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Buyer's Guide

Everything you need to know about searching for the perfect home, making an offer, and successfully closing on your new property.

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 as much as possible.

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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. 

See Why My Clients Loves Me

Testimonials

Read what my clients have to say about working with me.

"Stacy is by far one of the most hard-working agents. What I like about Stacy so much is how fast she responds to emails and returns calls. Stacy knows how to get to the closing table."
"Stacy is by far one of the most hard-working agents. What I like about Stacy so much is how fast she responds to emails and returns calls. Stacy knows how to get to the closing table."
William D.
"Dedicated to her job for the satisfaction of her clients. We were so blessed to have her as our real estate agent and she got us the house we wanted. Thank you, Stacy, for your professionalism and excellent service."
"Dedicated to her job for the satisfaction of her clients. We were so blessed to have her as our real estate agent and she got us the house we wanted. Thank you, Stacy, for your professionalism and excellent service."
Daud S.
"Stacy was incredibly helpful when my husband and I bought our very first home. She provided good advice and insights. Even three years later, she continues to contact us and give us relevant info; her customer service does not end at closing. Thanks, Stacy."
"Stacy was incredibly helpful when my husband and I bought our very first home. She provided good advice and insights. Even three years later, she continues to contact us and give us relevant info; her customer service does not end at closing. Thanks, Stacy."
Emily C.
"Stacey is a sincere and honorable young lady. She was so helpful when we were looking for a home under some time restraints. Never did she stop looking and helping us find our perfect house. She is the best. We highly recommend her."
"Stacey is a sincere and honorable young lady. She was so helpful when we were looking for a home under some time restraints. Never did she stop looking and helping us find our perfect house. She is the best. We highly recommend her."
Betty & Ronnie P.
"Stacy is an amazing person and realtor. She was very patient in the process of finding us the house we wanted. She was always available when we wanted to see a house and answered any questions we had. We highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a great realtor."
"Stacy is an amazing person and realtor. She was very patient in the process of finding us the house we wanted. She was always available when we wanted to see a house and answered any questions we had. We highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a great realtor."
Heri A.
"Stacy Hagan is a great realtor and has been outstanding in helping us find the perfect home. Since we are limited (age and health), she has been so patient to take the time to locate homes for us to tour. You could not find a better agent than Stacy - she is the best!"
"Stacy Hagan is a great realtor and has been outstanding in helping us find the perfect home. Since we are limited (age and health), she has been so patient to take the time to locate homes for us to tour. You could not find a better agent than Stacy - she is the best!"
Buyer
"Stacy was the best ever! she exceeded all my expectations! she helped me find the house of my dreams!"
"Stacy was the best ever! she exceeded all my expectations! she helped me find the house of my dreams!"
Gracie R.
"I know Stacy both personally and professionally, she is an amazing, caring, compassionate person, which bleeds into how she does business. She is currently working with me as my Real Estate agent, and I couldn’t be happier with the attention and professionalism that she brings to the table. You won’t go wrong doing business with her."
"I know Stacy both personally and professionally, she is an amazing, caring, compassionate person, which bleeds into how she does business. She is currently working with me as my Real Estate agent, and I couldn’t be happier with the attention and professionalism that she brings to the table. You won’t go wrong doing business with her."
Vicky R.
"I had the pleasure of working with Stacy while buying my dream home! She’s very personable and down to earth, listening to each of my “have to haves” for the property I was buying. She is very professional and great at what she does! I highly recommend her for your selling or purchasing experience."
"I had the pleasure of working with Stacy while buying my dream home! She’s very personable and down to earth, listening to each of my “have to haves” for the property I was buying. She is very professional and great at what she does! I highly recommend her for your selling or purchasing experience."
Holly S.
"Stacy was so nice to work with and was very knowledgeable and detailed when helping us find our home. She was with us from start to finish and beyond. If there was anyone I would recommend when looking to find a home, she is the one! Thank you for everything!"
"Stacy was so nice to work with and was very knowledgeable and detailed when helping us find our home. She was with us from start to finish and beyond. If there was anyone I would recommend when looking to find a home, she is the one! Thank you for everything!"
Eric D.
"Excellent realtor."
"Excellent realtor."
Tammy P.
"She Truly Met Our Needs Buying and Selling Our Houses"
"She Truly Met Our Needs Buying and Selling Our Houses"
Jody M.
"Helped us find the perfect house and answered all our questions. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a realtor."
"Helped us find the perfect house and answered all our questions. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a realtor."
Sergio G.
"I wish I had the level of dedication and patience Stacy has. Dealing with her is an absolute pleasure."
"I wish I had the level of dedication and patience Stacy has. Dealing with her is an absolute pleasure."
Aaron M.
"Did a great job helping us sell our home. This was before the market went crazy, back when you had to actually market a house to get it sold. No complaints whatsoever."
"Did a great job helping us sell our home. This was before the market went crazy, back when you had to actually market a house to get it sold. No complaints whatsoever."
Adam
"Best selling experience we’ve ever had. The process was seamless and transparent and I highly recommend anyone in the market of buying and/or selling to reach out to Stacy for a smooth and stressless experience."
"Best selling experience we’ve ever had. The process was seamless and transparent and I highly recommend anyone in the market of buying and/or selling to reach out to Stacy for a smooth and stressless experience."
Easton M.
"Stacy is the best! I highly recommend her services and look forward to working with her in the future should we need to move again!"
"Stacy is the best! I highly recommend her services and look forward to working with her in the future should we need to move again!"
Carrie N.
"Stacy did an outstanding job helping us find our new home. She was responsive to our needs and went the extra mile."
"Stacy did an outstanding job helping us find our new home. She was responsive to our needs and went the extra mile."
Ron B.

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