Are you buying your new home in St. Clair County? Frank Real Estate can help.

For a lot of people, purchasing a home can be a stressful event. But with a little up-front planning, it isn't that difficult. So you'll know exactly what to expect, I like to furnish my buyers with an outline of the entire deal. Here are my nine steps to buying a home.

Step 1 – Prepare to buy a home
There are many things you need to do before you start looking for a home. You'll probably want to create an index of features you want to have, get a plan of what neighborhoods you'd like to live in, and begin planning around your budget. A good guideline to go by is that your mortgage payment should be no more than 1/3 of your monthly income.

Step 2 – Get in touch with a real estate agent in St. Clair County
That's where I come in. I'll set up a time to get together so we can talk about why you want to buy a home and get an idea of your upcoming plans. We'll discuss everything from neighborhoods, school districts in the St. Clair County area, the mortgage industry, to any other economic factors that may potentially affect your purchase today or in the future.

In addition, I'll help you get started on your loan. There are some very good mortgage professionals in St. Clair County, and I work with a lot of them, so you're in great hands. They can assist you with figuring out which kind of loan is best for you and help you get qualified.

Step 3 – Start looking
After we meet, I'll begin looking for houses on the market that are a good fit for you. I'll research many of the homes and remove the duds, and then we'll set up appointments to view the houses at a time that's convenient for you.

As we tour the homes, I'll show you the positive features and bad ones. I'll also ask you to point out what things you like and don't like. It's common for buyers to change their must-have list as we tour homes and some things become more important than others. If that's the case, I'll look through all the listings again and narrow it down to the home you've been waiting for.

Step 4 – Get a feel for the market
An agent's understanding of the St. Clair County housing market is an imperative component in your house search. And I assure you I'm conscious of all the neighborhoods and schools, and I'll alert you to which areas are "hot" and demand immediate action and the rest that are "cool" and allow for thoughtful analysis.

As we tour homes, I'll make sure to communicate if the seller's list price has room for bargaining or if I believe the house is "priced to sell." Any real estate agent in St. Clair County will convince you they truly understand the housing market, but beware, and make sure you ask your agent lots of questions. If things don't add up, just call me at (810) 765-4005 or e-mail me at andrew.callander@pipelineroi.com, and I'd be glad to answer your questions. My market expertise will keep you a step above the rest throughout the entire deal.

Step 5 – Find your dream house
I know we'll find the home of your dreams in the St. Clair County area. When that happens, I'll meticulously create your purchase offer. The offer will be tailored exactly to your needs, including some contingencies, such as obtaining financing, finishing the home inspection, and a clear title.

When sending in your offer, most likely you'll want to present "earnest money." This is a cash deposit given to a seller to secure the offer to buy the property, and it's usually applied to the cost of closing. If your offer is accepted, we should close about 30 to 60 days after. This allows ample time for your mortgage financing.

Step 6 – Negotiate the deal
Unfortunately most deals aren't closed on the initial offer, and it's extremely common to receive a counter offer. Don't let this discourage you. We'll figure out whether or not to agree to the counter offer, propose our own counter offer, or reject the seller's offer and go on.

How aggressively we negotiate the contract depends on market circumstances. We'll also work within your budget. And when it's all said and done, we'll assemble a contract that's best for you.

Step 7 – Secure financing
After the contract is finalized, you'll start working with your lender to close the loan. It won't take very long at all if you're already pre-approved, but you should to stay in close contact with your lender. And I'll deal with all the property information your mortgage lender needs to close the loan.>

Step 8 – Close the deal
You'll get a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) detailing your closing costs from your lender within three days of accepting your loan application. This estimate is based on the loan amount, and RESPA requirements require that it has to involve all closing costs and fall within a close range of accuracy. I'll go over the estimate and let you know if everything looks adequate.

Then we'll close on your house. This will most likely occur at a title company or escrow office and should be a smooth and pleasant event.

Step 9 – Move in
Congratulations! It's time to move into your new house. Enjoy it. And if you have any questions, simply contact me at (810) 765-4005 or send me an e-mail.