When you are ready to buy a home, you may have a lot of questions and concerns about the process. Below is the process I follow to help buyers find the right home. CONNECT – When you are ready to find a new home to call your own, give me a call. We will connect and I will learn more about what you are looking for in a home – everything from the area to style of home, number of bedrooms, baths, how much work you do or do not want to do on it, and your budget. But most importantly, I find out how you want to use the home. I want to know how you view your life in your next home and what I can do to make that vision become a reality. If you haven’t yet met with a lender, no worries! I can connect you with some great lenders. The goal is to get you preapproved before we begin our search so when you find the right home you can move quickly. SEARCH – I will set up your search parameters in the MLS and search through the available inventory that meets your needs. This also allows me to get notified the second that a new property comes on the market that will work for you. If you already had a home (or homes) in mind, we can add those to the list as well. TOUR – I will meet you at the first home on our tour and will show you around. I will have a lot of questions for you during this first meeting as I will be paying close attention to your reactions. Do you love the yard? How do you feel about the home’s proximity to town? Do you like the cabinets in the kitchen? I will absorb all of this information like a sponge as this will ultimately help you find the right home. THE ONE! – Once we have found a home that gives you chills and makes you smile uncontrollably, I will get to work doing some analysis in preparation for writing an offer. I want to make sure you are getting a great value for your money. THE OFFER – When we are preparing the offer, although price is what most agents focus on, it is not the only item that can be negotiated. Therefore, we will go through the Purchase and Sale Agreement together, we will talk about which items you feel strongly about and which ones we can concede to the seller to make your offer as strong as possible. I will also work with your lender to make sure that any financial parameters, including closing costs can be met with the offer that is being written. NEGOTIATION – Negotiating, problem-solving, and striving for win-win results drives me. I negotiate with your needs and goals in mind, pushing forward and pulling back in order to get all the pieces of the puzzle to fit and ultimately, both sides happy. PENDING TO CLOSE – Although I love to take care of all the details of the transaction, I have an assistant who makes sure all the “i”s are dotted and the “t”s are crossed. She will make sure all the deadlines are met. We will also work together to make sure your inspection and appraisals are scheduled and attended to, as well as all the other milestones along the way (see flowchart on following pages for an illustration of what is involved in the pending to close process). In general, there are five areas that I find sellers are most concerned about when it comes time to sell their home: pricing, photography and home presentation, online marketing, print marketing, and communication during the listing. I have a system for each of these items so you can rest assured knowing that your property is in great hands. Pricing: Whether you are six days from listing or six months, I will perform a comprehensive CMA on your property so you know exactly where your home stands in relation to the market. If you are several months away from listing your home, I will also provide a CMA when you are ready to list as markets change every day! Photography and Home Presentation: Before your goal list date, give me a call so I can take a close look at your home through the buyer’s eyes. I will determine if there are areas of your home that need some maintenance before we are ready to put it on the market. I don’t recommend doing anything that will simply result in just breaking even. I want there to be a potentially big return on your investment, whether that be a time or money investment. I will work with you on a plan to stage your home and merchandise it to appeal to the widest range of buyers. If your appliances are more than 10 years old, I will provide a home warranty for the buyer. Buyers love this because if any of the appliances break while under warranty, the warranty company will take care of the fix. It is very common for older appliances to break within the first year because new owners may use the appliance different than you do. Once we are ready to list the property, I hire a professional photographer and put together a virtual tour. I will keep in touch with you as you prepare your home so we are on the same page regarding your timeline and provide you the support you need. Presentation and marketing is my specialty. My advanced training through the Institute for Luxury Home Marketings assures that my skills and knowledge regarding luxury homes and finishes is top-notch. Here is just an overview of what you can expect: Photography – high quality professional HD photography with drone capability is a requirement when I list a property. Video – The buyer for your home may not live within driving distance. Therefore, let’s make their first tour an easy one by creating a video of your property. Print Marketing – Print marketing is still a critical component of my marketing campaigns. I will create beautiful flyers and a targeted mailing campaign utilizing the latest demographic technology to generate interest among qualified buyers. Online Marketing – With our increasing global community, online marketing via traditional channels as well as through luxury channels is important. I look forward to helping you with your real estate goals and can tailor my program to fit your needs.