A Handbook on Purchasing a New Home
Transcription
A Handbook on Purchasing a New Home
Buyer’s Handbook ?? ?? ?? Tom Payne, Broker, Realtor®, ABR, (Accredited Buyers Representative), ? ? e-PRO Linda Payne, Broker, Realtor®, ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative) CALL LINDA OR TOM PAYNE 919-227-7351 or 919-612-7399 Website: www.payneteam.com email:[email protected] [email protected] About Us! Tom and Linda have 25 Years experience in small business as the owners of Raleigh’s well known Rathskeller Restaurant on Hillsborough Street. This history in the service industries plus their individual strengths and backgrounds and their experience of working together as a team uniquely qualify them to assist buyers and sellers in achieving their desired goals. Linda graduated from NCSU with a degree in Communications, has passed the CPA exam and worked for a major accounting firm. Tom also has a degree from NCSU in Business Management with postgraduate studies in Computer Science, has worked in software support and has experience in general construction and remodeling. These experiences and strengths coupled with a desire to help and please clients learned over the years plus their ability to bring different perspectives and insights to the process of buying or selling a home provide for clients the dual advantage of a true ‘two for one’ team experience. 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7352 [email protected] www.payneteam.com Buyer’s Agency WHAT IS IT? WHY DO I NEED IT? WHAT DOES A BUYER’S AGENT DO FOR YOU? ? ? Promotes your best interests— advocates on YOUR behalf exclusively. ? ? Is loyal to you— represents you, not the Sellers. ? ? Follows your lawful instructions. ? ? Provides you with material facts about the property. ? ? Uses their skill and training to help you obtain the best deal possible. ? ? Your Buyer’s Agent cannot give out confidential information about you— a Seller’s Subagent is obligated to tell the Seller anything about you they learn! ? ? A Buyer’s Agent works for you— not for the Seller! A Written Buyer’s Agency is your best protection when buying a home! ? ? HOME HUNTING TIPS Drive around the neighborhood at different times of the day and during the week and on weekends to see the traffic patterns and get a feel for the neighborhood. ? ? Call Utility Companies and find out cost of previous monthly bills ? ? Talk to neighbors— find out how they like living in the area ? ? Before making an offer have your Buyers Agent prepare a Comparative Market Analysis of the home to see what a fair market price would be. The Basics of Buying a Home If you know what to expect, and you have a trusted team of real estate and mortgage lending professionals to guide you, finding and financing a new home can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Let YSU walk you through… .. Obtaining Mortgage Pre-qualification. Before you begin house hunting, learn how much home you can afford and strengthen your bargaining position with Sellers. Prequalification affirms you are a serious bidder who means business. Choosing a Real Estate Agent. Select a reputable professional, who is willing to listen to your needs and with whom you feel comfortable. Before you begin working with any real estate agent, you should know who the agent represents in the transaction. Be sure you have discussed the “Working with Real Estate Agents Brochure”. You may also enter into a Buyer’s Agency Agreement with the agent you choose at this time. Finding the Right Home. Determine your family’s needs and create a list of the features you must have and features you desire. Take notes as you tour homes with your agent– this avoids confusion later! 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com Making an Offer. The Offer is a very specific legal document. In North Carolina, it takes the form of the “Offer to Purchase and Contract,” which was created by the N.C. Association of REALTORS® and approved by the N.C. Bar Association. Together with your YSU agent, you determine what considerations will best serve your needs. When signed, the offer becomes a binding contract between you and the Seller. The North Carolina Residential Property Disclosure Statement should reveal any limitations on the use, transfer or modification of the property, including liens and easements. Your YSU agent will help you choose the appropriate deposit or “earnest money” to be placed in a Trust Account within 72 hours of acceptance of your Offer. The full amount of this is credited to you at closing. When you are preparing your Offer, you may include a request to the Seller to provide you with a one-year “Home Protection Plan”. Such plans can provide you with peace of mind knowing that covered systems or appliances are warranted. Ask your YSU Agent about the benefits of a home warranty. Your real estate agent presents your Offer to the listing agent. It may be accepted, countered, or rejected. When the terms are settled, you and the Seller sign the Offer and it becomes a “Contract”, defining the terms of the sale. 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com Obtaining A Loan. Choosing a reputable lender is vital to a smooth home-buying process. Your YSU Agent and Ysu Lending are prepared to suggest the best loan programs for you. The Offer to Purchase and Contract will specify the loan amount, terms, interest rate, type of loan, discount points and closing costs. This financing contingency provides that if you are not able to obtain a loan under the specified terms, you may be released from the contract. It is critical that you make your loan application immediately. It generally takes four to six weeks to obtain firm loan commitment. It is also to your advantage to be as prepared as possible when you meet with your loan officer. What You Should Bring to Loan Application? 1) Credit Card Numbers 2) Bank Accounts 3) Assets and Liabilities 4) Verification of Employment 5) Employment History, including addresses 6) Previous tax returns Having these at hand when you meet with your loan officer saves time and trouble not to mention additional visits to your lender. 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com Whether you apply to a bank, savings and loan, credit union, mortgage company, or other source, certain requirements will be the same. What Does My Lender need? 1) Appraisal (Prepaid at application) 2) Credit Report (Prepaid at application) 3) New Survey (Included in closing costs) 4) Title Insurance (Included in closing costs) 5) Fees and Discount points (Included in closing costs) Most lenders will stipulate that you escrow money each month for future payment of taxes and prepayment of insurance. Having the Home Inspected. Your offer may also be contingent upon a variety of inspections, including electrical, plumbing, heating, and cooling systems, as well as built-in appliances, roof, gutters, structural components, foundation, fireplaces and chimney. These are conducted at the buyer’s expense by a licensed inspector. Other miscellaneous inspections such as well and Septic Systems inspection and Radon inspections may also be conducted at the buyer’s expense. 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com After your Offer has been accepted, hire a professional home inspector. A good home inspection provides an in-depth look at the basic systems of the house to reveal any safety hazards and give you a chance to negotiate repairs to be made to the house by the Seller prior to closing. You may also need to arrange for a termite inspection to ensure that there is no visible evidence of wood-destroying insects. This inspection must be performed by a licensed pest-control operator. Your lender will probably require that you provide such a report prior to final loan approval. Any costs that accompany ownership, such as street paving or water and sewer assessments, should be discussed in the contract. You and the Seller may agree upon other personal property items to be included, such as appliances or window treatments. YSU Agents emphasize that you must list these specifically in your contract. Having the Home Appraised. An appraisal, usually required by your mortgage lender, is a firm, written estimate of the home’s current market value. Typically, the appraisal costs several hundred dollars. Your lender will order the appraisal and you will receive a copy at closing. 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com Hiring An Attorney. While not required by law, you will be required by your lender to retain an attorney to handle closing. The fact is, an attorney experienced in closings protects you from confusion, oversight, unexpected expenses and unnecessary loss of time. For a prearranged fee, your attorney handles the title search and obtains title insurance. Title insurance guarantees that the property you are purchasing is free of liens and of confusion in rights of ownership. The policy insures against any losses to the property that result from defects in the title or deed. He or she will also order the survey, prepare all the paperwork for the bank, and provide you with a detailed list of closing costs. During the closing, your attorney carefully goes through the documents with you, answering any questions and explaining how funds are disbursed. Transferring Utilities. You and the seller should notify all utilities (gas, electric, water, and phone) of the change in billing and effective date well in advance of closing. Your YSU Agent will be glad to handle this for you if the companies involved permit this. . 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com Your Final Walk-Through. You will want to take a last walk through the house just prior to closing. Remember that when you close, you are accepting the property in “as-is” condition unless otherwise agreed upon in your contract. Closing on your new home. Once you have signed all papers and the Seller has provided a deed and lien waiver, your attorney records the documents at the courthouse. This action and your subsequent receipt of a General Warranty Deed makes the title transfer official. Ownership of the property is transferred. A closing agent coordinates and distributes all the paperwork and funds according to the agreed terms. You are now the proud owner of your new home! Finally, you can expect to take possession of your new home as soon as closing is complete. Any other arrangement must be put in writing. The entire process, from offer to closing, typically takes 30-60 days. Familiarizing yourself with procedures and working closely with your YSU agent helps keep things on track. 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com We are Triangle–Wide Ancillary Services For Your Convenience YSUHomes.com Buyers and sellers can visit our award-winning website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get all the real estate information they need. Mortgage rates, an Open House Schedule, over 12,000 property listings, information on all our offices, agents, and services are just a mouse click away. YSU LENDING Once you find a home you love, you need to find a mortgage that makes sense for your purchase. In conjunction with YSU Lending, we can make sure that you get competitive rates, a closing that fits your schedule and an approval process that’s fast and painless. In fact, we can pre-qualify you for a loan over the phone, and give you approval notification within 24 hours. We’re here to answer any questions that come up, and we’re ready to handle all kinds of circumstances, including first-time home buyers, self-employed buyers, bridge loans, constructions loans - just tell us what you need, and we’ll tell you how we can help. AFFILIATED TITLE When you’re buying or selling a house, every detail is important - especially the ones you might never consider. That’s why we’ve developed a joint venture with a local title insurance agency. The experienced real estate attorneys we work with make sure that issues involving title transfer don’t interfere with your sale or purchase of a home. Simply put, it gives you one less thing to worry about. THE YORK FAMILY OF COMPANIES As part of the only full service family of companies that handle all aspects of real estate in the Triangle, we can help you with your business and residential real estate needs. The YSU Difference ?? We are part of the only full service family of companies that handle all aspects of Real Estate in the Triangle York Simpson Underwood, York Properties, McDonald-York, YSU Lending, Affiliated Title, and YSU Neighborhood Marketing Services ?? We are large enough to be powerful, yet small enough to be personal We can offer our clients all aspects of one-stop shopping while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. We offer an array of other services for our clients: YSU Lending, Affili ated Title, RELO, Sotheby’s International Realty Exclusive Affiliate, MY Home Improvements, and Timely Solutions ?? We care more about how our agents do business than how much business they do Our agents are selectively hired, thoroughly trained, and all work full-time; over 60% of YSU agents have earned professional designations so the learning never stops; our tradition of teamwork and innovation is due in part to a strong commitment to education and the quality of our agents ?? We are a family company who is involved in the community where we live We have a history of civic responsibility and service; our roots date to 1910 ?? We are Triangle-Wide We have 6 offices located in Cameron Village, North Hills, Cary, North Raleigh, Chapel Hill/Durham and Pinehurst/Southern Pines with over 250 full time agents Moving Advice! Change of Address Forms:File at Post Office— Two Weeks Before Moving. Electric: Call Progress Energy at 800-452-2777 - 24 Hours in Advance Gas: Public Service at 1-877-776-2477 One to Five Business Days in Advance Cable: Time Warner at 832-2225 Seven to Ten Days in Advance Water and Sewer:City of Raleigh at 890-3245 One to Two Days in Advance Schools: Call Wake County Public Schools at 8501921 or go on-line at http://www.wcpss.net Telephone:There are many competing service providers in the area— one to three weeks in advance— our Payneteam.com website lists them! 919-612-7399 or 919-227-7351 [email protected] www.payneteam.com