The Home Buying Process

One of the keys to making the home-buying process easier and more understandable is planning. In doing so, you’ll be able to anticipate requests from lenders, lawyers and a host of other professionals. Furthermore, planning will help to make the home buying process more efficient. Initially there are two primary questions that you have to answer: “Do you have a general idea of the preferences and criteria for your next home?” and “Do you have the budget?” Answers to these questions will help effectively define your goals. These and many more questions can be quickly answered by a knowledgeable Real Estate Agent.

More than 2 million people in the United States have real estate licenses, but a small percentage of licensees actively work with buyers and sellers full time. The site is run by two of Marin County’s Top Realtors, please contact us to get weekly updates on the market or for more information. 

“Pre-approval” means that you have met with a loan officer, your credit files have been reviewed and the loan officer believes that you can readily qualify for a given loan amount. The lender will then provide you with an approval letter which will display your buying power. 90% of all buyers finance their home, which means that virtually all buyers – especially first-time purchasers – require a loan.

There’s no shortage of housing options in Marin, but with so many choices, the challenge becomes finding the property which best meets your needs. The housing market is complicated because the inventory of homes for sale in Marin County is always in flux. Lists of homes for sale become obsolete within seconds as homes are constantly being bought and sold. This moving target can be a headache so it is best to shop for a home in partnership with your real estate professional.

No aspect of the home buying process is more complex, personal or variable than negotiating between buyers and sellers. This is the point where the value of an experienced Realtor is clearly evident because he or she knows the community, and the current market, has seen numerous homes for sale, knows local values and has spent years negotiating real estate transactions. In practice, the offer depends on the basic laws of supply and demand: If many buyers are competing for homes, then sellers will likely get full-price offers and sometimes even more. If demand is weak, then offers below the asking price may be in order.

A number of inspections are common in residential realty transactions. They include pest inspections, home inspections, appraisals to determine value for lenders, title reviews and structural inspections. 

Please see our Inspections section to learn more

This part can get complicated, but we know from experience how to keep the crucial final stages of loan approval from becoming overwhelming. We’ll regularly monitor the progress of your transaction and keep you fully aware of unexpected funds that might be expected from you. We’ll also work with your lender to make sure all the necessary paperwork is complete as we move closer to a smooth closing.

In practice, closings bring together a variety of parties who are part of the “transaction” process. At closing, the buyers and sellers visit the local title office to sign separate paperwork. The buyer’s signing process is much more lengthy than the sellers’. All fees, transfer taxes, and documentation must be confirmed and other claims must also be settled (including closing costs, legal fees and adjustments). As a buyer you will have to do relatively little as much of the “legwork” will be handled by your Realtor.