Information for Buyers

CONGRATULATIONS! You are doing the right thing by starting off the process doing your research. The first thing we recommend is speaking with a lender about if you qualify for a loan and what price house you can buy. If you aren't sure who to talk to, we would be happy to recommend local lenders for you to interview!

If you are purchasing in cash, we recommend you make sure all of the money you will be using is readily accessible or at least will be when you need it. Look into how long it will take to move any funds you need!

While every situation is unique, it typically takes about a month from the time you get an offer accepted until the time that you close. The general pillars of home buying along the way include:

1. Choose your realtor and loan officer.
2. Get your pre-approval and start looking at homes.
3. Make an offer on a home that gets accepted!
4. Schedule and complete the private inspection.
5. Pay for the appraisal and receive the results.
6. Finalize any other items like homeowner's insurance, and then receive approval that everything has been completed!
7. Do a final walkthrough of the property before closing to make sure everything looks as expected.
8. Sign the closing paperwork to own the home!
9. Get the keys (usually at closing, but sometimes up to 60 days after).

No, we can't determine that. However, we can point you in the right direction of people who can!

As realtors, we don't have access to what is needed to issue a pre-approval for a loan (your credit score, paystubs, debt-to-income ratio, etc). Your loan officer will be the person that reviews all of these items and more. That's why we need you to talk to a lender right away so they can give us the information needed to better help you.

Over the course of the transaction, expect to for your private inspection and appraisal. You will also send in an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) at the beginning of the transaction, that's usually 1-3% of the purchase price.

When we reach the closing day, you will pay what's called your "cash to close." This is your downpayment for your mortgage plus your closing costs. As a buyer, closing costs include title and lending services, recording fees, and homeowner's insurance. For residents of most of Southeast Michigan, the biggest chunk you will owe is tax prorations being paid back to the seller. If you are paying any part of real estate agent compensation, this is where you will owe it as well.

Once we know what property you're interested in and when you're available to see it, we will look right away to check when we can go! Some homes are limited in availability such as needing at least 24 hours of notice before taking a look, while others can be more flexible. We will balance your schedule, the property's schedule, and our schedule to make it work.

If your agent isn't available at the time you need to go, the other of us most likely will be able to take you! If neither of us can go at that time, we have been working at our office since 2016 and will make sure someone else who's great at what they do can conduct your showing. You will still be working with us as your agent to do all other aspects such as putting in an offer, negotiating, etc. We just wouldn't physically be there for the initial walkthrough.

Absolutely! We are licensed to show any property in the state, regardless of if we send it to you, you find it on a website, it's a For Sale By Owner home, or any other condition. When it comes to websites like Zillow, be aware they aren't always the most accurate.

DO NOT CLICK ANY BUTTONS TO REQUEST A SHOWING FROM THESE SITES. If you would like to see a home, let us know. Otherwise, you will likely be paired up with a random agent who isn't connected to the home. We are there to show you everything you find, and you aren't bothering us by asking!

Yes, please head to Open Houses if you're interested! They are wonderful learning tools with low pressure. We won't be in attendance with you, but can answer questions and follow up with the agent selling the house if you're interested in moving forward.

Before going on a showing, we ask that you do a few things:

1. Drive by the home in advance to make sure you like it from the outside. Even if you are familiar with the neighborhood, we encourage you to go by the specific home you might want to see.
2. Have your lender run the estimated numbers for your mortgage and cash to close on this particular home to make sure you are comfortable with them.
3. Review the seller's disclosure statement and any other documentation provided in advance.

If all of this is done advance, you should know going into the showing that this home works for you on paper. While at the property, we make sure it passes your "vibe check" and look for anything that may not have shown up in pictures. We will point out any important details and defects we noticed while there. We want you to focus on if the space would work for your lifestyle, and let you lead the pace as we walk through each home.

Each home and person who owns it is unique, so every offer we write is catered to that particular situation. We make sure to get in touch with the agent listing the home in advance of any offer we write to make sure we know what the seller's priorities are. Then, we go through each detail of our contract and curate what we submit to their needs while not overstepping your comfort level. We look at what we call the "walk away point," where if your competitive offer got accepted at that point you wouldn't feel like you compromised your needs. At the same time, if someone offered slightly more, you wouldn't feel like you should have changed anything. It truly was your best offer for this home, and you have no regrets either way.

Absolutely! We attend every private inspection (the main inspection) and send another agent in our stead in the rare case that we aren't available. For follow-up inspections, we are typically there as well. We want to know what we will be negotiating on your behalf about, and think it's important to see it in person. We have learned a lot from the hundreds of inspections we've attended over the years, and take that knowledge into our showings to save you time and money before you even get under contract.

When it is time for your inspection, we have recommendations for great local inspection companies as well as any follow-ups like plumbers, electricians, mold remediation, and more that we would love to share as potential resources for you.

We know not every home is going to have what you need, and you may figure this out after you've gotten an offer accepted. If your mind changes during the inspection period (the most typical time to do so), you are covered with a built in contingency to let you back out without penalty. If you decide not to move forward at another point, you may or may not be covered by another contingency. If you are covered, you should be able to walk away with your Earnest Money Deposit (EMD). If there is nothing in the contract that allows you to exit the transaction, you may have to give up your EMD to the seller.

We will support you and fight for you no matter what you choose to do. We highly encourage you to do as much research as you can before putting in an offer so there are fewer surprises that come up while under contract.

Yes! You can do both at the same time. We highly recommend you talk to your lender about your options for qualifying for your next loan. Many people can't purchase another home without selling their first, which is called a contingent offer. You will need to know if this applies to you while navigating the home buying and selling process.

Yes! Any potential buyer who is shown a property by a licensed real estate agent must sign a contract before stepping foot in the door. The contract expiration can be set for any time. It could be just for that house, last one month, one year, or any other amount you choose.

There are different kinds of contracts you can sign, but we work with one called the Exclusive Buyer Agency Contract. We take our partnerships very seriously. For us to best help you, we need to be on the same page as much as possible. The most efficient way to do this is to work with just one agent who will get to know your wants and needs while helping you through this important process.