Purchasing a home is a huge milestone, and there’s a lot to consider before taking the plunge. Where do you want to live? How much can you afford? What kind of home are you looking for? Carmack Real Estate is here to help guide you through each step of the process, from start to finish. We’ll help you find the perfect home in your ideal neighborhood, and we’ll be there with you every step of the way, from negotiating the best price to getting the keys in your hand. Ready to get started?
Download our FREE Home Buyer’s Guide and Contact Us today! We can’t wait to help you find your dream home.
If you prefer to learn about buying a home via video, we’ve got an entire playlist on our YouTube channel!
Get Ready to Buy
If you’re thinking of buying a home a Buyer’s Consult is the best way to get started. There’s no cost, no obligation and no pushy sales pitch, just free education about the home buying process and a personal look at your situation so you can move with confidence. We’ll review your goals and create the best gameplan to make them your reality. Click here to book your free Buyer’s Consultation anytime.
Get your Finances in Order
It’s important first to understand how much it costs to buy a home which will help you determine if you’re ready to buy. I recommend clients’ aim to have around 7% of their desired purchase price in cash towards the purchase of the new home in addition to having other “rainy day” reserves set aside for emergencies. Remember: More cash in the bank means more opportunities when negotiating the best deal on your new home and provides greater financial safety down the road. Still, if you’re in need of down payment assistance there may be options available to you such as Minnesota Housing.
Get Pre-Approved
Pre-Approval is a mortgage lender’s process of making sure you’re on track to purchase, and will show sellers that you’re a solid buyer. The lender will look at your credit, income, assets and debts, and make a game plan if things aren’t quite ready. I strongly recommend speaking with more than one lender to compare their interest rates and lender fees. I’m happy to connect you with a few local lenders, and also strongly recommend Keller Mortgage which saves you thousands of dollars when bundled with our real estate services at Keller Williams.
Search for Homes
Once you’ve got your pre-approval in hand you’re ready to shop! We’ll set you up on a personalized MLS search (see which sites are the best to find homes for sale on, here), and can begin showings when you find a few properties of interest. This isn’t HGTV though! You’ll see a handful of homes to determine which types of homes, geographic areas and price rage of homes for sale appeal to you the most before making your first offer.
Make an Offer and Negotiate
Once you’ve found the home you’d like to buy, it’s time to make an offer. Here’s where a good agent earns their money – showing you the home is the easy part. I’ll help you navigate through all of our options to make your offer the most likely to be chosen by the seller while ensuring we do everything we can to get you a great deal with the terms most favorable to your situation.
This is when having a keen understanding of the current real estate market is vital! You can keep an eye on all of the evolving market conditions with my monthly Twin Cities Real Estate Market Updates playlist on YouTube.
Home Inspections
Congratulations, your offer was accepted! Now we make sure you understand the condition of the property, inside and out (literally). If home inspection issues have you worried, you can learn more about the most common issues found during a property inspection. Rest assured that while within your home inspection contingency period you’ve got options to address the issues with the sellers or cancel the purchase altogether if the concerns cannot be resolved.
Close the Deal
Approximately 30-60 days after your offer is accepted we’ll be closing on the home purchase! Closing is where buyers and sellers sign all of the required documents to formally transfer the property. Buyer and seller will simultaneously transfer documents, keys and funds, and you’ll walk away as a homeowner!