Real Estate Process.  This one in a series of blogs discussing the process of buying or selling real estate in Bellingham, WA.

Purchasing a home.
First, get pre-qualified. (See "Lending" blog.)

Next find yourself a Savvy agent...yes, I just had to throw that in there!

Once you have found your agent, you are going to go through a question and answer period. What are your wants and needs. And yes, wants and needs are diffrent. What are your lifestyle expectation for choosing a neighborhood? What are schools are you looking at? What are your transportation preferences? Yes, all of it. Why? Because it is our job to help you through this great treasure hunt...but you have to help design the map!  Bellingham, WA offers many types of neighborhoods, lifestyles, and enviroments.  You need some one who knows the area to help you with your treasure map!

We will then go look at homes. Probably several. Be sure to tell your agent what you like and what you don't like about each property. This helps narrow the search!

Once we have found the home you are looking for, you will write a purchase and sale offer. This tells the seller what you are willing to pay, information about your financing, insepctions...your offer in detail. This is where the negotiation begins.

Once we have an accepted offer, several deadlines start ticking away. It is my job to keep you informed of these deadlines, and protect your interests. When all contingencies such as financing, insurance, inspections have been satisfied we move towards closing.