First Time Buyers

The decision to purchase a home is one of the most important decisions you make in your lifetime. The process can be overwhelming since it’s not something you do everyday, in fact the average person only buys a home 4 times in their life.

Up front decisions include selection of a lender, gathering documents, selecting a home inspector, creating a list of must haves and partnering with an experienced agent in the beginning will save time and money.

We have created a list to get you started:

1: Meet With An Experienced Big Fish Realtor
This is the most important step. You want to select an agent that is well connected, full-time and stays informed on ever-changing laws and regulations. At Big Fish Real Estate, we are here to best represent you in negotiations, partner you with trusted professionals that specialize in the day to day business such as local lenders to best support you and home inspectors that are the best in the business and so much more. We walk you through all the way to the closing table.

2: Get Pre-Approval From A Local Lender
The pre-approval is so important. It gives us a budget to work with and a connection to someone local that is not making promises they can’t keep. Local lenders value their reputation in the community and the wrong lender can cost you thousands of dollars within the first 15 days.
We are here to help you navigate the process and be sure you understand each component, assist in preparing the documents needed for the first meeting and partner you with the lender that specializes in your personal situation.

3: Let’s Get It Together
At the first meeting with the lender. You will want to have documents ready for discussion. This is important and the difference between pre-qualified vs pre-approved. Which is a game changer when submitting the offer. We don’t want you to fall in love only to find out the lender didn’t have what they needed. Be honest with your lender, they are there to help and can work around roadblocks if they know in advance.
Some of the documents to have ready include;
*The last two years tax returns
*Two months bank statements
*Government ID

4: Be Prepared For Up Front Costs
When it comes to buying a home, our job is to save you money. Every home is different, we want to assist you by looking at the homes first to search and find areas that could reduce the price, possibly qualify for lower payment, or no money at all out of your pocket. We specialize in the process and negotiate all the way to the closing table. Understanding what to look for up front is one of the many ways Big Fish Real Estate does MORE. You don’t want to pay for a $450 home inspection on a home that won’t make it through the loan process.

5: I Must Have It
Once we have the budget, we can begin the search but not before we go over in detail with you the must haves. We need more than the general question of how many bedrooms and baths. A home is so much more than that, we want to sit down and discuss lifestyle, which room does your family spend the most time in, do you need a split plan, single level, back yard, screened porch, side garage, etc.
There’s a lot of planning in this search when done correctly. Your time is valuable and we are out daily searching in the field for exactly what you want. No need to spend hours of your time looking at homes that won’t work when this could have been eliminated simply by asking the right questions.

6: The Adventure Begins
Now we have an approval in hand and we have selected the homes you want to view. The Big Fish agent will schedule the private showings and while you are looking at aesthetics, the agent will be looking at the age of roof, age of hot water heater, etc. Both are equally important to the final decision.

7: Make The Offer
So we have found the home, now what? This is where it is so important to have an experienced, well connected agent to know exactly what the seller is looking for and how to provide it. This is where the rubber meets the road. If your agent isn’t familiar with the market , the negotiating process and how to get your offer ahead of others it could cost you the home of your dreams. We at Big Fish are highly skilled in this area of expertise and believe if this home is meant for you then we will get it.

8: Pony Up The Dough
This is your good faith deposit. Held at the title company for 15 days during the inspection contingency period. It is important that your agent has a close relationship with the trusted inspectors to get them in quickly. Time is valuable and 15 days goes quickly so you will want to get the inspector because the clock is ticking and 15 days goes faster than you think.

This process is only the beginning and we would be honored to walk this journey with you every step of the way.
If you are interested in learning more about the home buying process please join us for one of our first time home buying seminars or schedule an appointment for a walk into home ownership with one of our elite agents.