Real Estate Tips

Knowledge and experience are the keys to a successful real estate transaction. Renee Major has the knowledge and experience necessary to help make the process easier and more understandable and offers the most informative and professional services available.

Here's an overview of what you can expect throughout the home buying or selling process.

Buyers

Once you've chose Renee as your agent the next step is to speak with a lender and complete a loan application. This will allow the lender to issue a pre-approval letter, which must be submitted with all offers to purchase, especially in a market where homes are under contract nearly as quickly as they're listed.

Next is the fun part where you create a detailed description of the home you hope to find. Renee will use this criteria to refine your search and focus on homes that offer the features most desirable to you.

During the search process, Renee will familiarize you with the most commonly used documents in real estate transactions.

Once you have located the property you wish to purchase, Renee will assist you in establishing the offer you would like to make. Remember, this will include not just the price, but terms and conditions as well.

After your offer has been accepted, Renee will begin the escrow process by delivering your earnest money to the title company representing the transaction or to a title company of your choice.

Now that you have a property in escrow, there are several inspections that will need to take place. Renee will help you to determine which inspections are appropriate for the property, and make sure that they are conducted during the time period specified in the purchase agreement.

In order to protect your investment, there are several types of insurance available to be places on the property. Some of the most common are homeowner’s, title, and flood insurance. Although not an “insurance” in the typical sense, a home warranty should also be considered when deciding on the protection that is best for you.

Renee's goal is to make sure that the entire process, including the move into your new home, is as smooth a transition as possible. In order to do that, we will provide you with helpful hints such as a change of address checklist, packing tips and an arrival kit checklist.

Before closing on your new home, you will have an opportunity to conduct a final walkthrough of the property and verify that any repairs requested have been completed, and that the property is in substantially the same condition on the date of contract acceptance. Once completed, you will sign all of the necessary documents to finalize the transaction at the title company.

When the deed is recorded, the house is yours! Congratulations!

Renee hopes this information is helpful and is committed to providing the most informative and professional services available now and in the future.

Remember...it's a Smart Move with HomeSmart!

Sellers

You have already made the Smart Move by choosing to contact Renee as your HomeSmart agent to represent you in the sale of your home.

The next step is to prepare your home for presentation. Renee will assist you in preparing your home and will help you see your home from a potential buyer's perspective. This is a great time to consider purchasing a home warranty, the benefits of which Renee will discuss with you.

When you receive a contract to purchase your home, Renee will explain the terms to you, and help you to understand the most important terms of the contract. Renee will also explore all the available information pertaining to the potential buyer, including his/her ability to qualify for a mortgage for your property.

Renee will go over closing costs with you at this time, and will explain what you should expect to net at the close of escrow, should you decide to accept the offer.

Once you have accepted an offer, the buyer of your home has a period of time in which to inspect the property. At this time, Renee will ask you to fill out a form, generally termed the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement, to provide to the buyer. In this document, you will disclose everything you know about the history of the property. The buyer may make physical inspections of the property such as a pest inspection or a full inspection by a certified home inspector. You are not required to be present at the time of the inspections, unless you would like to attend. After the inspection(s), the buyer may make request that certain repairs be made to the property. Renee can help you determine which repairs should/shouldn't be completed to help you arrive at a fair agreement.

Renee's goal is to make sure that the entire process, including the move is as smooth a transition as possible. In order to do that, she will provide you with helpful hints such as packing tips and moving checklists.

A few days prior to closing on the sale of your home, the buyer will have the opportunity to conduct a final walkthrough of the property and verify that nay repairs requested have been completed, and that the property is in substantially the same condition as on the date of contract acceptance. It is around this same time that you will go sign all the closing documents to finalize the sale.

Renee hopes this overview is helpful and is committed to providing you with the most informative and professional service available now and in the future.

Remember...it's a Smart Move with HomeSmart!