Buying a Home
We take the headache out of the home-buying process.
On the surface, buying a home may seem like a straightforward process. However, there are many variables that can make home-buying quite complex. Being prepared and organized makes the journey to homeownership much more streamlined and enjoyable.
Featured Listings
The Home-Buying Process
Getting Pre-Approved
In today’s home-buying environment, a mortgage pre-approval is not only essential but incredibly easy to obtain. A pre-approval can be done online, over the phone, or in person and lets you know exactly what you can afford to purchase. Being approved demonstrates you are a willing and able buyer and gives you a head start in getting the loan process underway. Learn more about pre-approvals by visiting with one of our preferred lenders.
Creating a Wish List
Almost every home purchase involves some degree of compromise, which is why it is important to prioritize your wants and needs before you begin your search. There are many things to evaluate before you start looking depending on your lifestyle, budget, and future plans. Some things to consider: location, type of home, size of home, number of bedrooms & bathrooms, features & amenities, price & monthly payment breakdown.
Finding Your Home
Congratulations, you have a pre-approval and are now working with our team! Let’s start looking at some homes! These days, most information can be found online which makes it really easy to get a jump-start on sifting through homes that match your needs. The good news is, after we sit down, we will send you an email with homes that match your criteria and will automatically notify you when new listings hit the market.
View Properties
Found a couple of homes you like? It’s time to schedule tours and take a look in person. We'll take notes and help you evaluate each property's pros and cons. It’s totally fine to go to open houses; just let the agent on duty know you are working with the Inhabit Iowa Real Estate Team. This will save you from receiving messages from other agents who may not know you are working with us. Once we narrow down the list of houses you like, we'll help you make an informed decision and walk through your top choices again just to make sure you find your dream home.
Making an Offer
We've found your dream house and it’s time to make an offer! Buyers often focus on price but don’t always consider the other important terms involved in a real estate contract. Some of the items included in a purchase agreement are price, mortgage, terms, earnest money, home inspection, appliances & items included with the home, closing date, and more. The sellers will either accept your offer “as is” or submit a counteroffer. If they counter, we'll discuss their terms and either accept or counter back. The goal is to find a mutual agreement on all terms.
Accepted Offer, Inspection, and Appraisal
Congratulations, your offer was accepted! Let’s take a moment to celebrate, but now the real work begins. We’ll need the earnest money to submit to the listing agent's office, and you'll need to schedule a home inspection. We have a list of great inspectors we have worked with and highly recommend. The inspector sends us a detailed report with pictures to highlight any major deficiencies, so we'll have a good understanding of the home's current condition. We will go over any items you have concerns about and decide what we want the seller to repair or address.
After we have negotiated the inspection, your loan professional will send an appraiser to make sure the home is worth what you offered and will ask you for any additional documentation needed for the final loan commitment. Once the appraisal is done and the loan commitment is received, you can start packing your stuff, scheduling a moving company, and contacting the utilities to make sure they are under your name for closing day. The day before closing, we will do one final walk-through of your new home and explain everything you need for closing day.
Closing
It's finally closing day! We will meet you and your lender at closing and make sure everything is in order and ready to go. Your lender will have already explained everything you need to bring and answered all of your questions. Closing usually takes 20-30 minutes, and the closer will explain any and all of the documents you need to sign. When it’s all done, we will hand you the keys to your new home!
CONTACT
Ready to buy a new home or sell your current one? Drop us a line.
“Without a doubt the best in the business! Especially in a town full of realtors, Kenny and his team know exactly what they’re doing and respond within minutes of contacting them. I will always use him and his team, and recommend them to anybody and everyone!”
— HOLLAND WILSON, INHABIT IOWA CLIENT
