Are you thinking about buying a house but don't know what to do next? In this video, I'm going to walk you through the process of buying a house so you know exactly how it works. I’ll explain how getting as much information as possible will help you snag a good deal before it’s gone.

Choosing A Realtor And Lender

The very first step you need to take is to pick a great real estate agent to work with. The reason why over 87% of home buyers decide to work with a realtor is that it doesn't cost you anything out of pocket. It's our job to make sure that you’re making a good move, considering all aspects of this investment, and understand how the process truly works. We make sure you are familiar with the market and understand what your money is going to get you.

Once you've picked a great real estate agent, the next step is to figure out your financing. It's important to get with a great lender, somebody that you like and trust, who can get you prepared for your purchase. They’ll give you all of your payment information so you know what your total mortgage purchase price is going to look like. Once you have your purchase price figured out, you need to go out and start looking.

The Home Search And Making An Offer

The home search is where you’ll step foot inside some properties and ask questions about the neighborhood. You’ll want to know about schools, shopping, commute times, and traffic to figure out which neighborhood best suits your needs. Remember, when you're buying a house, you're also buying into a community. That means it’s very important to know all aspects of that area—and it’s your agent’s job to clue you in.

Eventually, you're going to find a property that you want to buy. That's when you write an offer. It's your agent's job to handle all those negotiations. If your offer gets accepted, congratulations! But there's still plenty of work left to do. Finding Your house is only half the battle.

In Escrow

The next part of the home buying process is closing on your home once you're under contract—or as we like to call it in California, once you’re in escrow. During this period, you’ll do all your due diligence and find out what's going on with the property.

For example, we’ll do a home inspection, a pest inspection, a roof inspection, and possibly a sewer, mold, and HVAC inspection. we also need to pull up the title and make sure that no liens or weird judgments are happening on the property that would stop you from buying it. The reason why this is so important is that the average homebuyer spends less than 15 minutes in the house before they decide to buy. That means you probably didn't have time to flush the toilet, test the A/C, or see how the roof looks.

Once you're under contract and escrow, you can expect it to take about 30 to 40 days before you actually close on the property.

Getting You In Your New Home

Of course, there are a ton of other details and little things that you can expect to deal with when purchasing a home. These steps, however, are the basic things that you can expect to happen on your next purchase.

I hope this helped you better understand the home buying process. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll be happy to connect with you!