At The Real Estate Agency, we believe the best home buying experiences are borne out of preparation and the help of a dream team. Read more to find out how you can make your home purchase in Naples an absolute success.
An Overview
Before we dive into the details, let’s take a look at the most important steps of the home buying process. The Real Estate Agency has divided the process into two segments: the preparation and the actual purchase.
To prepare for the home purchase, you’ll need to do the following tasks:
- Examine your finances.
- Get a pre-approval letter from your chosen lender.
- Determine the type of home you’re looking for.
- Hire a real estate agent.
The latter part of the home buying process involves the following steps:
- Looking at homes and making offers.
- Having the property inspected by a professional.
- Opening the escrow.
- Closing the deal.
Prepping to Buy a Home
Before you actually get to make an offer and buy your dream home, it’s of paramount importance to prepare for the investment.
- Examine your finances. Before applying for a mortgage, examine your finances to get an idea of how much you can afford. Check your credit report, and if needed, take the necessary steps to improve it. A credit score of over 720 is usually deemed acceptable.
- Get pre-approved. Sellers nowadays tend take offers from pre-approved buyers more seriously. A loan pre-approval, however, can take some time to acquire. Securing your pre-approval early is helpful, especially if you’ve located the home you want to purchase.
- Determine the type of home you’re looking for. Before you start your home search, it’s important to have a clear picture of the type of home you want. Consider your needs, long-term plans, and lifestyle. Having an idea of what you want will narrow down the home search.
- Hire a real estate agent. Dream homes are purchased through the help of dream teams, and yours isn’t complete without a local real estate agent. Ask for referrals or take your search online. Pick a few candidates and consider their years in the industry, experience, specialization, and work style.
Making the Purchase
Now that you’ve made the necessary preparations, it’s time for the second part of the home-buying process.
- Look at homes. Armed with the knowledge of the type of home you’re looking for, along with a list of must-have features and amenities, it’s time to search for homes. You can start your search online or relay to your real estate agent your wants and needs and have him come up with prospective properties.
- Make an offer. A great offer, complete with pre-approval from your lender, is your golden ticket. Consider the listing price and the local real estate market in order to craft an attractive offer sellers won’t be able to refuse. Once you’ve made an offer, either it will be accepted or it will be met with a counter-offer. It can involve a lot of back-and-forth, so be patient, especially if the offer has contingencies such as home inspections included.
- Open the escrow. With the help of a neutral third-party, open an escrow. It will put all payments and paperwork in a secure account until all obligations in the sale contract are met. When everything is met and deemed satisfactory by both parties, it’s time to close the escrow and complete the purchase.
- Close the deal. Schedule a closing day. In that meeting, go over the contract and review all related paperwork. Make the last batch of payments, and once every obligation is met, you’ll be handed the keys and title to your new home. Congratulations!
The Real Estate Agency can help you purchase your dream home in Naples, FL. To learn more, browse or website or get in touch with us today at 239-263-8777 or sending an email to info@theagencyswfl.com.