Buying or selling a home in Central Jersey?

Purchasing a home intimidates a lot of people, but it's not that complicated with a little up-front planning. So you understand exactly what to expect, we like to give our buyers a road map of the entire deal. Here are our nine steps to buying a home.

Step 1 – Prepare to purchase a home
There are a lot of things you need to consider prior to commencing your home search. You'll want to put together an index of items you need, get a feel for what school districts and neighborhoods you want to live in, and start working on your budget. Ensuring your mortgage payment is no more than 1/3 of your monthly income is a good principle to adhere to.

Step 2 – Speak with a real estate agent
This is where we can help. We can plan a time to meet so we can talk about why you want to buy a home and get an idea of your plans for the future. We'll talk about neighborhoods, schools in the Central Jersey area, the mortgage industry, and any additional economic factors that may potentially affect your buying decision today or in the future.

We'll also help you start the loan process. There are some excellent mortgage professionals in Central Jersey, and we work with a lot of them, so you're in great hands. They will assist you in deciding which type of loan is best for you and help you get approved.

Step 3 – Start your home search
After our initial meeting, we'll begin searching for available houses on the market that are a good fit for you. We'll get a sneak peek of many of the houses and reject the bad ones, and then we'll set up appointments to tour the homes whenever it's convenient for you.

As we view homes, we'll call attention to good features and negative ones. we'll also ask you what things you like and dislike. For the most part, buyers change their list of must-haves as we tour houses and some features become more necessary than others. If that's the situation, we'll look through the listings another time and trim it down to the house of your dreams.

Step 4 – Get a feel for the market
Our understanding of the Central Jersey housing market is a crucial resource in your house search. We are conscious of all the schools and neighborhoods, and we can alert you to which districts are "hot" and require immediate action and the ones that are "cold" and allow for careful consideration.

As we view houses, we'll let you know when the seller's list price has room for negotiation and when we think the home is "priced to sell." When working with an agent, be mindful and make sure you ask lots of questions. Every REALTOR^® will tell you they comprehend the home market. If things don't add up, contact us at (800) 542-0372 or e-mail us at Training@PipelineROI.com, and we'd be glad to answer any questions you have. Our understanding of the market will help you stay a step above the rest through the entire deal.

Step 5 – Find the house of your dreams
We're confident we'll find the house of your dreams in the Central Jersey area, and when we do, we'll carefully develop your real estate purchase offer. The offer will be made keeping your needs in mind. Whenever necessary, We never forget to make contracts contingent upon items like your ability to secure financing and the results of the home inspection.

Upon sending in your offer, you'll probably need to present "earnest money." This is a cash deposit given to a home seller to secure an offer to purchase the property and is typically put towards the closing costs. If the seller accepts the offer, we should close on the home about 30 to 60 days afterward. This allows plenty of time for your mortgage financing.

Step 6 – Negotiate
A lot of contracts aren't closed on the first offer – it's widely common to receive a counter offer. Don't let this intimidate you. We'll discuss whether or not to accept the counter offer, submit our own counter offer, or refuse the seller's offer and go on.

Market conditions will play a role in how aggressively we negotiate the contract. We'll also work within your budget. And when it's all said and done, we'll create a contract that is best for you.

Step 7 – Secure financing
Once the contract is complete, you'll begin working with your mortgage lender to close the loan. If you're already pre-qualified, this shouldn't be a long process at all. However, you'll need to keep in close contact with your lender. And we'll deal with all the property information your lender needs to close the loan.>

Step 8 – Close the deal
Your lender will provide you with a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) detailing closing costs within three days of taking your application. The estimate depends on the loan amount. RESPA requirements dictate that it has to contain all closing costs and be within a precise range of accuracy, and we'll analyze the estimate and let you know if it all looks permissible.

Then it's time to close on your house. This will likely take place at a title company or escrow office and is often a smooth and hassle-free event.

Step 9 – Move in
You made it! Now you can move into your new home. Enjoy it. And if you have any questions, just contact us at (800) 542-0372 or send us an e-mail.