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Tips on Buying 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 our team 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 we 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 Real Estate Experts

Can you shop for, view, and ultimately make an offer on a home without real estate experts? Technically, yes—but why would you? Working with agents like us not only alleviates stress, but it also leverages our in-depth market knowledge and experience. We’ll help you identify potential properties, arrange showings, and guide you through every step of the offer-to-closing process. Finding your perfect home can be daunting, but with our expertise, we make it easier. Let us show you homes that match your dream criteria, so you can confidently choose the one that’s right for you.

Passion & Expertise

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. We are dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

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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!). We 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. We 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. We 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. 

Success Stories

Testimonials

"Ted and Shawna did an outstanding job with our home purchase. They were very much involved in all aspects of the closing. They made us feel very important by including us in all aspects of the process, open communication, answering all our questions, and making us feel very comfortable. Ted and Shawna were very professional, friendly and responsive they always gave great advice. They both went above and beyond the norm of a real estate agent, they became family. I highly recommend you go with the BEST Ford Team."
"Ted and Shawna did an outstanding job with our home purchase. They were very much involved in all aspects of the closing. They made us feel very important by including us in all aspects of the process, open communication, answering all our questions, and making us feel very comfortable. Ted and Shawna were very professional, friendly and responsive they always gave great advice. They both went above and beyond the norm of a real estate agent, they became family. I highly recommend you go with the BEST Ford Team."
Tagisia B.
"Shawna and Ted and their team are fabulous to work with and I highly recommend them! We have bought and sold with them because of their high level of expertise as realtors and in the Southern California market, as well as taking the best care of their clients and their financial interests. You won’t find a better team to buy or sell your property!"
"Shawna and Ted and their team are fabulous to work with and I highly recommend them! We have bought and sold with them because of their high level of expertise as realtors and in the Southern California market, as well as taking the best care of their clients and their financial interests. You won’t find a better team to buy or sell your property!"
Amy L.
"My wife and I are very grateful for Ted and Shawna. I met Ted at an open house in 2017. He was so likeable that I asked him to help my wife and I get into a home. They helped us purchase a beautiful home in Carlsbad at an incredibly affordable price. Four years later they helped us to sell our home for a large profit. Ted and Shawna did a great job representing our interests as our agents, but they also did so much more. For example, when our washing machine broke down and the Home Warranty Company wasn't fixing it, I called Shawna and she contacted them. The next day they sent a repairman to our home and he fixed the washing machine. When we sold our home and weren't able to get moved out by the closing date, Shawna called the buyer and negotiated an extra week for us to get moved out at no charge. Ted and Shawna even came over and helped us move out. We've grown to trust Ted and Shawna over two real estate transactions. They are extremely honest, competent, and sincere. We are looking forward to working with them for our next real estate purchase or sale."
"My wife and I are very grateful for Ted and Shawna. I met Ted at an open house in 2017. He was so likeable that I asked him to help my wife and I get into a home. They helped us purchase a beautiful home in Carlsbad at an incredibly affordable price. Four years later they helped us to sell our home for a large profit. Ted and Shawna did a great job representing our interests as our agents, but they also did so much more. For example, when our washing machine broke down and the Home Warranty Company wasn't fixing it, I called Shawna and she contacted them. The next day they sent a repairman to our home and he fixed the washing machine. When we sold our home and weren't able to get moved out by the closing date, Shawna called the buyer and negotiated an extra week for us to get moved out at no charge. Ted and Shawna even came over and helped us move out. We've grown to trust Ted and Shawna over two real estate transactions. They are extremely honest, competent, and sincere. We are looking forward to working with them for our next real estate purchase or sale."
Gary J.
"Ted and Shawna make a great team together. While Shawna is super knowledgable about the contracts and paperwork in general, Ted is extremely helpful in understanding our needs (they represented us as buyers) and he made himself available whenever we needed him especially for touring homes. Despite both of our busy schedules, Ted and Shawna were always there for us and they didn't mind hopping on a quick call to answer any questions. After putting a few very strong offers, we were able to win on one of the homes we wanted! I would definitely recommend Ted and Shawna to my friends and family."
"Ted and Shawna make a great team together. While Shawna is super knowledgable about the contracts and paperwork in general, Ted is extremely helpful in understanding our needs (they represented us as buyers) and he made himself available whenever we needed him especially for touring homes. Despite both of our busy schedules, Ted and Shawna were always there for us and they didn't mind hopping on a quick call to answer any questions. After putting a few very strong offers, we were able to win on one of the homes we wanted! I would definitely recommend Ted and Shawna to my friends and family."
Ender B.
"Team Shawna went above and beyond selling my elderly aunts home . They cleaned her home and put her things in storage for me. Important papers and her computer they sent by UPS. They even went to skilled nursing home to bring her clothes! Since I am on the east coast and a pandemic was looming I wasn't traveling. They handled everything for me like if I was doing it myself! I highly recommend Shawna Ford Real Estate!"
"Team Shawna went above and beyond selling my elderly aunts home . They cleaned her home and put her things in storage for me. Important papers and her computer they sent by UPS. They even went to skilled nursing home to bring her clothes! Since I am on the east coast and a pandemic was looming I wasn't traveling. They handled everything for me like if I was doing it myself! I highly recommend Shawna Ford Real Estate!"
Janet H.
"Ted did everything possible to assist us in finding just the right house for our family. We were working on a tight timeframe in a very competitive market here in San Diego County. He showed us homes that met our exact search criteria which saved valuable time and stress. He represented us all the way to closing, even in times of near total frustration due to last minute developments. He never gave up on us and continued our search without reserve. We could not have done it without Ted's commitment and support. Thanks Ted, we love our new home!"
"Ted did everything possible to assist us in finding just the right house for our family. We were working on a tight timeframe in a very competitive market here in San Diego County. He showed us homes that met our exact search criteria which saved valuable time and stress. He represented us all the way to closing, even in times of near total frustration due to last minute developments. He never gave up on us and continued our search without reserve. We could not have done it without Ted's commitment and support. Thanks Ted, we love our new home!"
Buyer | Seller
"Very pleased with Ted's patience and persistance. Very calm and professional. He helped me through several offers until one was accepted. Quite friendly and I would highly recommend him."
"Very pleased with Ted's patience and persistance. Very calm and professional. He helped me through several offers until one was accepted. Quite friendly and I would highly recommend him."
Ken M.
"Ted was a pleasure to work with while purchasing our first townhome. He was flexible, professional, and very attentive to our needs and questions. We ended up getting what we wanted in the end and was a pleasure to work with."
"Ted was a pleasure to work with while purchasing our first townhome. He was flexible, professional, and very attentive to our needs and questions. We ended up getting what we wanted in the end and was a pleasure to work with."
Colleen M.
"I had an exceptionally positive home purchasing experience with Ted. He is very professional, and having grown up in Southern California, has an in-depth knowledge of the local real estate market. I found Ted to be proactive in his approach and responsive to my real estate questions and needs. The home buying and selling process is seldom effortless and without challenges, but Ted really impressed me with his ability to overcome and resolve whatever obstacles we encountered. I would work with Ted again, and have no hesitation in recommending him as an agent."
"I had an exceptionally positive home purchasing experience with Ted. He is very professional, and having grown up in Southern California, has an in-depth knowledge of the local real estate market. I found Ted to be proactive in his approach and responsive to my real estate questions and needs. The home buying and selling process is seldom effortless and without challenges, but Ted really impressed me with his ability to overcome and resolve whatever obstacles we encountered. I would work with Ted again, and have no hesitation in recommending him as an agent."
Alex N.
"These people are great. selling a house from 1400 miles away can be a big hassle. But all of the headaches that came up they took care of right away and made it easy."
"These people are great. selling a house from 1400 miles away can be a big hassle. But all of the headaches that came up they took care of right away and made it easy."
Micheal S.

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