Eric Akines | Buyer Guide

YOUR GUIDE TO BUYING

"Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away.

Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.”

– Franklin D. Roosevelt

Meet your trusted broker

Eric Akines Broker | Founding Member

Prior to my career in real estate, my business expertise was honed over the course of 25+ years as a global product and branding executive with iconic brands including adidas, Starbucks and Nordstrom. My approach to real estate is based in authentic storytelling, world-class marketing and strong customer service. I've combined my business experience with a passion for design and architecture. I work tirelessly for my clients, so they have peace of mind knowing that every detail will be looked after, and their best interests will always come first.

I am a Pacific Northwest native and a proud husband and father. I graduated from the University of Puget Sound after spending a year attending the Albert Ludwigs Universitaet in Freiburg, Germany. My love for travel, design, and culture is reflected in the architecture of the homes I love to sell. Outside of work, my family and I enjoy spending time in Sun Valley, Idaho recreating in the outdoors, attending my daughter’s sporting events and giving back to the community through our involvement with the Hamlin Robinson School, the Frye Art Museum and the Auction of Washington Wines.

I look forward to working with you!

Warmly,

Buying a Home in the Greater Seattle Area The Greater Seattle Area is one of the most desirable and competitive real estate markets in the world, and we understand that making the decision to buy a home here can be a particularly overwhelming experience.

From mastering the difference between condos, single and multifamily units to planning for closing costs, there is a lot to learn.

That is why we have created this Buyer’s Guide—to set you on the right course to owning your perfect home!

Why Real?

Comprised of 28 industry professionals that include an unprecedented 8 of the region’s top-producing brokers, Real Residential continues to set records in sales price and sales volume.

The Real Duty of Care Every person deserves honesty. We promise that honesty will be at the core of every communication we have with our clients.

We promise to elevate our client over any self-interest.

We promise to advise and educate.

We promise to treat our clients’ home as though it were our own.

We promise to remain in our clients’ lives for anything they need that enhances their joy and convenience in their home.

We promise that any request from our client will be answered honestly and timely.

We promise to treat our fellow Broker colleagues inside and outside of Real with care and consideration.

We promise to be REAL

#1

Real Estate Team in King County

Awards

Client Care / Signature Service Award Team Top Producer

Testimonials "Is six stars a thing? I can't say enough about my positive experience working with Eric to buy my home in Seattle. He is very knowledgeable about the local market, extremely responsive, always available for showings that worked with my schedule, provided thoughtful insight, and was a joy to work with! Eric is authentic and genuine, which you don't always find in an agent. I really appreciated that he never pressured me and wanted to make sure I found the right home for me. He expertly guided me through a stressful situation with another offer and I ended up getting the first house I put an offer on!

Everyone should be so lucky as to work with Eric." ​-Lindsey R "Despite many agent recommendations from friends and family, my husband and I sought Eric entirely based on his market accomplishments, when we noticed that he recently sold a house similar to ours in our neighbourhood. We were immediately impressed with his openness, his thoughtfulness about the market and the depth of his knowledge. We firmly believe that it takes a unique skillset to be a seller agent - and Eric was able to prove that to us, time and time again. From planning & strategy in a volatile market, to staging the house beautifully, to dealing with our (many) questions while being out of the country and in a different time zone, Eric has gone above and beyond for us. He handled everything with the grace of a friend and the professionalism we came to expect from him."

-Rodica and Nick "Eric and the REAL Residential team are the best in the business. We first worked with the team to find our first home in 2011. Thanks to their sage guidance and preparation, we made an offer on a Ballard townhome upon seeing it, instead of "sleeping on it", like I planned to do, which allowed us to win the home from another buyer and gave us an incredible home for the next 11 years..

Earlier this year, it came time to find a new home and, once again, Eric and the REAL Residential team were stalwart guides through the process between seven different offers, all the strategy, and eventually a great new home for our next chapter – still in Ballard. Of course, this big milestone also meant we had to sell our first home. Thankfully, Eric made the process easy and absolutely crushed the outcome.

From the staging to dedicated website, proactive marketing to contracts, Eric was top flight, securing multiple, competing bids above ask within just a few business days of listing the property. Soon, we were all done after a fast close with our new home secure and our old home sold – all thanks to the tremendous work of Eric and the REAL Residential team. We recommend working with Eric on any of your home sale or purchase needs – you'll be glad you did!" ​- Lucas and Sara W

Steps to Buying a Home: Seattle Connect Reach out to your licensed real estate professional. They will work as your advocate and trusted advisor to help guide your search.

Get Pre-Approved Before beginning your search, your first step is to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan (unless you will be paying in cash for the full price of your home). Your agent can connect you to a proven mortgage broker who will offer competitive interest rates and desirable financing packages and options. Based on your income and credit history, the mortgage broker will determine how much the bank will lend you, which will help determine the price range for your search.

Visit Properties You agent will guide and instruct you during viewings and open houses spanning a range of areas and property types. Now is the time to consider your ideal home’s accessibility and amenities.

Pre-Inspection An inspection is either done once the contract has been mutually agreed upon by the buyer and seller or a pre-inspection is conducted by the buyer prior to making an offer on the home which therefore waives the inspection contingency.

Read Building Financials and Regulations Your agent has a vetted network of professionals should you need a referral to an attorney toassist with the review.

Make an Offer Once you have seen a home you like, you submit an “offer,” which outlines the price, terms and timing of the purchase. Your agent will provide advice on pricing, and guide you through the competitive process typical in this market.

Mutual Acceptance Sign Purchase & Sale and Deposit Earnest Money

Complete Loan Application The bank will organize the appraisal, search the title and finalize the paperwork so your loan is “cleared to close.”

Closing Scheduled by Escrow

Final Walk-Through with Stosh A review of the property to confirm that it is in the same physical condition as when you signed the purchase and sale agreement.

Closing Congratulations! You are now a home owner!

Coordination of Closing This handy guide gives you an idea of the typical home buying process and timeline.

1 2 3 4 5

Pre-Approval

Begin Home Search

PreInspection

Submit an offer

Mutual Acceptance

9 8 7 6

Loan Approval

Appraisal

Home Inspection

Deposit Earnest Money

10

Pre-closing Review

11

Transfer Mail & Set Up Utilities

12

Sign Closing Documents

13

Closing Day & Keys!

Key Terms Appraisal Assessment of the property’s market value, typically done for the purpose of obtaining a mortgage.

Debt-to-Income Ratio The percentage of an individual’s monthly gross income relative to the amount of debt owed.

Earnest Money Deposit Deposit of funds into a federally insured account, to be transferred upon completion of the deal.

Offer Accepted The point in time when a seller accepts all the terms of a buyer’s offer for a property.

Pre-Approval Potential buyers provide a complete financial picture to mortgage brokers, who provide preliminary approval of the buyer’s loan.

Title Search A background check on the property to ensure there are no outstanding debts or claims upon the property.

Mutual Agreement (In Contract) Refers to the time between the signing of the purchase and sale agreement by the buyer and seller, and the closing.

eric@realresidential.com 206.859.1119