Buying Your Home

Finding Your Real Estate Sales Representative (or Broker)

Most people meet their Sales Representative (or Broker) from a personal recommendation or from calling about an ad or sign they have seen on a property. After you have made initial contact with a Sales Representative (or Broker), make an appointment to meet him or her in person. Use this meeting to find out what services the Sales Representative (or Broker) can provide, and to establish in your own mind that the Sales Representative (or Broker) has listened to your needs and can achieve your goals. The most important result of the meeting should be that you feel comfortable working with the Sales Representative (or Broker), and that this is the person who can guide you through the next step to home ownership.

Determining What You Can Afford

With a few exceptions, mortgages are the primary method of financing a home. Your Sales Representative (or Broker) will guide you through the process of determining a down payment, arranging a mortgage and establishing closing costs for your particular purchase. Your Sales Representative (or Broker) will help you prepare to go to the bank and be pre-approved for a mortgage. From time to time, a mortgage broker may be solicited to assist with the process (your Sales Representative (or Broker) will advise you when this is appropriate). You can use our affordability calculator to help estimate how much you can afford.

Finding The Right Home For You

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. . . Proximity to schools and shopping, the maturity of the area, and the size and type of home are the key ingredients of determining the right location for you. When viewing homes, you should take notes, ask lots of questions, and find out about comparable sales in the area. Some preliminary viewing will help you to confirm that your home profile list is being met, or if you will be required to review and update the profile to meet your changing needs.

Making The Offer

You have found your dream home: you've seen it and you want it. Now let's make an offer! Your Sales Representative (or Broker), guided by your instructions, will prepare an offer to purchase the home. The offer will outline the terms and conditions which you require to buy the property (usually home inspection and financing clauses). Once you have signed the offer, your Sales Representative (or Broker) will meet with the owners of the home to represent and negotiate on your behalf. The negotiations can be intense, but with the help of your Sales Representative (or Broker) they should be resolved to your satisfaction.

You've Done It!

You now own your home, subject to meeting any conditions that were agreed to in the offer. Once again, you must rely on your Sales Representative (or Broker) to assist you in completing the conditions of the offer. Once the conditions are met, you are a homeowner. CONGRATULATIONS! But wait -- your Sales Representative (or Broker) is still not done. While you celebrate your accomplishment, your Sales Representative (or Broker) will finalize paperwork, forward required documentation to your lawyer and generally oversee the transactions up to and including closing day.