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A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying a Home

Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

Schedule a Consultation
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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

What My Clients Say

Tony was very communicative and quick to respond whenever I wanted to see a house. Made it very easy and was very knowledgeable about anything in the house I would ask him about.

— Hunter D.

What My Clients Say

Tony worked with us over a number of months to buy our retirement home in South Haven, Michigan. His communications with us (email and text) were timely. He spent a lot of time with us looking at a number of homes. He was always attentive and patient as we went from house to house. We bombarded him with questions throughout the buying process. All our questions were answered clearly. He expertly moved us...

— Peter & Jody W.

What My Clients Say

Tony is very professional, knowledgeable, and personable. He has high integrity and is the type of agent you want to help you buy or sell your most important asset. He is very responsive and provides good recommendations as he has a wealth of knowledge in the industry and shares his personal experiences. Tony has made us feel that we are his only client, even though we know he has other clients, but that...

— Jigsey R.

What My Clients Say

I highly recommend Anthony Hernandez to take care of your needs as you search for the home of your dreams. I have used Anthony's services for buying and selling a home. He's extremely responsive, knowledgeable, and easily trusted. Anthony has a warm personality to guide you along the way and help educate you to make the best decisions. Throughout my experiences working with Anthony, he has demonstrated t...

— Angie F.

What My Clients Say

If you want the best of the best, look no further! Tony was an absolute pleasure to work with! This is the second home I have purchased with Tony's help! Both times, Tony was very flexible with my crazy schedule and always willing to go above and beyond to make sure the process was perfect! Tony made everything seamless and made sure my wife and I found exactly what we wanted! Especially as a first-time ...

— Matt G.

What My Clients Say

We would recommend Tony to family and friends who are looking to buy or sell their home. My husband and I sold our home in a matter of hours due to the outstanding and professional job that Tony exhibited during the selling process. Tony is a great agent, but he goes the extra mile to represent his clients with excellent customer service. We would highly recommend Tony as a caring, yet experienced, skill...

— Kenneth & Defannie

What My Clients Say

Tony was very friendly and professional, readily available via text and in person for showings, and knowledgeable about the area. Tony helped us find the perfect house for us in SW Michigan and was very helpful in recommending the appropriate local professionals we needed during and after the sale. Would definitely recommend!

— Nicolle N.

What My Clients Say

Tony Hernandez is one in a million! The effort and care he puts into his relationships and transactions is beyond anything I've ever seen in this biz, and this is coming from someone who has bought and sold several properties through the years with various realtors in cities both big and small. Tony is a real pro who knows the market, but also knows people and realizes that he's not just facilitating pro...

— Sheila K.

What My Clients Say

Taking a new job in the area, Tony had the patience and knowledge to show me many homes when it was convenient for my schedule. He would line up multiple homes for me to see as I was traveling 1.5 hrs, mostly on the weekends, to look at. Any questions I had, he either answered right away or within a day. He was very responsive and made the whole process of purchasing a home as easy as it could be. I woul...

— Jaron P.

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Seller

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TONY HERNANDEZ

M: (616) 295-6229

O: (616) 257-1500

[email protected]



4249 PARKWAY PLACE DR SW
GRANDVILLE, MI 49418