Over the years
we have developed a system to help you purchase a home that saves
you time and effort.
It starts
with a FREE, no obligation, initial consultation
meeting where you and the agent discuss exclusive buyer agency, what you have
done up to this point in your home search, the area you are
interested in, your time table, specifics about the home's features,
and financing the purchase.
After the
consultation meeting, we enter into a Buyer Agency Agreement.
Next, you get
pre-approved from a lending institution. Pre-approval means giving
your paperwork to a lender who will then issue you a commitment
letter.
Next, we do a
search for properties based on the detailed description of your
dream house given at the initial consultation. We search the
Multiple Listing System (MLS), discount brokerage websites, for sale
by owner (FSBO) websites and newspapers. We only show you homes that
match what you are looking for.
Next, you drive
by the homes. If any of these homes appeal to you on the outside, we
set up an appointment to go inside them.
At this point,
if you like one of these homes, we will write up an Offer to
Purchase. We write the Offer to Purchase with the best price and
terms for you, the buyer. We determine a negotiating strategy
and negotiate on your behalf.
If the houses
were not what you were looking for, we discuss the houses and make
adjustments to the search process and go from there.
After the Offer
to Purchase is accepted, there is a period of usually ten to
fourteen days to have your inspections and tests done. A few days
after the inspection period is over, you and the seller sign a
Purchase and Sale Agreement. In Massachusetts, the Greater Boston
Real Estate Board Purchase and Sale Agreement (P&S) is written in
the seller's favor right off the press, so you need an attorney to
make changes to the Agreement so you are properly protected.
Next, you
officially apply for a loan. An appraisal of the property is ordered
and completed. A new commitment letter is issued.
Before the
property can close, there are a few tasks to be done by the buyer
such as: obtain hazard insurance, put the home's utilities in your
name, and obtain a bank check for the money owed at closing. The
amount of the check is provided by the closing attorney.
Finally, the BIG
day arrives - the closing. The closing usually takes place at the
closing attorney's office or sometimes at the Registry of Deeds. You
will sign many papers. The closing takes about an hour and, when
it's all over, you are the new owner of a home!
Two to
four weeks after the closing, we contact you to see how things are
going and to see if we can help you in any way. You will also begin
to receive mailings from us, as part of our
Homefinders VIP Program.
