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 as much as possible.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hally is awesome. She can handle all the surprises that come along with a tough real estate market. We highly recommend working with her either as a buyer or seller.
Professional and knowledgeable from start to finish! Hally knows the local market and walked us through the process of selling our home step by step. She was terrific!
Hally is the best. She helped us buy and sell homes at good prices and in the most professional manner. Hally was always there for us answering any question big or small, day or night.
Could not have asked for a better experience! Hally was on top of everything and always quick with a response. Bottom line, we would not have our beautiful home without Hally. The Best!
Hally helped my wife and I find our dream home when it was a very tough market in Oconee County. She knows the area well and will do everything to help you find what you are looking for. We would recommend her to anyone.
Hally did a phenomenal job in selling our condo! She took care of everything, especially important because we live 60 miles away! We received multiple offers within 2 days of our listing! We owe it all to Hally! She made sellin...
Hally guided us through the real estate obstacles we encountered while locating our new beautiful home in Georgia. She preserved despite our lack of knowledge, despite the downpours, and despite our limited availability, she wa...
Hally was great to work with. She knew the Athens area very well and was great with setting up many different showings on our tight timeline. She was willing to work with us remotely and was with us throughout the entire proces...
Hally was very outgoing and helpful in getting the most out of our property and getting it sold quickly. She is always there to answer questions and provide help where needed. She helped us find the original property that she s...
Hally helped our family find a house in such a timely manner. She was professional and very quick to respond or answer our questions and met our needs throughout the process. I highly recommend Hally and 5Market Realty! Will be...
Hally did an exceptional job in finding our new home! She has a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of buying a home, and was persistent until we found the perfect home! Hally was very prompt with any information we needed. S...
Hally came recommended to us by a friend and we couldn't have been happier with our experience. This is a tough market to be in as a buyer however Hally always kept us informed and up to date. She was there for us every step of...
In our search for a new home in the Athens area, we faced two challenges. We were moving to a new area and also downsizing. Hally asked all the right questions to determine the type of home we were looking for. Her extensive kn...
Hally was very knowledgeable about the Athens market in our search for a new home in a new town. Her professionalism and guidance were extremely helpful in every way. She was fully available to answer questions, provide directi...
We highly recommend Hally when selling or buying a home. We sold our home in Athens in record time and in a panic to find something in Oconee County that fit our large family. We knew exactly the type of property we were intere...
My family and I relocated from Macon and Hally helped us to find and purchase a home in Oconee County. She met with us on multiple Sundays and showed us several houses. I was very happy with how patient she was with us as we de...
Hally is the best realtor I could ever have hoped for. It feels like she only works for you! She helped us sell our house and buy a new one! She responds immediately, cares deeply, and listens carefully to what your needs are. ...
Relocating to a new city and being a first-time home buyer in a seller's market was challenging. Needless to say, I didn't know where to start. Hally was recommended to me by a coworker's relator in Atlanta and I could not have...
Hally DeMent was recommended to me by a previous realtor who sold both of our homes in West Cobb. From our first meeting throughout the sale of my home, I loved her positive energy and professionalism. She hired a professional ...
Hally is an exceptional realtor! She walked me through the entire selling process starting with getting my home in show-ready condition to the closing table. She simultaneously helped me locate the home of my dreams at a price ...
Hally helped clients buy and sell real estate throughout the Lake Oconee area. During this time, she honed her skills in real estate while marketing and selling many different types of property. For example, Hally is well versed with custom homes, historic homes, investment properties, retirement properties, and lake properties.
