Buying a home - Norm Sells Roanoke & Beyond - REALTORS®

BUYING A HOME

If you’re thinking of buying a home,
welcome to one of the most exciting times of your life!


Whether you’re an experienced buyer or you’re looking for your very first home –
our experienced team will help make the process easy and enjoyable.

First, let’s see where you are in the process and what steps you can take now to ensure a great experience.

FIND A HOME

I’m Still Dreaming…

That’s great! You are in what we call the “prebuying stage.” Having plenty of time to explore your wants and needs is a good thing. Here are some things to consider while you are still in this stage.

     

  1. Check your credit score. If there are issues with your credit, now is the time to start correcting any errors and rebuilding a solid credit history.
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  3. Determine a payment you’re comfortable with. Don’t assume you’ll buy as much house as a mortgage lender will allow. Consider your lifestyle and how much of your disposable income you want to allot to a mortgage. Once you have a number you’re comfortable with, start saving that additional amount each month. Go ahead and start making that payment now. For example, if your current housing payment is $750 a month and you plan to make a mortgage payment of around $1300, start making that $1300 “payment” now by sticking the additional $550 in the bank each month. Not only will you be used to making that payment already when you do purchase your home, but you’ll also have additional funds for the down payment.
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  5. Start narrowing down big choices. Do you have an area in mind? Do you know how much yard you are able to maintain? Do you want to live out in the open country with no neighbors or are you more of a city dweller? One level or two? Do you have pets or children? Now is the time to give some consideration to how you want to live.
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I’m ready to find my dream home.

Even better! By now you have probably done some thinking about what you want in a new home. But if you haven’t, now is the time to start making some decisions about your new home.

     

  1. Create a must-have list. For many, this is as simple as the number of bedrooms, minimum lot or acreage size or whether you want multiple floors or one level living. But for others, their must-have list might include an open floor plan, gourmet kitchen, or even a swimming pool.
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  3. Create a deal-breaker list. Is a house on a hillside a deal breaker for your soccer loving kids? Is commuting more than 45 minutes a no-go? Is a fixer-upper out of the question? Knowing the answers to these questions ahead of time is key to a smooth home search.
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  5. Determine your price range. Ideally by now, you know your credit rating and what home you can afford and be comfortable with. Consider lifestyle and other debt obligations and keep your expectations realistic. Be sure to educate yourself on interest rates, points and variable vs. fixed rate options.

Let’s talk about our process.

First, we like to sit down and get to know you! Finding the perfect home is a personal process. We need to get to know you and allow you to get to know us. Having insight into your personalities, lifestyle, hobbies and family dynamic helps us find the perfect home for you.

Next, we’ll want to discuss your budget and whether or not you’re already pre-qualified for financing.

Then comes the fun part…let’s go look at some houses!


Making an offer.

Making an offer on the home of your dreams is more than just picking a number and seeing if the seller will go for it. We help you determine the status of the market, the overall condition of the home and analyze the seller’s situation. This is one if the most important reasons to work with a knowledgeable and experienced real estate. We know the market and what to expect – which is important in that first step of making an offer.

Finalizing the details.

Once the buyer and the seller come to an agreement in price and terms, we walk you through all the remaining steps including home inspection. This often includes a team of players led by your agent, that can include attorneys, appraisers, contractors, lenders and insurance agents that work together to finalize the details up to closing.


Finally – let’s get you the keys to your new home.

Contact us today to get started finding your new home!