Whether you’re a first-time buyer or on your sixth purchase, the process can be complex and it helps to have an idea of the steps you’ll go through to get to closing day. It's a big financial commitment and having an expert behind you to guide you and problem solve when needed is invaluable.
I start by listening. As your buyer’s agent, I know the best way to help you is to take the time to understand you and your family’s goals, needs and wants.
As your buyer’s agent, I can help you buy ANY house — one listed by another company, one you saw at an open house, or one listed as a FSBO. I bring years of experience in helping clients with:
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Right sizing their homes - this can mean upsizing or downsizing
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New construction - building a new home or buying a spec home
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Investment properties - rentals or flips
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Relocations to the Kansas City Metro area
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For sale by owners
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Second homes
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Buying virtually
BUYING
FINDING YOUR NEW HOME
I will be your trusted advisor every step of the way, bringing you years of expertise, professionalism and respect for where you are in the process.
GETTING STARTED
This is an important phase as we plan and make sure we have clearly identified your goals, wants and needs in your next home. Some questions to consider, that I will help you answer and clarify:
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What are your must-haves and want-to-haves in a new home?
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Do you need to sell your current home before you buy a new one? If a contingency is involved, there are special considerations and strategies to ensure you are in the best position possible.
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Are you willing to go to temporary housing in between homes?
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What is your ideal timing for a move?
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Is your financing plan in place? If you plan to get a mortgage, have you talked with a lender to get pre-approved?
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Are you working with a lender who can be a strategic asset to you in your offer on a new home? Not all lenders are created the same and some will help you look better in the eyes of a seller.
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Are you educated on the current market? In a competitive market, understanding the landscape and what it takes to win the day is an important part of preparing yourself mentally for the home buying process.
GETTING THE HOUSE
This is the fun part! There are ways to design your search strategy so that everything has the best chance possible of working out on your ideal timeline. The proper planning can make the shopping process much more satisfying. Some things I will guide you through and provide expert support on:
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Strategic search process, including on-market and off-market homes and real-time inventory updates
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Using your time efficiently when shopping by pre-screening homes, including reviewing disclosures to understand more history
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Understanding competitive activity on a home, as well as what to expect from the market - being quick when we need to
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Crafting a strategic offer and using tools to help you be more competitive when dealing with multiple offers
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Ensuring you have a good comparative analysis of prices before making an offer
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Easy to use contract and paperwork tools, including digital signatures
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Ensuring compliance with contract terms throughout the process
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Explanations of the process every step of the way!
GETTING TO CLOSING
There is still much work to do after going under contract on your new home, and there are sometimes up to 15-20 people involved in your purchase. Of course, you will never see most of them - that's my job to coordinate with all the parties necessary to keep it moving smoothly.
We all hope a home purchase will be free of surprises and unexpected hurdles, but with such a large transaction and so many people involve, there are sometimes issues to work through. My commitment is to work creatively and collaboratively with all parties to find a solution that everyone feels good about and gets you to the finish line. Some key parts of the contract process are:
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Conducting home inspections to ensure you are well-educated on your new home
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Negotiating inspection repairs and knowing where your leverage points are with the seller
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Access to my network of quality contractors
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Dispute resolution with appraisers if needed
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Coordination of title work with title company
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Getting you to the closing table!
I will be there every step of the way to make sure you understand the market, the process, and the paperwork, so that you can feel confident in the decisions you make from offer to inspections to closing.