Home Buying Handbook - Christina Martin Realtor®

MovingForward

WhatsInside

First of all, thank you for considering us to represent you in what is likely one of the most important transactions of your life. Over the years, we have amassed endless resources, cultivated hundreds of relationships, and diligently honed our selling and negotiating skills to prepare ourselves to serve you better than any other agent can. Our nationally and internationally ranked performance speaks for itself.

As we move forward in the process of buying your next home or investment property, know that each and every one of our resources, relationships, and our expertise is at your service. We start with the Golden Rule in mind, treating others how we would like to be treated. Last year we sold 850 homes and were ranked 2nd worldwide for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

We’re part of the most innovative real estate offices in the Hampton Roads area and we very much look forward to showing you how.

Sincerely,

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

Native American Group

Hello,

I was born in Anderson, SC, but have lived in Hampton Roads for most of my life; I’ve lived in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and now Chesapeake as my home. My background is strongly rooted in marketing and sales. Prior to working in real estate, I worked for local companies like the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Care-A-Lot. I attended Liberty University where I graduated with a degree in business and communications, focused on a specialty in digital marketing and advertising. I am a skilled negotiator with over 6 years of experience in marketing, sales, and digital advertising. After receiving my degree, I looked for a way to apply my expertise in a more personalized way.

Buying or selling a home is life-altering, which is why you want the right real estate agent by your side. Even an investment property can have a profound effect on your life’s story - when chosen correctly, it becomes long-term financial freedom and a vital part of your well-diversified portfolio.

Choose to work with me, and you’ll have access to the entire team at Better Homes and Gardens Native American Group as well as working with my personal team who are here for you as much as I am Your team and I strive to help every client experience the financial stability, security, and success that real estate can provide. Our expertise lies in helping clients get the home they want by handling the big (and small) details thoroughly. Whether a buyer, a seller, or an investor, we think of our clients as family. Lean on me, I’m here to keep the process fluid, successful, and as low stress as possible. Call me your local guide to the housing market here in Hampton Roads.

How I'll Support Your Homeownership Goals

While it may be tempting to turn to the internet for advice, nothing can replace the expertise of a true professional. Buying a home is likely one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, so it’s crucial to have the right team in place.

Explain the ins and outs of contracts. When it comes to buying a home, you’ll sign various disclosures and contracts as part of the process. Before you give any of these legally binding documents your autograph, your agent will help explain the terms and conditions.

Keep you up-to-date on today’s market conditions. Pricing, mortgage interest rates, and demand can change often. You need a real estate agent who will keep you informed on the latest trends and what they mean for you.

Serve as your advisor in the negotiation process. Even after the contract is signed by the seller, there’s a lot of room left for negotiating terms after the home inspection and the appraisal. As your agent I will handle all the back-and-forth communication that comes with it.

Give advice and share their experience. Let’s be honest, buying a home is emotional. When your offer isn’t accepted, your must-haves aren’t realistic, or they suspect something is wrong, you want someone who will be honest with you. Your agent’s expert advice and knowhow will bring you peace of mind.

Trusted Vendors

Choosing Your Team Wisely

I understand the time it takes to find reliable resources, so I've done the research for you. I pride myself on providing you with the resources you need to make the home selling process easier and stress-free. These trusted vendors are here to serve you for your every need during your home selling process. As part of my services as your real estate agent, you'll have access to my carefully curated list of preferred vendors in Hampton Roads.

These vendors were chosen because they have proven themselves to provide my clients with top tier professionalism, and excellent quality services. Some I have had the opportunity to use myself in my own home. Choose to work with me, and you'll have access to this incredible list of vendors ready to provide their services to you.

Trusted Vendors I Can Provide:

Accessibility/Home Modifications

Appraiser

Brick Mason Electrician

Exterminating Company

Exterior Powerwashing

General Contractors

Home Inspectors

Home Staging

Home Warranty

HVAC

Indoor Air Quality

Lawn Care

Locksmith

Mold Removal

Mortgage Companies

Plumbing

Pool and Spa Service

Property Management

Repairs/Renovations/PICRA

Roofing

Title Companies

Home Buyer Vocabulary

Counteroffer

The response from the seller in regard to an offer.

Debt to Income Ratio

A lender will evaluate whether a borrower's income is large enough to handle their payments on existing debts plus their new mortgage payments.

Down Payment

A percent of the cost of the property that is paid up front as a part of the mortgage.

Earnest Money

The deposit made from the buyer to the seller when submitting an offer. Showing buyer's good faith in the transaction.

Escrow

Earnest money is typically held by a third party until closing in "escrow." It can also be referred to as the time period from when the contract is written and accepted by the seller to when the home sale actually closes.

Equity

The difference in the market value of a home versus what is owed on the home.

Home Inspection

A professional inspects the seller's home for issues, and creates a report for the buyer to review.

Offer

An agreement between buyer and seller to purchase real estate.

Closing Cost

Fees paid at the end of transaction including: taxes, insurance, lender expense, etc.

Title

Bundle of rights in property. The title company will provide you with the preliminary title report to review before accepting the property.

Contingent

Offer on a home has been accepted, but finalized sale is contingent upon criteria.

Appraisal

Property and/or land valuation completed by an appraiser to determine market value.

Pre-Approval Letter

Before buying a home, a buyer can obtain a pre-approval letter which provides an estimate on how much the bank will lend that person. Determines what the buyer can afford.

Insurance

Home owner's insurance provides protection for your new property and belongings.

Virginia Beach Community Info

Virginia Beach is closer to cities located in North Carolina compared to cities which are actually located in Virginia. You would think that Virginia Beach should be closer to cities in Virginia because it is literally located in Virginia. However, this is not the case. Virginia Beach is extremely close to the Virginia-North Carolina state line.

Virginia Beach Info

Virginia Beach has the biggest population in the entire city of Virginia. Their population is estimated to be around 425,000, twice as large as Norfolk which comes in at second. Virginia Beach is also the 44th most populated city in the United States. This is why the Town Center was built to provide for more businesses. We also recommend First Landing State Park. The following list of fun activities and attractions is organized by category and lists fun things to do in no particular order. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Virginia Beach holds the record for having the longest pleasure beach in the world. The 35-mile stretch of sandy shores is divided into three beaches: Chesapeake Bay Beach, Sandbridge Beach, and Virginia Beach.

The Virginia Beach Boardwalk was built and established in 1888. For more than a century, visitors of Virginia Beach have been walking along the same piece of land, located near the Oceanfront. The Boardwalk is recognized as one of the best boardwalks in the entire nation, and was even voted as the 5th best boardwalk in the US. Trip Advisor VB

Mount Trashmore, a landfill located in Virginia Beach, is one of the biggest landfills in the entire nation. The name is a reference to the famous Mount Rushmore and was constructed using layers of solid waste and clean soil, hence the name “Trashmore.” This is also where Virginia Beach conducts its 4th of July celebration. Edgar Cayce predicted Virginia Beach to be the safest place on Earth when the continents change shape. Famously known as the greatest psychic of all time, Cayce made a bold prediction and moved to Virginia Beach shortly after.

Chesapeake Community Info

Chesapeake is the fifth safest city in the country, according to FBI Statistics on violent crime, which means you won’t have to worry about forgetting to lock the door when running a quick errand. In addition, Money Magazine named Chesapeake the sixth-most livable city in the US.

While swearing is never appropriate in public, it might land you in legal trouble when in Chesapeake. People have been prosecuted for using obscene, abusive, or vulgar language over public airwaves as recently as 2012. If you ever become enraged during a political dispute on talk radio, be sure you don’t make a mistake when you call in.

About 18 trillion gallons of water are held in the Bay. That much water would be enough to fill more than fifty billion bathtubs.

Without getting entirely immersed, a 6 feet tall person could wade through more than 700,000 acres of the Bay. The Bay’s deepest portion, known as “The Hole”, is more than 170 feet deep.

Scientists found a massive 53-mile-wide crater in Chesapeake Bay, just miles from the city boundaries, back in 1983. According to estimates, the crater is 35 million years old, and the effect, if it occurred today, would result in mass extinction of plant and animal species. Scientists have also stated that the initial collision would have destroyed everything living within a 100-mile radius. One of the more unusual facts about Chesapeake is that it is the final resting place for deceased animals from the Virginia Zoo in nearby Norfolk. The burial ground is located on the site of a tree farm within the city, though the exact location is kept secret in order to prevent the stealing of skeletal remains and other valuable animal parts such as ivory.

Hampton Community Info

Hampton's origins can be traced back to Fort Algernon (now Fort Monroe). It was built in 1609 on the site of Kecoughtan, named after the tribe who lived there, to protect the area from Spanish vikings. It is the country's first English-speaking settlement that has been continuously inhabited. Mercury Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in Hampton, was named after the original Mercury Seven astronauts.

The Mercury Boulevard interchange on Interstate 64 is Hampton Roads' second most populous stretch of road, with up to 170,000 cars traveling through each day.

In the late 1600s, the town was named after Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton.

Fort Monroe, Hampton's national monument, is significant in the city's history. Captain John Smith, an English explorer, landed near Fort Monroe in 1607. In 1609, colonial settlers named Fort Algernon after a wooden frame large enough to house 50 men and seven installed cannons. It would function as a landing point in the New World for Africans brought in as slaves in 1619.

In 1868, the Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School (later renamed Hampton Institute and now Hampton University) was established. Its origins can be traced back to Mary S. Peake. In 1861, she was hired as the AMA's first teacher after secretly teaching slaves and free black people in the area. She gathered her students and trained them beneath the Emancipation Oak, which is now a historical monument on the HU campus.

Aberdeen Gardens, founded in 1934, is Virginia's only Resettlement Management (New Deal) community. It was established to facilitate the relocation of African American workers in Newport.

Newport News Community Info

Newport News is home to maritime and aerospace technology companies. Newport News was formed in 1958 by the merger of two cities. Warwick and Newport News were separate cities prior to the merger, and the town now encompasses 65 square miles of land.

Newport News is home to one of the world's largest maritime galleries. There is also a big war museum with relics and historical memorabilia.

Newport News is home to 32 city parks. The parks offer a wide range of outdoor recreational activities to both locals and tourists to the city.

Newport News has produced numerous football stars for the United States. Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Larry Bethea of the Dallas Cowboys, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Al Toon of the New York Jets are among these legends. Newport News was a fishing town and an agricultural town before the American Civil War.

The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator facility, which is located in Newport News, has been used by over 2,000 scientists. More than 650 people work at the plant, which has scientists from all across the globe.

Norfolk Community Info

Norfolk, Virginia is a 66 square mile city with a population of 247,000 people. It includes seven miles of beaches on Chesapeake Bay and 144 miles of shoreline around its lakes, rivers, and the Bay. The majority of this land is in residential areas. The world’s largest naval facility can be found in Norfolk. NATO’s (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) North American Headquarters is also located in Norfolk.

Norfolk was named one of the Top 10 thriving downtowns by USA today, acknowledging the city’s housing, retail, and financial expansion which lasted for over a decade.

Norfolk is home to a variety of historical places, including the West Point Monument, the Chrysler Museum of Art, and the Norfolk Botanical Garden. Norfolk is regarded as a tree city due to its beautiful environment, which sets it apart from other cities. Its neighborhoods are densely forested and filled with flowers. Norfolk is home to the battleship USS Wisconsin as well as a bustling harbor. The Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in downtown sees ocean-going cruise ships carrying up to 3,000 guests on a regular basis.

Wesleyan College is located on the border between Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Norfolk is home to Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, and a new downtown campus of Tidewater Community College. Wesleyan College is located on the border between Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Suffolk Community Info

Suffolk has a dense art scene with a combination of both local and regional artists, as well as dances, shows, and music. Shops that exhibit the area’s various art styles include the Shooting Star Gallery, the Suffolk Art League, the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, and many more.

Suffolk was voted the 19th best city for young families in Virginia by NerdWallet in 2015. Home prices, growth and prosperity, family friendliness, and quality of education were taken into account. Suffolk ranked second in the top 20 for household income growth during 1999-2013 with a growth rate of 65.95%

Suffolk is home to the Great Dismal Swamp, offering many options for outdoor enthusiasts, from boating, hiking, to exploring wildlife. Just 45 minutes away is the Virginia coast, with access to many public beaches. Try your hand at water sports like rowing, sailing, surfing, or just sitting in the water and doing nothing. According to NerdWallet, The city of Suffolk is the 15th best city in the country for veterans due to its prosperous economy and diverse veteran community. It is also close to various military bases. Just a half hour drive from Naval Station Norfolk and other naval facilities. Suffolk also gives access to military offerings such as discounts, programs, and financial support for military families. So for veterans who are looking for a place to settle down and relax, Suffolk is a city that makes the switch from military to civilian life easy and convenient. Every year, Suffolk hosts the annual Virginia Peanut Festival. Known for its fun family activities, the Suffolk Peanut Fest features concerts, rides, contests and competitions, demolition derbies, truck and tractor pulls, motorcycle rallies, fireworks, and many more. Combine all these great activities with local and national entertainment and you have a weekend full of great times!

BuywithConfidence

Buying a home is not just a financial decision. It’s also a lifestyle decision

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