Knowing how much you can afford is the essential first step. You’ll be able to make a much stronger offer and sellers will favor potential buyers who have been pre-approved.
Download Our Buyer's Checklist PDF
Knowing how much you can afford is the essential first step. You’ll be able to make a much stronger offer and sellers will favor potential buyers who have been pre-approved. You’ll also avoid being disappointed when going after homes that are out of your price range. The seller knows immediately that you are a serious buyer.
We can help too! Start the process now!
AND if we represent you for the purchase and the loan we will happily credit part of the seller’s commissions towards your closing costs
Simple Property Inc is a mortgage broker. We are essentially personal home loan shoppers — we act as liaisons between home buyers and mortgage lenders to help people find the lowest rates and the best mortgage terms. We’re able to get home buyers the best mortgage rates because we leverage our existing relationships with lenders — something individual home buyers can’t do. By doing the heavy lifting for the borrower, the idea is that they make loan shopping more convenient — and perhaps a bit faster.
The Right Agent – Simple Property, Inc.
We are licensed professionals who are familiar with local home values and neighborhood perks, understands real estate trends, can write an offer on your behalf, and negotiate with home sellers so you don’t have to.
Think of us as a therapist/consultant for your home search. A collaborator. A co-conspirator. A mentor. Someone who amps up your confidence and counsels you through big decisions (teamwork makes the dream work, after all). And, someone who wants you to find a house you can be happy in because we're invested in your happiness.
If the housing market doesn’t line up with your needs and budget, we'll will go back to the drawing board with you. We interpret raw housing data through the filter of your unique search, then tell you what’s important and why. We help you map the path to your goal, and connect you with trusted experts who can get you into your dream home.
That’s a lot of responsibility. And a lot of pressure. There’s obviously a lot at stake: money and time, of course, but also your happiness.
Agents, Brokers, and REALTORS®: What’s the Difference? “Agent” is a catchall phrase that is used, in casual conversation, to describe the three types of professionals who buy and sell real estate: agents, brokers, and REALTORS®. No, they’re not really the same. Yes, you should care about what makes them different.
A real estate agent is a licensed professional who helps people buy, sell, rent, or invest in homes. To become an agent, a person must take pre-licensing training from a certified institution (these vary from state to state) and pass their state’s real estate licensing exam. Once they have their license, an agent must affiliate themselves with a real estate brokerage.
Some agents specialize in representing buyers, some specialize in representing sellers. Some do both. An agent who represents both the buyer and the seller in the same real estate transaction is called a dual agent. By law, a dual agent must disclose dual agency to both parties. (If an agent is seeing other people, you obviously need to know.)
A real estate broker is a professional who has additional education beyond the agent level, as required by state law, and who has passed a broker’s exam. In some cases, brokers also have more years of experience than agents. The biggest difference between a broker and an agent is that a broker may work independently. An agent must be overseen by a broker.
A REALTOR® is a broker or agent who belongs to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the largest trade group in the country. A REALTOR® commits to following a strict Code of Ethics intended to protect buyers and sellers; for example, REALTORS® pledge themselves to protect and promote the interests of their client. Agents and brokers who are not NAR members can’t call themselves REALTORS®.
In most cases, using an agent, broker, or REALTOR® won’t cost you a penny because the seller typically pays both the listing agent and buyer’s agent’s commissions.
Discuss with us for any up-coming/pre-market properties. Get the latest listings from us on our properties page. This is real time data from the Multiple Listing Service regional databases where real estate agents post listings for sale. This means listings are more accurate than some others, like Zillow and Trulia, which may update less often. You don’t want to waste your time on houses that are already sold just because some website wants to catch more page views.
The Best Properties Aren’t Always the Best Looking
A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. But what they don’t say is a picture can also hide a thousand cracked floorboards, busted boilers, and leaky pipes. So while it’s natural to focus on photos while browsing, make sure to also consider the property description and other key features.
Check the property details section that may specify important information such as the year the home was built, price per square foot, and how many days the property has been on the market.
Ultimately though, ask us to help you interpret what you find. The best agents have hyper-local knowledge of the market and may even know details and histories of some properties. If a listing seems too good to be true, we’ll likely know why.
Just remember: You’re probably not going to find that “perfect home” while browsing listings on your smartphone. Instead, consider the online shopping experience to be an amuse bouche to the home-buying entree — a good way for you to get a taste of the different types of homes that are available and a general idea of what else is out there.
Going to open houses (and scheduled private showings) is one of the most exciting parts of the home-buying experience. Professional listing photos can make small rooms look spacious, make dim rooms bright, and mask other flaws of a home — but you don’t know any of that until you actually see the house yourself.
If a house seems like a match, take a walk around the neighborhood. Strike up conversations with the neighbors to get an insider’s perspective on what life in that community is really like — families, singles, what the vibe on the block is like, and whether the homeowner’s or condo association (if there is one) is easy to work with
To make the most of your open house visits, have a list of questions in mind for the host — and take notes while you’re there, so you can keep track of what you learned.
If your Simple Property Inc agent is not with you, make sure you inform the host you are working with us. Ask questions but don't reveal much about yourself.
Oversharing could hurt your negotiating power. Be careful about what information you share with the agent hosting the event. This person works for the seller — not you. The host can and will use stats they’ve gleaned about you to counter, reject, or accept an offer.
Here are eight questions you can ask a host to help determine whether a house is a good fit for you:
Once you’ve found a property you like the next step is determine a good offer price based upon fair market value.
The CMA takes a three-pronged approach to determine the fair market value for the property you are considering – where the market has been, where it is now and where it is headed.
Past Sales – determines sold property values within the past six months generally. The appraisal will also use similar data.
Present – these are properties currently in escrow. This information can be harder to discern because while we can see a property has an accepted offer and is in escrow, the data still shows only the LIST price and not the agreed sales price. We attempt to find out but it’s not always possible.
Future – these are active listings and what asking prices are establishing a forward-looking trend.
This is an important step and we have two easy methods. Automated and custom.
Once you find the home you want to buy, and we’ve done a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to determine fair market value, we’ll work together to craft an offer that not only specifies the price you’re willing to pay but also the proposed settlement date and contingencies — other conditions that must be agreed upon by both parties, such as giving you the ability to do a home inspection and request repairs.
Making an offer can feel like an emotional precipice. Some home sellers simply accept the best offer they receive, but many sellers make a counteroffer. If that happens, it’s up to you to decide whether you want your agent to negotiate with the seller or walk away. This is an area where we can provide real value by using their expert negotiating skills to haggle on your behalf and nab you the best deal.
We will help you craft a winning offer. You can trust our advice on price, contingencies, and other terms of the deal: It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. The more collaborative you are with us, the more quickly you’ll be able to move.
But ultimately, it’s you who decides what the offer will be — and you who knows what your financial and lifestyle limits are. Buying a home means mixing strong emotions with business savvy.
Several factors can also affect your bargaining position and offer price. For example, if the home has been sitting on the market for a while, or you’re in a buyer’s market where supply exceeds demand, the seller may be willing to accept an offer that’s below the list price. Or if the seller has already received another offer on the home, that may impact the price you’re willing to offer. We will help you understand the context here.
An earnest money deposit — is the sum of money you put down as evidence to the seller that you’re serious about buying the house. If the seller accepts your offer, the earnest money will go toward your down payment at closing. However, if you try to back out of the deal, you might have to forfeit the cash to the seller. A standard EMD is 1% to 3% of the sales price of the home.
Most real estate offers include contingencies — provisions that must be met before the transaction can go through, or the buyer is entitled to walk away from the deal with their EMD.
For example, if an offer says, “This contract is contingent upon a home inspection,” the buyer has a set number of days after the offer is accepted to do an inspection of the property with a licensed or certified home inspector.
If something is wrong with the house, the buyer can request the seller to make repairs. But most repairs are negotiable; the seller may agree to some, but say no to others. Or the seller can offer a price reduction, or a credit at closing, based on the cost of the repairs. This is where your real estate agent can offer real value and counsel on what you should ask the seller to fix.
Just remember to keep your eye on the big picture. If you and the seller are bickering over a $500 repair to the hardwood floors, keep in mind that’s a drop in the bucket in relation to the size of the bid.
In addition to home inspection contingency, other common contingencies include:
Although contingencies can offer protection to buyers, they can also make offers less appealing to the seller because they give buyers legal ways to back out of the sale without any financial repercussions. So, if you’re going up against multiple offers, making an offer with fewer contingencies can potentially give you an edge over the competition.
In other words: A chill offer is an attractive offer. But keep in mind you have to be comfortable with the risks that come with this strategy. If you don’t have a financing contingency, for example, and you can’t get a mortgage, you’d likely lose your earnest money deposit since you’re on the hook.
Brace Yourself for a Counter offer - If you’re making a lowball bid or going up against multiple offers, the seller may decide to make you a counteroffer — a purchase agreement with new terms, such as a higher sales price or fewer contingencies. At that point, it’s up to you to accept the new contract, make your own counteroffer to the sellers, or walk away.
If your offer is accepted, then you’ll sign a contract. Most sales contracts include a home inspection contingency, which means you’ll hire a licensed or certified home inspector to inspect the home for needed repairs, and then ask the seller to have those repairs made. This mitigates your risk of buying a house that has major issues lurking beneath the surface, like mold or cracks in the foundation.
The Home Inspection is done by a licensed professional but is still general in nature. Occasionally, the initial home inspection reveals specific items like roof or electrical or even pool concerns. You may wish to have a specialist for additional, in-depth inspections. Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through all of this.
A home inspector identifies any reasonably discoverable problems with the house (a leaky roof, faulty plumbing, etc.). Hiring an inspector is you doing your due diligence.
Generally, inspectors only examine houses for problems that can be seen with the naked eye. They won’t be tearing down walls to find hidden faults.
Inspectors also won’t put themselves in danger. If a roof is too high or steep, for example, they won’t climb up to check for missing or damaged shingles. They’ll use binoculars to examine it instead.
They can’t predict the future, either. While an inspector can give you a rough idea of how many more years that roof will hold up, he or she can’t tell you exactly when it will need to be replaced.
Finally, as we mentioned, home inspectors are often generalists. A basic inspection doesn’t routinely include a thorough evaluation of:
When it comes to wood-burning fireplaces, for instance, most inspectors will open and close dampers to make sure they’re working, check chimneys for obstructions like birds’ nests, and note if they believe there’s reason to pursue a more thorough safety inspection.
Once you receive the inspector’s report, we review it together. Legally, sellers are required to make certain repairs. These can vary depending on location. Most sales contracts require the seller to fix structural defects, building code violations, safety issues. However, the seller may also sell the property ‘As-Is” and leave these things to you.
Most home repairs are negotiable. Be prepared to pick your battles: Minor issues, like a cracked switch plate or loose kitchen faucet, are easy and cheap to fix on your own. You don’t want to start nickel-and- diming the seller.
If there are major issues with the house, we will submit a formal request for repairs that includes a copy of the inspection report.
The seller can agree to all requests, some requests, or none. The seller will respond to your repair requests with a counteroffer.
The counter offer will state which repairs (or credits at closing) the seller is willing to make. The ball is in your court to either agree, counter the seller’s counter offer, or void the transaction.
When you offer to buy a home, your lender will need to have the home appraised to make sure the property value is enough to cover the mortgage. YOU want an appraisal as well to ensure the value matches your offer price. If the home appraises close to the agreed-upon purchase price, you’re one step closer to settlement — but a low appraisal can add a wrinkle. Not one you can’t deal with.
An appraiser is a state-licensed professional. Their job is to assess an opinion of value — how much a house is worth. The appraiser is on no one’s side. They don’t represent you or the seller; instead, this person is a contractor chosen by your lender through an appraisal management company (AMC), a separate, neutral entity that maintains a roster of appraisers.
Appraisers survey a house in person, using five main criteria to determine the value of a home: Location, Age, Condition, Additions or renovations, Recent sales of comparable homes.
Generally, the home buyer is responsible for paying for the appraisal.
Most real estate sale contracts allow the buyer to walk through the home within 24 hours of settlement to check the property’s condition. During this final inspection, which usually takes about an hour, together we will make sure any repair work that the seller agreed to make has been completed.
During the walk-through, you’ll also double-check that everything in the house is in good working order.
Be sure to:
If the home is in good shape — great! Your next stop is the closing table.
The last stage of the home-buying process is settlement, or closing. This is when you sign the final ownership and insurance paperwork and make this whole thing official.
Download Our Buyer's Checklist PDF
A listing agent has your back when it comes to the financials, like setting a listing price and marketing, staging, and making repairs to your house.
Read more