Buyer Guide

A SOUND D ECISION

I nvesting in a home is one of the most important decisions you’ll m ake. So much more than a roof over your head, your home is

w here life unfolds and memories are made, all while building a

f inancial foundation for your future.

D ecidinghow you’ll navigate your journey to homeownership is

e qually critical to the agent you work with. As someone who’s

b een in your spot before, I’m familiar with what’s cycling through

y our mind, and as a real estate agent, I’ve mastered the ins and

o uts of the buying process. When you work with me, you’ll benefit f rom my experience, and together we’ll work toward making

s ound, smart decisions for your future.

B UILD YOUR P REFERENCE P ROFILE

T HE WHAT, THE WHEN, THE HOWL ET'S TALK ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO G ET IN TOUCH.

W HAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO R ECEIVE INFORMATION OR UPDATES?

S elect all that apply

E mail

C all

T ext

W HAT IS THE BEST TIME TO REACH YOU?

T HE BASICS

H ave you considered who my main contact will be?

W hat timeline would you like to strive for?

H ave you looked into getting pre-approved for a home

l oan?

H ave you thought about the price range you’d be

c omfortable with?

If I found a home today that checked all of your

b oxes, could you see yourself making a move sooner

r ather than later?

S elect all that apply

M orning

N oon

A fternoon

E vening

A nytime

A S UPDATES ARISE, HOW OFTEN DO YOU

P REFER TO BE NOTIFIED?

A SAP

I n a few hours

T hat day

E very few days

W hat to e xpect from m e

T HE WHAT, THE WHEN, THE HOWL ET'S TALK ABOUT THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO SERVE YOU

How to Contact me

E mail: Brandt@elitehomepartnersco.com

C all: 303-596-9652

T ext: 720-605-5377

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO REACH ME?

T HE BASICS

I work generaly Monday through Saturday 9am-7pm

I work with multiple clients at a time so it may take a while to get back to you.

M orning

N oon

A fternoon

MY METHOD FOR SHOPPING FOR HOUSES

Send me the address of the houses you like

I will review and contact the Seller's agent

Let's go to several houses in a day

Let me know if a house is not in your search, there's a reason Bring a notepad to showings

Y OUR HOME W ISH LIST

E XTERIOR

What type of home are you looking for (e.g., single-family, condo, town house, etc.)?

Approximately what square footage would adequately cover your living space?

How many stories do you prefer?

What lot size are you looking for?

What architectural styles are you drawn to?

What type of exterior siding appeals to you?

Do you want a porch, deck, or both?

What are you looking for in terms of a garage [e.g., attached, carport, etc.]?

What type of driveway or vehicle entrance/exit will you require?

Do you want a swimming pool or a hot tub?

Are you looking for any structures such as a greenhouse or shed?

Do you need special outdoor arrangements for pets? [e.g., a dog run, fenced-in yard, etc.]

What other exterior features are important to you?

H OW BUYING A HOME WORKS

1 . PARTNER WITH AN AGENT

A bsorb their local insight

G et to know neighborhood inventory levels

S ee what's about to hit the market

G ain access to off-market properties

R eview market averages

C omplete needs assessment

2 . GET PRE-APPROVED FOR A LOAN

U nderstand what you can afford

D etermine your monthly mortgage payment

U nderstand your debt ratio

P repare for escrow

O btain a pre-approval letter

3. FIND YOUR NEW HOME

C ompare home and neighborhood averages, then n arrow down the neighborhoods you want to live in

F avorite homes and save them

t o collections

N ix homes that don't meet the mark

S chedule home tours and plan an itinerary with y our agent

D ecide onyour dream home

4 . MAKE YOUR OFFER AND NEGOTIATE THE T ERMS

R eview contract terms and time limit

f or offer

N egotiate purchase price

C hoose a title company

S hop home insurance options

P repare for down payment, earnest money

C hoose a target closing date

S ign the offer

D eliver escrow check

S tay in close contact with your agent

H OW BUYING A HOME WORKS

5 . UNDER CONTRACT

S ecure a home loan *more details to follow

A cquire home insurance and send p roof to your lender. Keller Covered streamlines f inding the best insurance to fit your needs

R equest a list of what conveys with t he property

S chedule home inspection and negotiate repairs

O rder an appraisal

A cquire a property disclosure from t he seller

N eutralize any contingencies. [input any c ontingencies that may be specific to your area]

C onduct a title search

C hoose your title company

S chedule your closing

S olidify both contract effective date and a llowable move-in dates

C ertify funds for closing

S tay in close contact with your agent, lender, and t itle company

6 . BEFORE YOU CLOSE

T ransfer funds for closing

R eserve a moving company and set a moving date

C hange your address through USPS, your bank, a nd other instances

S et up your utilities to be activated

o r transferred

C onfirm that all contingencies

a re resolved

S chedule the final property

w alk-through

D esignate a safe, dedicated space to save your f inal paperwork

S tay in close contact with your agent, lender, and t itle company

7 . CLOSING DAY: WHAT TO BRING

C onnect with your lender to wire down payment f unds. You'll need to cover the cost of closing and t he down payment. Bring a printed confirmation of y our wire transfer

G overnment-issued photo ID(s)

S ocial Security numbers

H ome addresses from the last 10 years

P roof of homeowner's insurance

Y our copy of the contract

Y our checkbook

8 . CLOSING DAY

S ign closing disclosure, promissory note, and all

o ther documentation

T itle transfer

D eed delivery

S aveyourpaperworkinyour

p re-designated spot

G etyourkeys-congrats,it'sallyours!

S tay in touch w ith your agent for current

o r future recommendations in regard to your

n ew home.

F INANCING Y OUR FUTURE H OME

H OME LOANS AT A GLANCE

G et pre-approved for your loan

A pply for a mortgage

G etyourhomeappraised

Your loan goes through underwriting

You're cleared to close!

H AVE-ON-HAND

A month’s worth of your most recent

p ay stubs

C opies of your last two years’ federal

t ax returns and W-2s

T he names and addresses of your

e mployers over the last two years,

c ompiled into one list

L ast three months of bank statements

A copy of your real estate agreement

T he names and addresses of your

l andlords over the past two years

Divorce/separation decree

C hild support papers

B ankruptcy, discharge of bankruptcy

p apers

C ONGRATS!

Y OU'RE APPROVED

F OR A LOAN!

F ollowthesetipstoprotectyourloan.

D O:

Notify your lender of any address change, whether it's your home address or another listed on your application

Notify your lender of any salary or wage changes

Be prepared to provide proof of significant bank deposits

Acquire homeowner's insurance immediately after going under contract

Keep all forms of debt paid and in check

D O NOT:

Make large purchases using existing credit without first talking to your lender Apply for or acquire any additional lines of credit

Pay off, transfer, or close credit balances unless your lender instructs you to do so Change jobs without first talking to your lender

Co-sign for another person seeking to obtain a line of credit or to make a purchase

Pay off collections before conferring with your lender

Y OUR TRUSTED P ARTNER

F rom the day you partner with me, and even past the day you step foot in your n ew home, consider me your dedicated real estate adviser. Whatever you need, I have the resources and expertise to guide your decisions. Throughout your t ransaction, you can come to me for both the little things and the important s teps, like comprehensive home insurance and competitive financing - I have t he inside edge on both. After your purchase, ask me to recommend f ully-vetted service specialists or about how you can care for your home.

F urther down the road, should you ever want to sell, I'll be your trusted point person. You'll always have my number, and I'll always be ready to spring into a ction; just say the word!

A PROMISE T O YOU

T o consistently and clearly communicate with you in

t he manner and frequency that you prefer

T o treat you and your family with

s traightforwardness, integrity, and respect at all

t imes

T o answer your questions, ease your concerns,

r educe your stress, and expertly handle the entire

r eal estate transaction

T o hold myself accountable to finding the perfect

h ome for you – after all, thatis what my business is

b uilt on

T o serve the community as a leader in the real

e state industry and as a friend and neighbor

T o always do the right thing, even if it isn’t what is

e asiest

T o take care of your needs at the highest level

t hrough unparalleled professionalism and attention

t o detail. No request is too small

T o serve as a trusted local expert and adviser by

y our side

T HE B OTTOM L INE

R eal estate is complicated.

T hat’s where I come in.

A t the closing table, my goal is for you to feel that the p urchase of your home exceeded all of your e xpectations, so throughout our interactions – from s earch to close – I’ll work hard to achieve that goal.

W hen you choose me asyour partner, you are not just g etting a trusted, respected agent – you are getting a l ocal expert who is passionate about serving our c ommunity and those who call it home.

L et’s get started.

C OMMONLY USED TERMS

A NNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Collective income from everyone in your household before taxes or other deductions are taken, investment income or dividends, Social Security benefits, alimony, and retirement fund withdrawals.

APR

APR refers to the annual percentage rate, which is the interest rate you’ll pay expressed as a yearly rate averaged over the full term of the loan. APR includes lender fees in the rate, so it’s usually higher than your mortgage interest rate.

APPRAISAL

A written justification of the price paid for a property, primarily based on an analysis of comparable sales of similar homes nearby.

APPRAISED VALUE

An opinion of a property’s fair market value, based on an appraiser’s knowledge, experience, and analysis of the property. Since an appraisal is based primarily on comparable sales, and the most recent sale is the one on the property in question, the appraisal usually comes out at the purchase price.

CLOSING COSTS

Generally 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price include lender fees, recording fees, transfer taxes, third-party fees such as title insurance, and prepaids and escrows such as homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, andHOA fees.

CLOSING DISCLOSURE

A document that provides an itemized listing of the funds that were paid or disbursed at closing.

D EED

T he legal document conveying title to a property.

DOWN PAYMENT

A cash payment of a percentage of the sales price of the home that buyers pay at closing. Different lenders and l oan programs require various down payment amounts such as 3 percent, 5 percent, or 20 percent of the purchase price.

EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT

Also known as an escrow deposit, earnest money is a dollar amount buyers put into an escrow account after a seller accepts their offer. Buyers do this to show the seller that they’re entering a real estate transaction in good faith.

ENCUMBRANCE

Anything that affects or limits the fee simple title to a property, such as mortgages, leases, easements, or restrictions.

EQUITY

A homeowner’s financial interest in a property. Equity is the difference between the fair market value of the property and the amount still owed on its mortgage and other liens.

ESCROW

Putting something of value, like a deed or money, in the custody of a neutral third party until certain conditions are met.