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  • Home Buying Links   • Steps to Your Dream Home   • Home Ownership as an Investment


Seven Steps to Your Dream Home

Step 1

The Decision to Buy

When is it the right time to buy? It all depends on your family's needs.

During an initial visit, we help you understand the current housing market and help you work through the steps in the buying process to help you make your next move as smooth as possible.

If you are first-time buyers, we suggest a Home Buying Consultation with one of ous and a loan officer.

Step 2

The Pre-Approval Letter

Now that you have decided to buy your Dream Home, you will need that pre-approval letter from your loan officer who will counsel and guide you to the most advantageous and appropriate mortgage for your particular needs. The letter is a necessary part of the offer presentation because it tells the seller that you are qualified to buy the home and have a lender who will guarantee your credentials!

Your loan officer will also provide you with a Good Faith Estimate of the closing costs so that you know approximately how much money you need to bring to closing.

Step 3

The Search Begins

Once you have determined what you need and want and where you want to live, the search begins in earnest. We help our clients find their Dream Home by doing your homework for you!

  • We set our clients up on LISTINGBOOK-an interactive web site through the RMLS, the same database we use in real estate.
  • We actively network on your behalf with other agents to find properties for sale that may not be on the MLS.
  • We make appointments for showings, research neighborhoods, preview possibilities, check out the schools, and talk with the seller's or builder's agents. We do all the homework!

Step 4

The Offer

Once you have found your Dream Home, you are ready to make the offer. Once again we do your homework for you! We check out the sale prices of homes in the same neighborhood, we do a mini-CMA (Competitive Market Analysis) on your Dream Home to find out if it is priced fairly, and we check out the neighborhood for future roads, construction, changes in schools, etc.

After we arrive at a fair price, we walk through every paragraph of the purchase agreement with you. You will be asked to make decisions concerning

  • the financial terms (earnest money, down payment, type of mortgage, home contingency)
  • closing date and final walk through
  • personal property to be included in the sale
  • concessions to be sought from the seller
  • home warranty
  • home inspection contingency

If there is a counter, we proceed by using collaborative negotiating to reach a win-win  agreement!

Step 5

The Home Inspection

In the Twin Cities Metro area, home inspections are standard contingencies. In fact, an offer with a home inspection contingency is stronger than one without it. The most common home inspection contingency is a 3-1-1. This means that you have three days to complete the home inspection, the sellers have one day to respond, and you have one day to respond to the seller. Once any issues are resolved and the contingency is removed and if there are no other contingencies, the contract is legal and binding!

We strongly recommend a home inspection using a home inspector of your choice. The Amercian Society of Home Inspectors has standards for home inspection services, so you may want to hire someone who's a member. You should go along on the inspection to learn about your new home and ask questions.

Step 6

The Closing

On or before closing day we will walk through your Dream Home with you and the sellers or the sellers' agent to make sure that everything is in the same condition as the day you finalized the purchase agreement. We will use a detailed check list to make sure everything is checked. This is a good time to ask the sellers questions about such things as routine maintenance, yard care, garbage service, and locations for water and gas valves.

Long before this day, your title company has been working on your behalf. As your Buyer's Agents, we stay in close contact with the title company every step of the way. The title company is a neutral third party who holds the legal documents and funds on behalf of  the buyer, the seller, and the mortgage company. 

What will you need to bring to the closing?

  • Homeowner's insurance binder and one year paid receipt
  • A picture ID (for notary purposes)
  • Addresses for the past ten years
  • Social security numbers
  • A certified or cahsier's check payable to you to pay closing costs
  • Any special documentation as required by the lender
  • A checkbook, just in case

What will happen at closing?

  • The closer will collect everything your lender requires including the down payment and title insurance
  • Final settlement statement will be reviewed and signed
  • Closing documents will be reviewed, signed, and notarized
  • Information on homesteading you property is provided for tax purposes
  • Funds are collected and disbursed according to the instructions on the purchase agreement
  • Keys and garage door opener(s) are exchanged.

You will be given the opportunity to purchase homeowner's title insurance. During closing, you will purchase title insurance for the lender, a policy that protects the outstanding mortgage balance for the lender for any unforeseen defects in the title. (Liens, delinquent water bills, fraud, unsigned documents, etc.) You may want to protect your own interest in the property as well by purchasing homeowner's title insurance. This protects your interest in the property (the equity in the property.) This insurance lasts for as long as you or your heirs own the property.

You will also be given the opportunity to purchase a home warranty, a replacement value insurance that typically covers the mechanicals, roof, and appliances for one year.

These and all other concerns pertinent to your specific situation will be reviewed long before closing day!

As a full service company, we have our own title services through Burnet Title. Check out their web site for more detailed information regarding closings.

Step 7

The Move

Whether you are moving across country or only a few blocks away, moving takes planning. Our Concierge service can help you find a moving company, transfer utilities, and find home services in your new neighborhood. You will receive your very own Concierge card and number from Burnet Home Services.

As your Buyer's Agents, we will work hard to make sure that your moving day is a smooth transition with no last minute surprises! And, we'll keep in touch and check in from time to time to see how you are doing.

Time to enjoy your new home!

Seven Common Home Buying Mistakes

  • Renting rather than buying
  • Buying with no representation
  • Shopping before consulting with a loan officer
  • Not hiring a home inspector
  • Not having a CMA to help determine fair market value
  • Not attending the walk through
  • Not doing your own homework about decisions only you can make

Coldwell Banker Burnet - Ginny & Tim Wheeler - 190 Cobblestone Lane - Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: Ginny: 612-242-1327 Tim: 952-250-6193   Email: ginnyandtim@cbburnet.com

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