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Your Buying Journey

Buyer's Guide

Tools and tips to find and secure your dream home.

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey.

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Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a Real Estate Agent? Technically, yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, and this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Passion & Expertise

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. I am dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams. 

Success Stories

Testimonials

Take a look at what my clients are saying about our work together.

"Pete was very helpful in buying and selling our house. He was able to answer all our questions and made it easier for us to move without having to worry about all the little details that moving entails. I highly recommend choosing Pete for your realtor."
"Pete was very helpful in buying and selling our house. He was able to answer all our questions and made it easier for us to move without having to worry about all the little details that moving entails. I highly recommend choosing Pete for your realtor."
Beverly K.
"Pete helped us sell our house and it could not have been an easier, smoother, worry-free process! Pete always kept us in the loop and helped explain things we didn’t understand. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He is very friendly and will always get the best deal for his clients! I will always recommend Pete to my family, friends, co-workers, everyone! You will not regret working with Pete! Such a pleasure to work with him!"
"Pete helped us sell our house and it could not have been an easier, smoother, worry-free process! Pete always kept us in the loop and helped explain things we didn’t understand. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He is very friendly and will always get the best deal for his clients! I will always recommend Pete to my family, friends, co-workers, everyone! You will not regret working with Pete! Such a pleasure to work with him!"
Hannah K.
"Couldn’t have asked for a better real estate experience. He was always on top of everything and made the entire daunting process of buying and selling a home seamless and smooth. Word is they call him the Iceman. It’s the way he closes. No mistakes. Ice cold… I definitely did not steal that from Top Gun."
"Couldn’t have asked for a better real estate experience. He was always on top of everything and made the entire daunting process of buying and selling a home seamless and smooth. Word is they call him the Iceman. It’s the way he closes. No mistakes. Ice cold… I definitely did not steal that from Top Gun."
Honey B.
"Pete is the man. He makes selling or buying a home a breeze. He understands real estate on a level that most agents do not. “ You should go and Vybe with Pete, He makes it real easy to buy realty, oh why should you work with him, he will save you the money”."
"Pete is the man. He makes selling or buying a home a breeze. He understands real estate on a level that most agents do not. “ You should go and Vybe with Pete, He makes it real easy to buy realty, oh why should you work with him, he will save you the money”."
Logan L.
"My first experience with Pete was phenomenal! A bit of a tricky deal as it was an investment property and the seller was back and fourth on the offers that she was presented. Pete was extremely professional, easy going, friendly, thorough, and guided me all the way! I couldn’t be happier with how everything came out and wouldn’t hesitate to work with him again on future properties. Highly recommend! Thanks for helping me with another investment opportunity Pete!"
"My first experience with Pete was phenomenal! A bit of a tricky deal as it was an investment property and the seller was back and fourth on the offers that she was presented. Pete was extremely professional, easy going, friendly, thorough, and guided me all the way! I couldn’t be happier with how everything came out and wouldn’t hesitate to work with him again on future properties. Highly recommend! Thanks for helping me with another investment opportunity Pete!"
Frankie V.
"Pete was amazing to work with on the sale of our home. He was always available to answer any questions or concerns we had! He looks out for his clients and makes sure they always get the best. I highly recommend Pete to anyone who is looking to sell or purchase a home."
"Pete was amazing to work with on the sale of our home. He was always available to answer any questions or concerns we had! He looks out for his clients and makes sure they always get the best. I highly recommend Pete to anyone who is looking to sell or purchase a home."
Danielle S.
"Pete is the best around! Super nice and gets the job done! Finds you what you are looking for and won’t stop until you are satisfied. Pete will always be my realtor! I highly recommend him!"
"Pete is the best around! Super nice and gets the job done! Finds you what you are looking for and won’t stop until you are satisfied. Pete will always be my realtor! I highly recommend him!"
Rachel R.
"Our family has used Pete for many real estate transactions, so when my wife and I were looking for a home, using Pete was a no-brainer. We started looking for our first home in January 2023 with little idea of what we were looking for. As this was our first home, Pete was so patient and helpful throughout the entire process. He always made himself available to answer any questions we had and provided us with many homes to look at. After almost a year in last year’s crazy market, Pete was able to help us find our first home in December 2023. He was available for every inspection, walk-through and closing. He was a strong advocate and negotiator for us while we were under contract. Even after we closed, Pete was always available to help us with any questions we had about. When it comes time to sell, we will certainly use Pete. 10/10."
"Our family has used Pete for many real estate transactions, so when my wife and I were looking for a home, using Pete was a no-brainer. We started looking for our first home in January 2023 with little idea of what we were looking for. As this was our first home, Pete was so patient and helpful throughout the entire process. He always made himself available to answer any questions we had and provided us with many homes to look at. After almost a year in last year’s crazy market, Pete was able to help us find our first home in December 2023. He was available for every inspection, walk-through and closing. He was a strong advocate and negotiator for us while we were under contract. Even after we closed, Pete was always available to help us with any questions we had about. When it comes time to sell, we will certainly use Pete. 10/10."
Ben B.
"With Pete’s professionalism and knowledge of the market, we were able to find our dream home! Pete was there for any questions we had and even made himself available to look at a house when we weren’t! A realtor that goes above and beyond, especially in this market is essential to putting you ahead of the competition. We wouldn’t be here without him! Thanks Pete!"
"With Pete’s professionalism and knowledge of the market, we were able to find our dream home! Pete was there for any questions we had and even made himself available to look at a house when we weren’t! A realtor that goes above and beyond, especially in this market is essential to putting you ahead of the competition. We wouldn’t be here without him! Thanks Pete!"
Buyer
"Pete helped us sell 2 homes in the last year and he just helped us purchase our forever home this month! Let me start by saying, we are not easy clients (Very challenging work schedules to maneuver around, multiple pets, huge want/need list in the new place etc.) but Pete handled everything flawlessly and with such patience. Even when things did get stressful, he never showed it. Pete was with us every step of the way from listings to inspections to random late night finance/loan question emails. We truly could not have done this without him! Thank you for everything Pete!"
"Pete helped us sell 2 homes in the last year and he just helped us purchase our forever home this month! Let me start by saying, we are not easy clients (Very challenging work schedules to maneuver around, multiple pets, huge want/need list in the new place etc.) but Pete handled everything flawlessly and with such patience. Even when things did get stressful, he never showed it. Pete was with us every step of the way from listings to inspections to random late night finance/loan question emails. We truly could not have done this without him! Thank you for everything Pete!"
Buyer & Seller
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