Buyer Resources

When it comes time to buy a home, finding the right home, in the right neighborhood, at a cost that fits your budget, can seem like a big challenge.

That’s why we take time to educate all of our clients up front, create a customized approach focusing on your particular wants, needs and goals, then provide you with a simple step by step plan to make all this happen.

As full-time licensed residential real estate professionals, with specialized skills, here are the benefits you receive when working us.

  • We know the local market – helping you focus in on the areas that have the greatest potential for finding your home, at the right price.
  • To save you time, you will receive your own personal Home Buyers Scouting Report, providing complete information about every home for listed.
  • We will help you sort, prioritize and manage, which homes to personally tour.  Homes that don’t meet your specific needs are eliminated.
  • We will preview homes for you while you are at work, make appointments for your personal tours, and help you evaluate which homes best suit for your needs.
  • We are members of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) – allowing us to represent you, for the purchase of ANY home listed in the entire NWMLS.
  • We know how to get detailed information for any listed property, as well as most properties that are not listed for sale.
  • When you find the right home to buy, we will guide you through the up- front pricing analysis, negotiation process, the legal process, and a comprehensive timeline of each step to follow.
  • You can also search listed properties in over 300 MLSs across the country, as well as outstanding Realtors and services in any metropolitan real estate market across the country.  Ask us how and allow us to be your guide.

Tips for Getting Started

The key to finding the right home, with a sense of confidence and complete peace of mind, is organization. Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Before starting your home search, learn how much house you can afford. If you will be obtaining a loan, we will proudly introduce you to a mortgage professional.  They will calculate your comfortable monthly payment, then translate that into a price range for your search. To estimate how much home you think you can afford, use our mortgage calculator section.
  • Prioritize characteristics and features of your ideal home.  What are the "must haves," and what would be on the "nice to have" list? List everything you want in a home. We will review your list together, so we know exactly what makes the "right home" the "right home."
  • Make notes as you consider the home online, and when visiting homes. Consider making a video recording on your personal home tours, to help you remember which features go with which home. We create these recordings on tour for our clients.
  • When you do choose a home, in order to make sure the home is structurally and mechanically sound, you should have the home inspected. Upon request, we will proudly provide you with a list of outstanding, licensed home inspectors. (We can schedule the inspection for you upon your request.) The inspector will inspect the entire home, noting and photographing defects and large repairs, and provide you with a report on the condition of the home, along with recommendations for future maintenance.
  • Once you've decided upon the home you want to buy, together, we'll complete a purchase and sale agreement. This is the contract in which the seller and the buyer outline the details of the property transfer, including all the time-sensitive conditions (contingencies) protecting each party’s interests.
  • A closing date is jointly agreed-upon during the negotiation stage of the transaction. Consider a safety buffer of at least a couple of days around closing, to protect you against any unexpected delays in closing.
  • Before closing, expect to review a preliminary HUD Settlement Statement, detailing all costs and credits associated with your side of the transaction.  Our escrow/closing agents provide this as part of our normal procedure, at least 2 business days before closing.