gave great advice on everything from the market to staging to what little things could be fixed to maximize interest and ultimately sell my home. Additionally, Carol has many connections that help when it comes to small jobs that need to be done or if larger jobs are needed for your home before hitting the market. Overall a pleasure working with Carol!"
"Carol was fantastic and I couldn't have asked for a better realtor. She gave great advice on everything from the market to staging to what little things could be fixed to maximize interest and ultimately sell my home. Additionally, Carol has many connections that help when it comes to small jobs that need to be done or if larger jobs are needed for your home before hitting the market. Overall a pleasure working with Carol!"
Seller

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