The ultimate guide for buyers in search of a home.

These are the top questions that buyers have when starting their home search! You can use this as a reference but always feel free to reach out to me if you have additional questions!

How do we schedule a Showing when there is a house we want to see?

When you find a home that fits your criteria, you can contact me with your preferred method of communication (phone/text/email) with the address and your availability and ask me to set up the showing. I will pull up that specific listing, check any documents they have uploaded, special remarks and showing instructions and then get it set up accordingly.

 How many homes can we see in one day?

 I recommend looking at a max of 5 homes in one day. Buyers tend to get overwhelmed if we schedule more than that. You can narrow down the list by choosing your top favorites. You want to be able to remember what you liked and didn’t like about each home and staying under 5 is that perfect sweet spot!

How much notice do we need to schedule a showing?

 Each listing will vary with their specific showing instructions (some may require 24 hours, etc). Most homes that are owner-occupied require overnight notice. There are of course exceptions but to ensure that we can get in to see the homes you want, it is best to give overnight notice. So if you find a home at 11:00 PM, it probably won’t work out to see it the following morning unless there is another showing at the same time, the house is vacant, or the sellers are able to make it work!

What if you aren’t available to show us the home we want to see?

If I am going to be out of town or unavailable, I will make arrangements for another agent I work with to show you the home you request to see. You will still be working with me as your agent and unless it is an unusual circumstance, I will still be writing the offer for you. I will always do my best to get you into the homes you want to see ASAP!

What if we want to write an Offer?

 Depending on the status of the home and the market where the home is located, it is usually best to write an offer as soon as possible. I will go through all of the offer documents with you so that you can ask questions and I can walk you through the details. We also would have gone through a blank offer in our buyer consultation so that you know what to expect when the time comes!

How much should we offer the sellers?

 This will depend on the details of the house and I will help you with determining what price to offer as long as we have a Buyer Agency Agreement signed. We will want to consider questions such as: How long has the home been on the market? Are there any other offers, and how does it compare to other homes in the area? We can also refer to my “15 Steps to an Accepted offer in a Competitive Market” to help our offer stand out!

 What is an Earnest Money Deposit?

 An Earnest Money Deposit is a good faith deposit. When a buyer purchases a home, they provide the seller’s real estate broker with a deposit to hold in their trust account. The primary purpose of this deposit is to show the seller you are serious about purchasing their home. The amount deposited is applied towards your down payment when you close on the home. In most cases, the stronger the deposit, the stronger the offer looks to a seller.

How long does a seller have to respond to our offer?

 There is not a standard answer to this question! An offer to purchase will have a “life.” The “life of the offer” can vary from 24 hours to a few days. There are many circumstances that can affect the length of the “life of the offer.” Based on the situation and any information we know about the sellers, we can determine what date to write in as a deadline for them to respond to our offer.

What if our offer is rejected?

 When an offer is submitted, there are generally four possible responses. The first is an accepted offer, the second is a counter offer, the third is a rejected offer, and the fourth is an offer that is not responded to. If your offer is rejected, meaning the seller denies your offer and doesn’t counter back with new terms, depending on the situation, you could write a new offer. It’s not common that an offer is flat out rejected or ignored but it can happen. Another way it can be rejected is if there are multiple offers and they choose another offer over yours. In that case, you would not write another offer on the home unless you wanted to write it as a secondary offer. In a multiple offer situation, I always recommend following my “15 Steps to an A/O in a Competitive Market” to have the strongest offer possible.

How do I know what’s next once we have an Accepted Offer?

Once you have an Accepted Offer, I will provide you with a Closing Schedule that will contain the dates and deadlines pertaining to the offer and a checklist that can be used to help walk you through the next steps of the process! I will go through each step in more detail as they approach and make sure we are meeting any necessary deadlines for our contingencies.

There you have it! Your answers to the Top New Buyer Questions! There will most likely be additional questions that come up but you can always use this to refer back to when needed!

 Now let’s find you a house!!