I Am A Guidance Counselor

I am a Guidance Counselor.  I will guide buyers though the intricacies of purchasing a home. When purchasing a home, especially a first time buyer, one needs to have guidance.  One of the first things I suggest to my buyer clients is that they choose a lender and get their pre-qualification started.  If they do not have a lender, I will provide them a list of lenders that other buyers have used and were satisfied with.  I give them a list of 3-5 lenders, and ask them to interview them and choose the one that fits their needs best.

After the pre-qualification is done, then we sit down and visit about their wants and needs...their "have to haves" vs their "want to haves".  We also talk about how much they want to invest in a home.  Just because they can buy an expensive home, do they really want to purchase at the top of their buying power, or would a less expensive home suit them and their financial needs better.  Most car buyers do not start out with a Lamborghini...a used car or small and inexpensive one is usually their first car purchase. 

After they buyers have told me what they want in a home, how much they want to invest, then the fun begins.  We sit down at the computer, and search the MLS for the homes in their price range with the amenities they want.  Then we make the showing appointments, look at the homes, and eventually choose the one they want.  

We then write the offer, submit it to the listing agent, and either get an acceptance or a counter offer. After all the negotiations have been completed, and the offer is accepted the buyer will take the contract to their lender for the lender to get started on their part of this home buying process.

The next steps include doing inspections, and asking for the repair work to be done.  The lender will order an appraisal to make sure the value is equal to or more than the purchase price.

And... then the Marriage Ceremony.  This is Closing Day, when they get the keys to their new home...and start building new memories.