Preparing to Buy

• Determine that buying is the right decision
• Understand the requirements for buying
• Order a credit report from Five Stars Mortgage to review credit history
• Resolve credit issues if necessary
• Assemble the money you will need into one place
• Get pre-approved for mortgage through Five Stars Mortgage or another source
• Decide to work with real estate agent or by yourself or both

Finding A New Home

• Research neighborhoods
• Drive around the interesting areas
• Test commute by driving it
• Talk with local merchants and neighbors about the area
• Assess the schools in the area
• Decide on neighborhoods to concentrate on

Understand the market

• Read the Real Estate section of the paper for info
• Visit open houses and talk with sellers and agents about the market
• Psychologically prepare to move quickly if you are in a seller's market and get pre-approved for your mortgage

Start to Shop

• Make a list of amenities desired in a new home
• Rank the amenities by most desired
• See properties, both FSBO and those listed with agents
• Assess each property against your list
• Decide on a house that's right and prepare to make an offer

Writing the Offer

• Obtain contract forms from familymortgagega.com, your agent or another source
• Know the typical elements of an offer and contract
• Hire a real estate attorney to handle the contract if desired
• Decide on an offer price
• Compare the house to other houses on the market
• Decide on the inspections you want to have and how you want to handle it if they are not satisfactory
• Give the seller or agent a check for the earnest money deposit and make it clear in the offer when and where the check is to be deposited
• Decide whether you want the seller to contribute to your closing costs
• Decide on timeframes for inspections, financing and settlement

Negotiating the Offer

• Offer is presented for consideration
• Verify to seller that you are pre-approved to purchase (get pre-approved at Five Stars Mortgage )
• Receive seller's response and respond
• Accepted? Move on to Handling the Details
• Declined? Walk away or re-offer
• Counter-offer? Assess
• Price is acceptable or counter-offer price is decided upon -
• Make sure you still qualify at the new price - do you have enough cash and income?
• Timeframes for inspections, financing and settlement acceptable or alternatives decided on for counter offer
• Inspection, closing cost contribution and other contingencies are acceptable or alternatives decided on for counter-offer
• Earnest money deposit is acceptable or alternative decided on for counter offer
• Accept counter offer, reject counter offer or prepare counter-offer in response to contract
• Put time-frame in counter offer for seller's response

Handling the Details

• Home inspection completed if contract requires
• Home inspection followed up on
• Home inspection issues resolved if necessary
• Radon inspection completed if contract requires
• Radon inspection followed up on
• Radon inspection issues resolved if necessary
• Other inspections completed if required by contract
• Roof inspection
• Electrical inspection
• Other
• Inspections followed up on
• Inspection issues resolved if necessary
• Property disclosures delivered, or condo documents if appropriate
• Property disclosures approved
• Property disclosure issues resolved if necessary
• Apply for mortgage
• Provide pre-approval letter to seller if not already provided
• Appraisal completed
• Appraisal followed up on
• Appraisal issues resolved if necessary
• Mortgage is approved
• Open escrow with your title company or another source
• Deposit earnest money with escrow company
• Provide necessary documents to escrow company
• Survey is completed if necessary
• Title search is completed
• Issues with title search resolved if necessary
• Title commitment completed (title work done)
• Termite inspection ordered if necessary
• Termite inspection completed
• Termite inspection followed up on
• Termite inspection issues resolved if necessary
• Obtain Homeowners insurance
• Pay for one year in advance
• Provide paid receipt and insurance binder to lender
• Repairs required by contract or inspections completed
• Settlement/Closing date and time scheduled
• with escrow officer or closing attorney
• with the lender
• with the seller
• Final walk-through completed with seller
• Satisfied with walk-through?
• Issues with walk-through resolved if necessary

Settlement/Closing

• Review documents 24 -48 hours in advance
• Resolve issues with documents if necessary
• Make sure all lender's requirements have been met
• Determine exact amount of money necessary for settlement
• Obtain certified check for settlement
• Settle!