Our first responsibility is to give you the official pamphlet from the Arizona Department of Real Estate. This document contains extremely valuable information for you, the real estate buyer, and you are free to download it now.

STEP 1

So that we can do our very best for you, we must understand your expectations, limitations, wants and needs - and your hopes & dreams!

1. What can you afford to buy? Are you working with a mortgage broker or mortgage lender/bank? Do you have a letter of pre-approval?
2. What are your reasons for buying? Still renting, downsizing, adding to family (young or old), changing jobs? Retiring? Investment? Second home or vacation home? Planning a 1031 Exchange?
3. What is most important to you in a home? For example: no stairs, fenced yard, open floor plan, luxury amenities, lot size, privacy, construction type
4. What is most important to you about a neighborhood? Excellent schools, close to work, close to recreational opportunities, golf, spa, exercise facilities, gated community, HOA or no HOA, free, independent lifestyle - remote?
5. What is your time table? Do you need to sell your current home first?

STEP 2

Conduct a focused search with a purpose: narrow the search via the web; then visit the most promising homes. Here's how:

1. You can search for yourself for homes Using our award-winning website, you can search the entire MLS for current listings matching your parameters. You may save your criteria and get an email notice when there’s a match!
2. We will set up a search on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and notify you promptly of homes that meet your criteria. The MLS notifies us in “real time” of new listings that match your criteria.
3. When we have found a promising home we will visit it together. Often, we will preview the home for you and feedback to you, even design a video for you to view showing the features of the home. After we've made selections together, we will make the necessary calls to arrange a showing for you.
4. We will carefully review all homes on your showing list, weigh and measure the pros and cons of each, and decide together whether a particular home merits an offer. Review the questions in STEP 1 above!

STEP 3

Making an offer is not the same as signing a contract. For an offer to be a valid offer, it has to be in writing. Using the Arizona Department of Real Estate's approved documents, we will review together the terms and conditions of the Purchase Contract. We have specially-designed viewing screens for this purpose. Here’s how an offer becomes a “mutual agreement”, a contract:

1. Your offer states the offer price, terms and conditions. Terms include the date you would like to take possession (Close of Escrow). Conditions include, but are not limited to, an inspection of the property, loan contingency, and others. You will have complete understanding of the terms and conditions of your offer BEFORE we actually make an offer. You will sign and date your offer. You will also give the seller a time deadline to respond. If financing, you will fill out a Loan Status Report, which is included with your offer to the seller. We will then present your offer to the seller's agent.
2. The listing agent (sellers' agent) must present your offer to the seller. The seller has three choices: (1) ignore or reject your offer, (2) agree to your offer, (3) make a counter-offer. Even the tiniest change to your offer amounts to a counter-offer. Counter-offers may be several, and the time span may be several days during this process - this is the negotiating process. We will strongly represent your interests during this crucial process to ensure that you get the best deal possible. We are your advocates, and will use every honorable resource to convince on your behalf.
3. Only when one party makes NO changes and signs the offer or counter offer as received, do we have “mutual agreement.” However, the mutual agreement is on the price, terms and conditions only. It is not yet a binding contract for the seller to sell or for the buyer to buy.

STEP 4

We have reached “mutual agreement” which specifies what needs to be done and by when. We move forward with the goal to comply with the terms and remove the contingencies.

1. Earnest Money is an essential part of the contract (“consideration”) It is held/deposited with the escrow company.
2. General Inspection of the property (ordered and paid for by you, the buyer).Special inspections may follow, such as pest inspection, waste treatment (septic) inspection. We will be present during all inspections.
3. Title search is conducted; commitments to title insurance are issued. As the buyer you need to get title “free and clear.” Your lender also has a vested interest in this.

STEP 5

Inspection-related issues have been settled and title is held "free and clear." The purchase is now “pending” approval of financing.

1. You have applied for a loan as agreed in the mutual agreement. You must notify the seller if you are unable to procure financing!
2. Your mortgage broker must provide you with a “Good Faith Estimate”. The broker/lender will conduct an appraisal to make certain that the home is worth the price.

STEP 6

The escrow company, collects every document generated in the process of the transaction. As a neutral party, the escrow company is charged with bringing the transaction ot a close.

1. You and the seller meet separately with the escrow company to sign the documents, such as the HUD-1 settlement statement. Arrangements can be made for these documents to be sent to you; or courtesy signings can be arranged at a branch of the escrow company near you.
2. The escrow company manages the distribution of funds, and prorates payments such as taxes. It is done deal when the transaction has funded and recorded. Normally, the buyer takes possession on the day the transaction closes, and after recordation.We will make arrangments to hand over the keys to you after recordation!

These six steps serve to briefly illustrate the buying process. Your circumstances are unique and your home purchase will present its own challenges and opportunities. Our goal is to make your home search and purchase a pleasant experience from start to finish.