Steps to Buying a Home

Gerilyn de Laurentys, a real estate agent in Augusta, GA, and the surrounding areas, shares with Rosegate the typical steps a home buyer can expect to take when shopping for a home.

Buying a home can seem daunting, especially if it’s your first time or you haven’t purchased a home in years. Having a process will help alleviate some of the stresses that come with buying a home. When I work with a buyer, this is what they can expect.

Step One: I set an appointment to ask questions and discover what the buyer is looking for and why. I recommend going with a lender who will show you various rates and secure you a pre-approval letter. Many homebuyers make the mistake of shopping for homes before becoming pre-qualified for a home loan by a lender. By pre-qualifying, a buyer can assure sellers that they have the resources necessary to purchase the home, making sellers more likely to accept an offer.

Step Two: I’ll pull all of the homes in the multiple listing service and put in the buyer’s criteria to narrow down the search. Then we’ll look at pictures and descriptions of homes to figure out which ones you like the best. Once we’ve narrowed it down to five or six options, I will make appointments for us to view them. Before we go on tours, I will run a comparative market analysis. A comparative market analysis shows the buyer what the market is doing and if the home is positioned correctly according to the market.

Step Three: We find the home the buyer wants and make an offer! The offer consists of: the purchase price, whether they would like to ask the seller to pay any of their closing costs, which attorney will execute the closing, how many days of due diligence time, any contingencies concerning inspections or appraisals by licensed professionals, and the time limit of the offer. We’ll also provide the seller with the loan exhibit or cash exhibit to let them know what type of loan the buyer is getting along with the pre-approval letter the buyer has already gotten from their lender. Once we negotiate the offer and everyone agrees on the terms – the buyer is under contract! 

It’s imperative to work with a real estate professional who does this daily, knows the ins and outs of finding your dream home, and can negotiate. These factors can be the difference between a smooth and easy transaction or an exhausting experience finding your dream home with the potential of losing out. I recommend interviewing multiple agents before agreeing to work with one so you can find the best fit.

Are you considering a home in Augusta, GA, or the surrounding areas? Be sure to contact Gerilyn to learn how to get started.