Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.
Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.
Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.
Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.
Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.
My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home
This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.
Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.
In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.
Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.
Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.
No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.
After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.
If you need a realtor who has your back and will give you 100% always, she’s the one. Working with Larissa was simple, efficient, educational, and stress-free. She finds a solution to every problem, and you’ll be delighted with...
Dear Larisa, I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for all your hard work, dedication, and expertise in selling my home. Your level of professionalism, market knowledge, and attention to detail truly made a diff...
Larisa Esmat is an exceptional realtor who exceeded my expectations in every way! Her extensive knowledge of the local market, patience with my questions, and availability to meet me when I could, combined with her professional...
I’ve worked with Larisa Esmat professionally as a mortgage broker, so I already knew she was knowledgeable and reliable—but experiencing her skills firsthand as a buyer took my appreciation to a whole new level. She recently he...
We feel so incredibly lucky to have had Larisa Esmat as our realtor once again! Selling our condo was a seamless experience, all thanks to her incredible support and dedication. Larisa took care of everything, from arranging st...
I recently had the pleasure of working with Larisa Esmat when looking for my home. From day 1, Larisa was extremely responsive and had great suggestions for homes to view based on what I was looking for. All throughout the nego...
We just finished our 3rd real estate transaction with Larisa. She is the best realtor that we work with, by far. She is very professional and straightforward with the whole process of buying and selling properties. Real estate ...
I recently worked with Larisa Esmat to purchase my first home, and the experience was fantastic. She built a strong relationship with me, taking the time to understand my needs and priorities. Larisa is incredibly responsive, a...
I recently had the pleasure of working with Larisa Esmat to sell my home in Carolina Forest. From the very beginning, she was professional and knowledgeable about the market. Larisa was always available to answer my questions, ...
I decided to sell my townhouse this year, and because Larisa has an excellent reputation, I selected her to be my agent. She went above and beyond in selling my townhouse in a competitive and weird market. She had many good sug...
Larisa is an amazing real estate agent. She was great at communicating with me every step of the house-buying process from the beginning to the end. She was always on top of things, and she responded to my questions and calls i...
We used Larisa Esmat to sell our home in Myrtle Beach, and she was outstanding. Before choosing a real estate agent, I conducted a lot of research to see who would be the best choice based on the investment they make into selli...
Larisa was recommended by several of our friends in the area, and we couldn't be happier and didn't regret our choice. From the initial conversation to closing, Larisa demonstrated a deep knowledge of the site and extensive neg...
Larisa helped me buy a home in Myrtle Beach, SC. She provided outstanding customer service. She is extremely knowledgeable about the Myrtle Beach real estate market. She helped me throughout the purchase process and was availab...
This is not our first home purchase, and we've been through this entire process a number of times, but with Larisa, it was the best experience we've ever had. She's very professional, always on top of things through the entire ...
Larissa was recommended to us by a friend, and our experience working with her was extremely great. Larisa respected all our desires and wishes, advised on what was good or bad about a particular property, and sometimes pointed...
Being first-time home buyers, we were a little intimidated at first. Luckily, we found Larisa, which made the process much easier than we had been anticipating. Any questions we had were answered quickly and efficiently. We are...
Larisa is the best realtor in our town without any doubt. We are super, super picky and very detailed about the house we were looking to buy, and she had helped so much to find an exact house for us and go through the process, ...
As a first-time buyer, I had the pleasure of working with Larisa while searching for a new home. She is extremely hardworking, professional, and efficient. She took the time to listen to my needs, and she understood what I was ...
Larisa is top-notch when it comes to knowing Myrtle Beach and meeting the needs of her buying and selling clients. She helped find the perfect home for us four years ago and then, when it was time to relocate, she helped us get...
Whether you're buying your first home or selling a second, Larisa offers reliable, dedicated service every step of the way.
