Listening to what is important to YOU!

YOU are my ultimate priority! When we meet for the first time, I will ask several questions to get to know YOU, your objectives, expectations and timeline for finding the right home for YOU!  I will listen to YOU carefully and learn about the size, style, features and location of your new home that are important to YOU! We will discuss things such as your commute to work, preferred schools, accommodations for children, or your pets, and your desired proximity to parents, children or grandchildren if they are in the area. As I gather this information, I will put together a custom plan of action for achieving your goals.

We will discuss your purchasing power and the importance of getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan BEFORE we go out to look at homes. Analyzing your finances and getting pre-approved for a loan prepares you in three ways: (1) It will help you determine how much you can comfortably afford to pay for your home, which will then guide our search process. (2) In a competitive market it is imperative that you are pre-approved in order to make a strong offer. (3) When you find that right house and there is an emotional connection, you will be nimble and ready to write on offer.

Whether you have a lender chosen already or you use one of my preferred lenders, good lenders will actively educate you on the mortgage process and will be resourceful in finding options that best fit your situation.

I will then discuss with you my proven 5-step process to guide you in buying your home. If we decide to work together, I will go over the Buyer’s Brokerage Services Agreement with you, carefully explaining the terms and discussing with full transparency the compensation for my services.

Learning about the market and what it takes to make a winning offer.

Knowledge is power. Informed buyers are successful buyers, especially in today’s competitive real estate market. Together we will look at the most recent data in the particular areas of interest to you. We will look at the amount of inventory (how many houses are for sale), the average days on market, the median prices, the amount of homes for sale and how many are pending (under contract).

I will share with you the information I learned from talking with the listing brokers of homes that you have indicated interest in that are pending or have recently sold. We will learn a lot from them on what it takes to write a winning offer for homes in your price range, with the features you want, in those neighborhoods.

We will then discuss what is involved in writing a compelling offer. I will carefully explain the Purchase and Sale Agreement and the pros and cons of the various contingencies that are available to buyers, and take the time to answer all of your questions.

Now the fun part begins, we will go out and look at a few homes that you are interested in seeing.

Looking diligently for your dream home.

We will find your home! One thing you will learn about me is that I am persistent!! I will work tirelessly until we find your home!!! We will learn a lot about your priorities and preferences as we look at homes together. I will set up a search with your specific criteria through the NWMLS (Northwest Multiple Listing Service) and I will IMMEDIATELY receive all new listings that come to market, that match what you are looking for. I will look at each one and screen out the ones that don’t fit, and forward on to you the ones that do.

Another benefit of working with a Broker is that I can show you houses during the week and you don’t have to wait for Open Houses, but you get exclusive viewings with me. I will also download the Seller Discloser Form and the Preliminary Title Commitment from the NWMLS as well I will request a copy of the Seller Pre-inspection if they did one. I will also call the listing broker to get answers to your questions about the house, and begin the rapport-building process which will help us if we decide to make an offer.

Leveraging my negotiating skills to win your home.

Once you have found “the one” you want to make an offer on, I will continue to build rapport with the listing broker and get the inside scoop on what is most important to their sellers, asking questions about their sellers wishes regarding terms and timing as well as price. I will also ask the broker questions to learn as much as possible about the house and if we are in competition with other buyers making offers on the house.

I will do a market analysis to help determine a competitive offer price to make sure we do not pay too much. Then we will walk through the Purchase and Sale Agreement and review the various contingencies and addenda that will be included in your offer. I will carefully explain to you all aspects and terms of the offer and answer all your questions before you sign the agreement.

When we submit your offer, I will have your lender call the listing broker to vouch for your strong financial position to give the seller assurance that you have the funds necessary to smoothly close this transaction on time. I will also be in contact with the listing broker to see if we need to make any adjustments to our offer if we are in a competitive situation.

Looking out for your best interests – explaining legal contracts and meeting deadlines.

Shortly after our offer is accepted and we enter into contract with the seller, you will receive a detailed closing calendar with important dates and milestones. I will track all contingencies and make sure all deadlines are met.

Your first order of business is to submit your earnest money (a portion of your downpayment) within our promised deadline. I will have you call the escrow company and get wiring instructions over the phone from them, not from email (to avoid wire fraud).

If we have an inspection done, I will read over the report with you, explain the best course of action and negotiate the corrections on your behalf. If we have repairs done, I will follow up to make sure the work is done properly and thoroughly according to our written instructions.

I will also meet the appraiser and provide comprehensive information to support the contract price.