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.
The approval process includes documentation, under-writings. conditions, and appraisal. The first step is to determine what you can afford; decide if you need lender recommendations. Following this. there are some things to keep in mind: Rates change on a daily basis and pre-approval usually expires after two months. Condos must be FHA-approved, and all homes must meet certain requirements for FHA financing.
There are many avenues for finding your property! We will work with you to tailor your search and send you customized email results. Look at listings on our web site (or your own favorite site). Attend open houses or walk-bys; if you can't make an open house, we'll take you through on your schedule. Additionally, we can consult our proprietary database to get the answers to any questions you have.
We encourage you to visit open houses (and give them our business cards when you do). We are available by appointment to tour properties; we will do our best to accommodate you with 24 hours' notice. We will provide you with copies of the listings for your reference.
Once you have seen a home you like, you can work with your Compass agent to draft and submit a Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate, which the seller can either accept, reject, or counter. Your agent can guide you through the negotiation process, and once both parties come to an agreement and sign, you are under contract to purchase the property (with potential contingencies, such as inspection and financing). After the contract is signed by all parties, you will have a limited number of days to deliver your Earnest Money Deposit to the title company, which is money put down up front as collateral.
My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home
You are given a limited time period during which to conduct optional / encouraged inspections, including but not limited to a general inspection, sewer scope, radon test, and structural inspection. If something of concern is discovered during this timeframe, you will have the chance to re-open negotiations on price and terms of the sale, or even cancel the sale and have your Earnest Money Deposit returned to you.
Once you are under contract and through your inspection timeframe, your loan officer may require additional documentation, and an appraisal will be ordered and completed. Once the loan officer receives all required documents and conducts a successful appraisal, they will be able to issue a clearance to close, meaning you are fully approved for the loan and the bank is ready to execute your mortgage upon successful closing.
The title company will work together with the buyer, seller, and their agents to coordinate closing for the day reflecting in the Contract to Buy and Sell
A final walk-through of the property is performed just prior to closing. The walk-through confirms that no damage has been done to the home since the time of the inspection and that the major systems and appliances are in working order.
Once all the conditions of the contract have been satisfied, the closing is held. The closing documents are signed, payment is exchanged, and the buyer receives the keys to their 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.
Sebastien was a pleasure to work with. He was very knowledgeable and explained the process to me in detail. He was patient as we toured different neighborhoods to find one that I really loved. He was also very good at staying o...
We worked with Sebastien and his team on finding and closing a new home, and they are miracle workers. We were buyers in a very unique situation, and Sebastien offered a very unique experience. We were treated like family every...
We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. As first-time homebuyers, Sebastien immediately put us at ease with his professionalism, thoughtfulness, and expertise. He truly listened and very quickly understood exactly the t...
Sebastien was a true champion through the whole process of selling and buying a home. His expert advice, readiness to help at all hours, and efforts to find the right solution were extraordinary. He made the usually traumatic e...
We can’t say enough good things about Sebastien! Not only was he a pleasure to work with, he went out of his way to make sure we were able to check as many boxes as possible to find the right home. He was always responsive and ...
Sebastien is an incredible real estate agent. In 2016, Sebastien helped my wife and me purchase a home in Chevy Chase, MD. His support to help us find the right place left a great impression on us and four years later, when we ...
Sébastien and his team were absolutely amazing to work with. An impressive balance of being professional, kind, organized, and flexible. Sébastien perfectly understood our needs and made our purchase as efficient and smooth as ...
I am grateful to Sebastien for helping me find my first condo and navigate the buying process! Although stressful at times, I always felt that I was in very good hands and he guided me through every step. He, Max, and Lindsey w...
When was the last time you bought a house totally online from 7,000 miles away, from Beijing, China, where I was posted and needed to come back to the Washington DC area in a short window of time? This summer 2022 we did just t...
Sebastien was incredibly helpful and professional during our home search. As first-time home-buyers, Sebastien walked us through every aspect of the home-buying process - advising us on what to look for, getting approved for fi...
Sébastian's business acumen, talent for negotiation and deal-making, and fresh entrepreneurial approach make him a formidable advocate for you in your Real Estate ventures. Contact Sébastian today!
