TEAM.Edit.BuyerGuide24

BUYER GUIDE

HILL SPOONER & ELLIOTT REAL ESTATE CALYNNE HILL | HETTIE SPOONER | LINDSAY ELLIOTT

HELLO, NICE TO

MEET YOU! We are the REALTOR® Partners of Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc and in 2004, we started our brokerage with a singular goal: to take all the moving parts that work in a real estate transaction and do them better than anyone else. As buyer representatives, our commitment is to help YOU make the right move.

ABOUT US 2023 ~ NUMBER 1 IN MLS 87 Units sold with $74,233,734 in Volume Average Sales Price of $575,851 2022 ~ NUMBER 1 IN MLS 100 Units sold with $57,110,508 in Volume Average Sales Price of $571,105 2021 ~ NUMBER 3 IN MLS 101 Units sold with $53,618,353 in Volume Average Sales Price of $530,874 2020 ~ NUMBER 2 IN MLS 95.5 Units sold with $47,901,962 in Volume Average Sales Price of $501,591 2019 ~ NUMBER 3 IN MLS 82 Units Sold with $36,522,990 in Volume Average Sales Price of $445,402

TOP 1% OF TALLAHASSEE REAL ESTATE AGENTS FOR THE PAST DECADE SINCE 2004, WE’VE CLOSED NEARLY 1000 TRANSACTIONS ONE CLIENT AT A TIME

MARKET COVERAGE

OVERVIEW

Corporate office in Tallahassee, Florida with membership in Tallahassee Board of Realtors.

Coastal office in Santa Rosa Beach with membership in Emerald Coast Board of Realtors.

Membership in Franklin County Board of Realtors.

Southwest Georgia division with membership in Southwest Georgia Board of Realtors.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

GADSDEN COUNTY

GULF COUNTY

BAY COUNTY

LEON COUNTY | TALLAHASSEE

JACKSON COUNTY

JEFFERSON COUNTY

LIBERTY COUNTY

MADISON COUNTY

OKALOOSA COUNTY

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

TAYLOR COUNTY

WALTON COUNTY

THOMAS COUNTY | THOMASVILLE, GA

WHAT’S IMPORTANT

TO YOU? T MUS E HAV

T WAN

SIZE

CONDO | SINGLE FAMILY HOME | ESTATE

CONDITION

FIXER UPPER | MOVE-IN READY | NEW

LOCATION

DOWNTOWN | SUBURBAN | RURAL

STYLE

MODERN | TRADITIONAL | CRAFTSMAN

EVALUATING EACH

COMMUNITY The community or neighborhood you choose can significantly impact your daily life and long-term satisfaction. Remeber to prioritize factors based on your individual preferences and lifestyle.

PROXIMITY TO AMENITIES

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMUTE TIMES SCHOOL QUALITY CRIME & SAFETY PROPERTY VALUES & RESALE VALUE

LENDER RECOMMENDATIONS

KRISTEN PHILLIPS Prime Meridian Bank Senior Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS # 451762 Phone (850) 510-1475 kphillips@primemeridianbank.com

LOCATION

1897 Capital Circle NE Tallahassee, FL 32308

LOAN APPLICATION

ABBY SMITH Hancock Whitney

LOCATION

Mortgage Loan Originator NMLS # 415657 Phone: 850-251-4029 Abby.Smith@hancockwhitney.com

2105 Capital Circle NE Tallahassee, FL 32308

CAITLIN YANCEY MOORE ServisFirst Bank Vice President, Mortgage Production Mgr NMLS # 1563244 Phone ‭(850) 322-0086‬ cym@servisfirstbank.com

LOCATION 3375 Capital Circle NE Bldg B 1 Tallahassee, FL 32308

LOAN APPLICATION‬

QUINN COOKE Movement Mortgage

LOCATION

Loan Officer NMLS # 1766484 Phone ‭(850) 508-5629‬ quinn.cooke@movement .com

2039 Centre Pointe Blvd Ste 101 Tallahassee, FL 32308

LOAN APPLICATION

HOW WE PARTNER & WORK

WITH LENDERS WELL-CONNECTED. HIGHLY EFFECTIVE. It’s our motto for a reason. We will discuss your specific financial situation and use our connections to guide you to the best lender options for your scenario.

This begins with an introductory e-mail to several local lenders whom we feel can best navigate your financing options and opportunities.

Once you’ve selected a lender, we will partner with you both to position you in the best light when competing with other offers. A proof of funding or prequalification letter will provide any seller with a higher sense of certainty when reviewing your offer and comparing it to others.

CASH

Full amount of the purchase price in liquid funds, not relying on any contingent source of funds.

UNDERWRITING APPROVAL

Strongest loan approval. Underwriters verify your financial capability and are ready to fund before you select a home.

PRE-APPROVAL

A standard loan amount is given based on your financials and credit score.

PRE-QUALIFICATION

An estimated amount you would likely qualify for based on basic information.

It is imperative that you share any potential source of funds for your home purchase with your lender and REALTOR® as early as possible.

Proceeds from previous home sale Future earnings / stock Gift money 401k / Retirement funds

THE HOME

SEARCH HOW ARE YOU SEARCHING FOR HOMES NOW?

GAIN MORE CONTROL OF THE HOME SEARCH PROCESS

WHAT WE PROVIDE Coming Soon listings “Pocket” listings from Hill Spooner & Elliott Extremely customized search criteria Detailed listing and property tax information Associated Documents Current comparable sales data Detailed Property Information including Property Tax Appraiser, County Permitting, County Zoning and Land Information

VISITING

OPEN HOUSES If you know in advance that you will be visiting an open house, please call or text me so I can call ahead and let the agent know you are represented.

If you like the home and are interested in making an offer, please call or text me right away so there is time to complete due diligence on the property prior to making an offer.

Clarity is kindness.

When visiting open houses, it is very important to disclose to real estate agents if you are working with an agent and have a signed buyer’s representation agreement.

INTERPRETING THE DATA

TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDERSTANDING THE LOCAL MARKET YOUR SEARCH AREA & PRICE RANGE When it comes time to negotiate for the best price and most favorable terms, we want you to feel confident you’re getting the right home at the right price, aligned with your goals.

As your trusted real estate advisor and advocate, we will help you analyze the data to help you determine the best offer price.

We will guide you through selecting the appropriate paperwork and negotiate the most favorable buyer terms on your behalf

We are your representative throughout the

entire process.

YOUR PERIOD OF DUE

DILIGENCE Congratulations, your offer has been accepted! In Tallahassee’s Board of Realtors sales contracts, we have a timeline that starts when the contract is signed.

Typically, you have 15 days to decide if the house meets your needs and is going to work for you. During this time, you will arrange to have inspections performed, complete the mortgage application, and find homeowners insurance. This period is called the contingency period (closing is contingent on inspections and financing) and the house is marked as contingent on the MLS. During this time, the house will still appear in other buyers’ active searches.

Once the contingency period is over, the house will move to pending status. When it is pending, the home will no longer show up as active in searches for other buyers. Very few contracts fall apart after this point, however, if they do, you may be forfeiting your earnest money deposit to the seller.

DAY 0 ~ CONTRACT SIGNED Deliver escrow deposit Make full loan application Begin insurance application Order appraisal Schedule all inspections to be completed

DAYS 7 TO 15 All inspections completed to buyer’s satisfaction Any necessary amendments to the contract to be fully negotiated by Day 15 Homeowners Insurance must be secured and verified DAY 15 ~ FINAL DAY TO TERMINATE CONTRACT WITHOUT PENALTY

MEET YOUR

SUPPORT TEAM KEEPING YOU ON TRACK We will anticipate and communicate with you regarding contingency timelines, inspections, title review, appraisal and escrow for a successful closing and a timely move. From acceptance of your contract to the day you get your keys, we’re committed to you.

CARLA STEPHENS AND JOANNA MCIVER Carla and Joanna are our in-house administrative staff who may work with us and with your selected vendors throughout the closing process. They assist your REALTOR® with providing documents to the lender, title company and escrow and scheduling inspections and repairs.

These are some of the industry professionals that will be involved in a successful closing: TRANSACTION DIRECTOR (IN-HOUSE) LOAN OFFICER LENDER/UNDERWRITER HOME INSPECTOR WDO INSPECTOR APPRAISER TITLE ESCROW

ONCE CONTINGENCIES

ARE COMPLETE CONGRATULATIONS! Your offer is PENDING. It’s time to start setting up for your imminent move. Your HSE support team will assist you with our pre-closing checklist to ensure that your new home is ready for you immediately after closing.

We will continue to: Monitor progress with your loan officer and the title company Monitor progress with any repairs to be made per the contract and follow up with vendors to ensure agreed-upon work is completed.

Assist in arranging utility and service transfers like: Electricity Gas Water Internet/Cable Waste Management Security System

PREPARING FOR

CLOSING DAY CLOSING DISCLOSURE

You will be required to review and sign a Closing Disclosure (CD) a minimum of 3 days prior to closing. The CD will breakdown the final costs of the sale and will give us the amount you need to bring to closing.

HOW WILL CLOSING WORK?

Will you attend with the sellers or separately? When and where will the closing be? What do you need to bring?

Will you be wiring funds from your bank or bringing a cashiers check? We will help you schedule and determine all of these items.

PRE-CLOSING WALKTHROUGH

You need to ensure that all repairs have been completed, that all personal property (included in the sale) remains, and that the home is clean and move-in ready.

FINAL DETAILS

We will help you arrange for the transfer of keys, door openers, etc. if you’re not attending at the same time as the sellers.

ATTEND CLOSING

CONGRATULATIONS! It’s time to attend closing.

OUR

COMPENSATION AS YOUR BUYER REPRESENTATIVE Before you ever make an offer, we will make you aware of any representation fees. Our transparency allows you to factor in additional costs during your decision-making process. Our compensation as your buyer representative comes at the end of the transaction (and only) if you have found the right house, we have negotiated the terms successfully, and we have brought the sale to closing. We believe that this representation is important because: ADVOCACY - You benefit from having a dedicated advocate who represents YOUR best interest throughout the transaction.

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE- Real estate agents have extensive knowledge of the market and are equipped to navigate its complexities on your behalf.

NEGOTIATION SKILLS - Agents possess strong negotiation skills and know other agents, ensuring you secure the best possible deals and terms.

Our fee for representation is X% of the sales price. In many cases the seller will be paying for all, or a potion, of my fees. Before you write an offer on ANY home, you will know what the fee structure looks like so you can adjust your offer accordingly.

SELLER’S ROLE IN PAYING REPRESENTATION FEES VARIABLE PAYMENT - Seller may or may not pay representation fees. It depends on individual circumstances and agreements.

FOR SALE BY OWNER (FSBO) - In FSBO situations, the seller may not offer to pay representation fees, placing the responsibility on the buyer.

SELLER’S PREFERENCE - Some sellers simply do not wish to pay buyer representation fees even in the absence of specific circumstances.

BUYER REPRESENTATION

AGREEMENT National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) now requires all REALTORS® working with homebuyers to have an executed Buyer Representation Agreement prior to showing any properties. This agreement will allow us to work together to structure fair compensation for my services.

BUYER REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY...

TESTIMONIALS LAURIE JARRARD From the get go, Hettie took time to get to know

us and to understand what we were looking for.

She was very honest throughout our search

about what would work for our family and what would not so that we didn’t waste our time,

ultimately finding the perfect place for us. She,

along with her team, stayed on top of everything during the closing process. I’m a mom of four

young kids, and my husband is a physician; the fact they pretty much took everything off of our hands, and made the process go so smoothly

was appreciated. I’m so thankful for her. We’ve bought two houses with Hettie and we will

absolutely be working with her and her company again.

MINDY BERENSON We were relocating to Tallahassee and Hettie was recommended to us. We stared working with her before we even moved. Hettie was incredibly

knowledgeable and really helped us to understand the Tallahassee market. She took the time to

understand our family and what we were looking for while providing guidance in a very complex

market. She was truly a pleasure to work with, and was incredibly patient. She was always happy to

answer my questions. She spent many many days showing us homes and I never felt “rushed or

pressured” to pick a home that wasn’t right for our family. Not only is Hettie an excellent agent but I also consider her a friend!