To help you find a home:
As your real estate professionals, we will be able to show you any home that is available regardless of who the listing broker is. We will accompany you to any house, new construction, for sale by owner, or available listing of your choice and must do so if we are to be your representatives throughout the transaction.

• We will save you endless hours of frustration by knowing the available properties in your market area. When you see advertisements in the newspaper or Homes magazine, call us and we will track down the property.

To help you buy a home we will:

• Explain financing options and help you select a lender.
• Research values and future marketability of your selected home.
• Handle all the detail work and negotiations, carefully explain all written documents, and give you a copy of everything you sign.
• Accompany you to all the required inspections and make sure you understand their results.
• Accompany you to the closing and make sure you understand the entire closing process.

Important points to remember:

• Your parents, family or friends can contribute to the purchase of your home by way of a "Gift Note". Ask us for details about this simple procedure.
• A deposit, known as an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD), in the form of a check or money order must accompany each contract offer that you make on a home. The recommended deposit is three percent of the offering price. The funds will be deposited into a non-interest bearing escrow account at the time of the "bottom lining" of the sales agreement.
• If you are serious about buying a particular home, it is important to price your offer correctly. You don't want to lose the home to a better offer.
• When your contract offer is presented to the sellers they can accept, reject, or make a counter offer. Only when the sellers accept your offer and you accept theirs do you have a binding contract for sale.
• Excellent buys are often made on homes that require a little paint and soap. Two identical homes can be priced very differently when one needs only a minimal amount of work.

Getting pre-approved:

• We recommend that homebuyers get pre-approved with a lender before selecting a home to purchase. Do not confuse this with pre-qualification. Being pre-approved will benefit you in several ways.
• Determines the appropriate price range of homes to view.
• Determines which loan program will best fit your needs.
• Determines your monthly payment.
• Determines the amount of your down payment and closing costs.
• Allows us to structure the offer to best suit your financial needs.
• In a competitive market like we have right now, there may be several offers presented to the seller simultaneously. The seller may not even consider an offer from a buyer who has not been pre-approved.

Choosing a lender:

• Just like choosing your Realtor, shopping for a lender is a very important part of the home buying process. Your loan officer will become an integral part of the real estate transaction.
• Do not base this decision solely on interest rates. If you call lenders looking for rates, you may not be quoted on the program that suits your needs best and you may not get a complete list of fees that the lender charges.

Some tips for choosing the right lender for you:

• How quickly did he or she return your phone calls?
• Were they knowledgeable about a variety of loan packages?
• Were they willing to meet with you at a time that was convenient for you?
• How long has the company been in business?
• How long has the loan officer been in business?
• Can the interest rates be locked?
• For how long and at what cost?