"The best way to ensure your home buying process is a confident one is to find a real estate pro who will guide you through every aspect of the transaction with the 'heart of a teacher' by putting your needs first."
-Dave Ramsey
I. About Section:
Please complete the About you and About my home section (Loose in the packet) Also, find information about Heather O’Leary and Professional Reviews
II. Preparing to Buy:
Explore the process of buying the right home and be prepared to make an offer that will be accepted
III. Market Analysis:
Make offers based on data so you don't overpay but still get the home you love. This section contains national and Denver charts. More detailed market data specific to your search is provided at the Buyer Consultation.
IV. Under Contract Buyer's Rights:
Once you have an accepted contract, I will guide you through the process so you can make informed decisions about your purchase.
V. Contracts and Negotiations:
Review these templates and prepare any questions. From showings to closing, I am your advocate working to make the process smooth and easy for you. Find a full contract for your reference in your Buyer's packet.
"Heather helped us feel comfortable with an extremely stressful and difficult process. I always felt like I was able to get my questions answered in a timely manner, and she made sure we understood every step of the process. I loved that she did a "contract class" with us, explaining everything on a contract which prepared us for when we were ready to make an offer. She was amazing every step of the process!"
~Client
"Heather O’Leary educated and supported us emotionally using her teaching and psychology background. Heather went above and beyond multiple times, she is great with kids which was so helpful during tours and meetings. Deciding to partner with Heather and Kentwood Real Estate was the best decision we made in buying and selling our home!"
~Client
"I highly recommend Heather. She was incredibly proactive and friendly throughout the homebuying adventure! She is a great communicator, proactive, diligent in her process, knowledgable, strategic, and all around a fun and kind person to spend time with every step of the way!"
~Client
"Before working with Heather and Kentwood, we thought we could navigate the buying experience on our own using only a transaction broker We are so glad that we made the switch to work with an expert! Heather helped us every single step of the way! She has her "finger on the pulse" of the housing market and has the full support of a professional team at Kentwood Real Estate."
~Client
By staying current on market trends and providing superior customer service, Heather O’Leary has become a high-level real estate agent and recently joined the Kentwood Real Estate brokerage She prides herself on positive communication and providing her clients with resources pertinent to their unique situations Heather exemplifies an honest, proactive, and personable realtor in all of her interactions.
Heather began her career in real estate in 2019, ambitious and excited. Initially finding little support or training, she sought out a mentor, Dawn Gonzales, with Colorado Realty Pros She graduated from the CRP Mentorship program in 2020 armed with the systems and tools to work with multiple clients at a time while still providing detailed supervision of each transaction, communicating with her clients every step of the way.
After being recruited by Kentwood, Heather chose to join the classy brand in order to ramp up her level of service and the quality of her marketing Working with her coach, James Mitchel, and continuing her training as a Ninja agent, Heather loves building her business founded on authentic, professional, and caring communication She looks forward to every conversation and is a strong advocate for her clients.
With a BA in mathematics from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Heather is fascinated with market statistics and uses her analytical skills to provide applicable data regarding each client's personal interest Her ability to explain the impact of the current data helps her clients make informed decisions and reach their financial goals Heather O’Leary also earned an M.S. in Psychology from Walden University, initially seeking to do research in SocialEmotional Learning. The lessons she learned in her studies have directly impacted her ability to guide her clients through the sometimes emotional process of buying or selling a house.
In her first career as a teacher, Heather found her gift of working with people and inspiring the best of them Today, she applies that same passion to working with her clients She enjoys teaching her clients about the market, the process of buying and selling a home, and patiently coaching each person throughout the entire process and beyond. Her passion for working with people truly shows as many of her clients have become great friends, not to mention providing her with fantastic reviews
What Heather cherishes more than anything is being involved and present with her kids, Jessica and Ryan. A great weekend finds Heather dancing at fitness classes or to live music, attending a mindful yoga class, showing homes, and playing in the garden.
Always happy to help!
Knowing the process makes it feel more smooth. Here's what to expect:
1. Mortgage Pre-Approval - make your dreams a reality by speaking with a mortgage lender first. They can answer questions, and help you create a plan. Questions to ask during the pre-approval call:
What can I afford given the:
Ideal Payment
Debt to Income Ratio
Down Payment available
Is it better for me to wait and build cash, credit, or income?
How do you and your team work with me, my Realtor, and the agents during the process?
What tools do I have to determine my payment for each property?
Which loan programs are the best for me?
2 Buyer Consultation with your Realtor
My vision for a new home
My questions about the process
Current market trends and stats that will affect your offers
Contracts and Negotiations - How do you advocate for me during the process?
Create a plan for moving forward on buying a home
3. Review the Contract to Buy and Sell with your Realtor to be aware of what is involved in an offer
Your rights as a buyer
Dates and Deadlines
How to make your offer more competitive
Additional Provisions, Title, Closing Costs, etc
4 Shop for Homes! This is the fun part! We will schedule times that work for all of us Most of my clients will find a home they love within 5-10 showings
Tools to assist you as you shop:
REColorado App - The app allows you to search for homes while you are out and about
REColorado Portal - The portal will send you an email with the newly available home You can favorite homes with a heart, discard ones you don't like, and make notes about each
5. Make an Offer and Move into the Under Contract Process -Your Lender and Realtor team will help you negotiate an accepted offer. Then we will guide you throughout the under-contract process.
The teamwork between the realtor and lender is the key to success from writing and submitting offers to communicating with listing agents to successfully help you get under contract, all the way through the process to the closing table All lenders are competitive on rates, but closing costs can vary Choosing a lender who can work with you, answer all your questions, and help you make decisions about offers on a home is imperative I know these lenders from personal experience will answer calls on weekends and proactively communicate with you Consider reaching out to one of my preferred lenders to help you make the home-buying process smooth!
Regional Mortgage Manager
Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC
Cell: (303) 520-5626
Email: Dan.Dexter@phmloans.com
Website: https://dandexter.phmloans.com/
**Partnered with Kentwood, he and his team have access to the Kentwood Advantage programs and have very competitive rates
Zenith Home Loans
Cell: 720--512-5494
Email: jacalyn@loansbyjacalyn.com
Website: https://jacalynforleo.floify.com/apply-now
Jacalyn and her team at Zenith are incredible to work with and truly care about clients' understanding of their lending options.
The Rueth Team, One Trust
Cell: 720-414-8409
Email: elong@theruethteam.com
Website: https://www.theruethteam.com/
Denvers Top Mortgage Team - They have the best loan products and can work to help you get into a home you love!
By analyzing market trends, I can help you make decisions that are based on data. In the Buyer packet, I will research and provide statistics for you that will help you make offers that are not too high, so you don't overpay, while still getting under contract on the home you love.
Your market statistics packet will include data from your specific search area using closed homes in the past 180 days, just like an appraiser would use to price a home. Here are some statistics to understand:
Days on Market (DOM): The most informative statistic to tell you how fast homes are going under contract.
Close to List price ratio: A key metric to help you be competitive in your offer. When homes receive multiple offers, bidding wars occur, driving up the price. Looking at the closed-to-list price can help you see how much homes will likely sell for over (or below) the price they are listed for
Closed Price: Comparison of the closed prices of recently sold homes to those sold in the past year shows price appreciation.
Making Offers: Once you find a home you love, I will complete a comparative market analysis for that specific home so you can find out how quickly it might sell and how far above or below the list price might win an accepted offer
The graphs included in this book show National and Denver Trends:
National and Local Appreciation over time
Inflation
Interest Rates over time
Housing Performance during times of high inflation
A c c u m u l a t e d A p p r e c i a t i o n
A n n u a l A p p r e c i a t i o n
D e n v e r v e r s u s N a t i o n a l H o m e P r i c e s
I n t e r e s t R a t e s o v e r T i m e
After you have an accepted offer, the dates drive the contract During our contract review session, I will go over the contract in detail so you know what to expect. Here is a brief overview:
You have rights and responsibilities throughout the contract.:
Earnest Money: Usually due within 3 business days to the title company
Right to Inspect: You can object to any items that the inspectors deem as concerns
Review of Association Docs: You can review the HOA docs for rules and regulations, and look for any special assessments that might affect you. Additionally, you should look for enough capital reserves to cover any major repairs or insurance claims in the future so you don't get stuck with an extra bill
Review of Due Diligence Documents: The seller is required to provide any transferable warranties, manuals, and permits on work completed
Loan Deadlines
Loan Termination Deadline: Allows you to cancel the contract if you find the terms of the loan unacceptable, such as interest rate, down payment amount, etc
Loan Availability Deadline: You have the right to cancel the contract if your loan isn't approved By working with the right lender, this shouldn't be an issue!
Property Insurance: You can shop for homeowner insurance and if it is too high, you have the right to cancel.
Title Deadlines: If there is a problem with transferring the title, we can object and have it resolved, or cancel the contract.
Appraisal: Your lender will contract an appraiser to create a valuation report. If the value is low, we can negotiate. Or you might choose to move forward and cover the gap within the loan or with extra cash at closing.
After you have an accepted offer, I recommend having the home inspected by a professional. After inspection, you will receive a report detailing all minor and major concerns with the home. I can provide you with a list of recommended inspection companies. Here is some information about your inspection:
Home Inspection- Price based on finished square feet
A home inspection is a visual examination of the property inside and outside, each of the home systems, plumbing, electrical and HVAC, attic, crawl space if accessible, and/or basement with a PDF report delivered within 24 hours or after payment is received. Price based on finished square feet ranging from $450-650.
New Build- Price based on finished square feet. We recommend two inspections, a pre-drywall, and a final inspection, just before the builder’s final.
Builder Warranty- Price based on finished square feet
Radon Testing is $150-200 (with a home inspection) and $200 (without a home inspection)
A radon machine is placed in the lowest habitable level of the home for 48 hours and collects the radon levels in the home. A printout of that data collection will be made available.
Sewer Scope $145- $185 (dependent on the area of town in some cases) A camera scope of the sewer line
1 2 3 4
Declutter
Household clutter is second only to price in slowing a home sale.
• We deliver 5 weatherized crates to your home (5'x7'x7') – you pack and load – we will pick them up and store them for 3 months free of charge The cost for delivery and pickup is $159 00 each way (1st five crates)
• Crates are stored in a clean, secure, temperature-controlled, fireprotected, and government inspected state-of-the-art warehouse
Estimate
• Whether you are moving down the block or around the world, we will come to your home to consult with you on the cost of your move and discuss your options and services provided.
Services
Receive one month free
(a
Additional storage is $35 per month per
We provide a wide range of services to make your move as stress-free as possible.
•Decluttering
•Full packing and unpacking
•Crating
•Storage
•Maid service
•Relocation assistance with information on neighborhoods, schools, etc.
Quality of service
• We have been in business since 1900 with over a century of experience.
•From our move coordinators to our movers and packers, we hire only the best
• Our movers are bonded, drug screened, and uniformed – we do not use outside laborers.
• You will receive the best quality of service and we pride ourselves on taking the stress away from moving
Questions?
Lou Johnson 720-394-3023
By being your advocate from the planning stages to years after you are all moved in and settled, I will help make the process smooth. As always, let me know as questions come up and we will work together to make your dream a reality.