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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 our team 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 we 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 agents like us to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will we help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but we also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where our expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let us show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home

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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!). We 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. We 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. We 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.

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WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Amy was excellent She is very personable, honest and a true go getter when selling a property I highly recommend her. Definitely a 5 star realtor.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Karen is professional and friendly. I will be recommending her to others.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I would use Gina again.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

My experience could not have been better! Christine was on top of all of even the smallest details!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Amy Jones is an excellent realtor. She is very professional and competent. As her client, she continually kept me apprised of all transactions and progress. Her marketing skills are outstanding. I highly recommend Amy.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Christine always does a great job! Highly recommend her.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Amy is a very attentive realtor. She explains things clearly and keeps me in the know. She has sold three properties for me and is working on the forth.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara was professional in every step of the process of buying the home. She went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly. She was prompt in returning every call and I would recommend her to anyone looking to purchase a home. Excellent in every way!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Christine made the process of buying my first home easy. She was awesome at answering any question I had. Will recommend using her to my friends.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

The best at her job.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Excellent realtor. Very attentive.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We have worked with Christine twice now and feel confident with her experience and knowledge. We will be using her for any future purchases!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Excellent communication. Very knowledgeable in the selling and purchasing process.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Lee was absolutely outstanding throughout every step of the process. She went over & above to make sure I found what I needed!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Amy was exactly what we wanted and our experience with her couldn't have been better.

— Buyer & Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I have been delighted with Lee. Her knowledge and professionalism is top notch. She always had time for my questions and concerns. She is quick to respond. I felt completely comfortable with her and her abundant knowledge. More realtors need to follow her example.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara was an absolute joy to work with Very responsive and knowledgeable. She made buying our first home a dream. We were so nervous and she was there with us every step of the way. I would highly recommend Tamara.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara did a fantastic job assisting us through the process of selling the home. All questions and concerns were answered promptly and correctly. If we ever sale again we will definitely go to her.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara is a very professional realtor. She knows her market for her clients. Tamara is quite knowledgeable about the current market and strives to match her clients to the ideal residence.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Amazing very honest an that s what we all look for.

— Buyer & Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Did exactly what was necessary to ensure both buyer and seller were well taken care of. I’d recommend Emily to prospective buyers and/or sellers.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Emily was so patient with us. She was very understanding of our situation and helped us at every step. We leaned hard on her advice since this was our first time buying a home. She willingly shared her knowledge and always kept up with communication. She also gave us great contacts for finding lenders, insurance, and inspection. I've already passed her info on to several coworkers that are looking to buy...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Amy was great Communication was amazing and she was very helpful.

— Buyer & Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Christine was phenomenal She made everything so easy when I have always had stressful experiences with the home buying process Having her as a realtor makes me want to buy another property just to use her again.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We were looking at houses back in 2017 and could find what we wanted. I keep her number, because when you find a good realtor you keep them. We decided to move closer to my husbands work. Christine is amazing. She really want to understand what you are looking for and find you the best locations. She really know the market and her customer. I defiantly recommend her, she is amazing.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I would recommend Christine Lorentz to my friends and family She is personable knowledgeable friendly organized and most of all she delivers when it comes to selling real estate Christine Lorentz has been my realtor for two of my properties that sold in a fairly short amount of time She is very professional and does a great job.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Karen helped us purchase our lake house last year. She helped us navigate a sellers market. The home had multiple offers and she worked with us to present the most attractive option to be able to win our dream home on Lake Conroe. Karen is so easy to work with! She made the entire process enjoyable. We highly recommend Karen!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara recently helped us in the sell of our home and we couldn't be more pleased with her level of service, market knowledge and willingness to help whatever we needed. When negotiating price, repairs, furniture left for the new buyer etc., Tamara handled all aspects with the utmost professionalism. I would certainly hire Tamara again for future real estate needs.

— Buyer & Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I sold my home in The Woodlands during the summer of 2022 in an absolutely insane housing market and could not be happier with how Karen helped me during the process. This was my first time being on the seller's side and did not even know where to start. Karen was incredibly patient with me and told me everything I needed to do to sell my home quickly and fetch the highest price possible. She is a shrewd...

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We have utilized Emily multiple times for buying and selling. She is knowledgeable and helpful every step of the way. Answering our questions and walking us through the process put us at ease, making each experience easy. Saying we are pleased with her is an understatement!

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Competent and fun. Helpful and genuine. You got a good one there!

— Buyer & Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Very personable and great to work with! Very knowledgeable, went the extra mile to help however she could & looked out for our best interest! Love her!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I was really impressed with our realtor, Emily Arce. She is a very dedicated and hard working professional who really cares about her clients and caters to your specific likes and dislikes when it comes to purchasing a home. I was able to find a home quickly and above expectations in a very competitive market. Her caring and warm personality are a plus!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Very thorough very available sound understanding of realistic pricing and a master at interaction with buyers agent entire process was comfortable and stress-free.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara is an exceptional realtor. We have had several realtors in the past that did not come close to measuring up to her standards. Tamara takes great interest in her clients and client needs. She goes above and beyond which is her norm. She is a joy to work with gave us peace about a process that can typically be a very stressful thing. Tamara truly cares about her clients and we will use no one else a...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Ms. Tamara Matlock was exceptional. She took time to learn what I was looking for, shared her knowledge of the local areas, and provided real estate information essential to my decision. She answered questions and communicated even at night and on weekends. She was at my side through the whole process, to include even after closing. She just made the whole home buying experience less stressful by her att...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

It is our immense pleasure to recommend Karen Lonon as a real estate agent for any individual or family searching for the ideal home or property. Karen assisted us by selling our 1 acre lot in our neighborhood. Karen has the qualities that make her an extremely successful and effective broker. I can’t say enough about her professionalism and knowledge within the industry. She has high integrity and is ve...

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara is dedicated to her clients and works diligently to make sure your experience, whether buying or selling is as pleasant as possible. We would highly recommend her services!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Amazing experience! Tamara was awesome from start to finish. I highly recommend! We will without a doubt recommend her to everyone we know looking to buy or sell a home. She guided us through the entire home search, and has a wealth of knowledge in the area market. Give her a call, you will be glad you did!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We had been looking for a lake home for over a year and only with Tamara's persistence were we able to negotiate and secure our dream property. Tamara is a pleasure to work with and I have referred her to all of our family and friends.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I have bought snd sold 11 houses over the last 45 years. Tamara would rate at the top of my list. Always kept me undated with market and great with following up. I have recommended her to friends and they all say the same thing. You are blessed to have her on your team. Jimmy Brooks.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Tamara went above and beyond in helping find the perfect home for us. She is conscientious and truly cares about her clients.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I've listed many homes in the past and hands down Tamara was my best real estate experience. She is extremely knowledgeable about the market and pays special attention to the smallest detail; working with her was a pleasure. I will definitely be using her again and have recommended her to family/friends.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Laura is very customer service oriented and knowledgeable about the market. She helped us negotiate the purchase of our new home and we are thrilled with it.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Miss Andrea is the type of realtor that I think everyone should have. She’s very knowledgeable in what she’s doing, she’s very helpful to her clients, she will go to the ends for you. She made our experience as far as looking for a home very easy. She’s easy to work with and she’s compassionate about her job. She will go the extra mile to make sure that you get approved. She is just a phenomenal woman an...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Andrea is the sweetest! The answers your phone calls right away and always gets back with you! She never stopped working to make sure we got what we wanted and looking for the perfect home! She was definitely invested in us! We are recommending her to everyone we know!

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

This is our second purchase with Laura and we couldn't be more pleased!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Laura was always available as we underwent a tedious process of finding a diamond in the rough! We looked at many different areas, including Livingston area, discovering many great potential properties. Her guidance of The Woodlands area is exceptional!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Laura was great to work with! In a very difficult buyer's market she was able to make our dreams of moving to the Woodlands a reality. Would highly recommend!

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Andrea was very helpful and even helped out and answered questions after closing.

— Buyer

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