To help you understand the buying process a bit more, see the following Tips for a Successful Real Estate Purchase.

Buying a home can be an exciting event. To ensure that you will have a satisfying experience make sure to work with a quality real estate professional who knows the market and will be dedicated to your best interest. Better educated buyers have a more satisfying buying experience.

Choosing a Community

There is no place quite like this area. The towns and villages of Cape Cod and the South Coast all have their own unique character. You will find over 600 miles of coastline – pristine beaches, ponds, rivers and streams – charming harbors – arts, culture, antiques, fun shops and great restaurants. With so much to offer, it may be hard to decide where to buy. If you are unfamiliar with the area, we will help you sort it all out. In addition we can advise you on current market trends to help again with your decision process. Using our website to search for new listings is a great way to get started

Getting Ready to Buy

This web site can assist you with initial searches to get familiar with homes available in the market.

A common question that arises as buyers begin to house-hunt is whether to negotiate on another home before their existing home is under contract. You may want to take into consideration if you will be using the equity from your current home when purchasing. Additionally it is necessary to understand your financing options when narrowing down your choice of homes.

An important role as an agent is overseeing the entire process from the first consultation to providing guidance through mortgage, title and closing services. My goal is to serve you as a Trusted Advisor, Skilled Negotiator and Expert Facilitator.

Be Financially Prepared

“One of the keys to a successful purchase is planning and preparation.” Acquiring proper financing is one of the most important steps in the home buying process. Our goal is for your experience to be smooth and efficient. There is a wide variety of mortgage programs available. As a Premier Service® Certified professional, I can help guide you through the mortgage process from the initial inquiry to a successful closing.

Prior to your home search you will want to be pre-approved. Many sellers are now requiring that “offers to purchase” their home be accompanied by a pre-approval letter – this is a good thing – for them and for you. Sellers want to know that the person that they are negotiating with can secure financing for their new home. Further, if you and another person are competing for the same home, the seller is more likely to work with the person who has been pre-approved. Becoming pre-approved for a mortgage benefits you in a number of other ways as well: you will know the monthly payment, your price range, the maximum amount of a mortgage you would qualify for, so you can move ahead with complete confidence.

How Much You Should Offer

By comparing properties currently listed for sale, pending sales and recently sold, one can develop a general or relative sense of a properties worth. This can be deceiving however when taking into account some important factors such as the location of the property, it’s condition, market conditions at the time, and what the terms of the sale may have been.

The real estate market is dynamic and fluid; at times, the modulations are quite noticeable at other times quite subtle. Shifting economic conditions, the ebb and flow of supply and demand and the changing desires of consumers can all have a significant impact on the state of the market.

Whether you are buying or seller a home, I would prepare a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) for you to determine what the market conditions are at the time of your purchase or sale.

Making an Offer

Once you determine what is fair, reasonable, and most likely to succeed, it is time to have your agent prepare an Offer.

In Massachusetts we use a 2 step process to transfer title to a property. The first step is the initial Offer to Purchase or Contract to Purchase and the second is “The Purchase and Sale Agreement.”

The Offer Strategy: The Offer or Contract to Purchase will introduce your initial bid, requested terms and conditions to the seller and their agent. The price, terms and conditions you propose versus the asking price and expectations of the seller are the basis from which you will negotiate. Therefore, it is important to have formed a strategy with your agent in order to achieve your goal to purchase. As a well trained, experienced, and highly skilled Kinlin Grover agent, I am here to help you succeed with your purchase.

The Deposit: The Offer or Contract to Purchase must be written, endorsed, and accompanied by a good faith deposit of “earnest money.” An initial proposal includes much more than just price.

The Contingencies: Often buyers add “contingencies” which can include a provision to secure financing and obtaining an acceptable home inspection. Another area of agent service is to provide you a list of licensed, local home inspectors and arrange for a complete home inspection which can cover foundation to air quality and everything in between. Many other contingencies may be applicable for a specific property. More reason to have a dedicated agent in your corner.

For your Offer or Contract to Purchase to be successful, it must be perceived by the seller and seller’s agent as fair and equitable and meet or exceed their minimum requirements, terms and conditions.

Once you as buyer have negotiated and come to terms with the seller, the Offer or Contract to Purchase, with all the acceptable price, terms, and conditions noted, is executed (endorsed) by all parties.

You now have an Accepted Offer. Your initial deposit is now placed in escrow, securing the property. At this stage of the process, my role continues as an Expert Facilitator to help you schedule, arrange, and fulfill your requirements under this agreement which will include the drafting and execution of the 2nd step, the Purchase and Sale Agreement and continuing follow up on details through to the closing.