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.
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.
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.
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.
Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for agents like us to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will we help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but we also have knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where our expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let us show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.
To provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rebeca is the most dedicated agent I have ever experienced. She went above and beyond for the purchase of our home. Rebeca was extremely creative with our contract and offer which ultimately allowed us to secure the home.
Having Rebeca represent my husband and I in our home purchase journey made all the different! She championed for us and helped us get the home we wanted within our budget! Rebeca was kind, patient and supportive. I will work wi...
Rebeca was instrumental in helping us sell our home in High Pines, securing the price we wanted with a quick closing. What truly impressed us, though, was her ability to find the perfect condo in Coconut Grove. Transitioning fr...
Our family has moved twice in last 3 years. Both times, Rebecca and her team made the process seamless and stress-free. They helped us find a new home within weeks and provided outstanding service every step of the way. Highly ...
Working with Rebeca is truly a joy. As a true professional her experience allows her to anticipate any potential delays, concerns or obstacles allowing her deals to continue moving forward at ultimately accomplish the goal - cl...
Rebeca exceeded all our expectations as a realtor, providing exactly what we didn’t realize we needed. With the complex task of combining two households, she expertly guided us through the sale of our homes in both Miami and Br...
I had the pleasure of working with Rebeca as my realtor, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the experience. From start to finish, Rebeca was professional, thorough, and made the entire home-buying process feel effortless. He...
When it came to listing my home, I was completely overwhelmed and didn’t know where to begin. A family member recommended Rebeca, and from our very first meeting, I knew I was in good hands. Rebeca visited my property and laid ...
I had the absolute pleasure of working with Rebeca when purchasing my first home in 2020, and I can't recommend her enough. From start to finish, Rebeca was truly exceptional. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the market a...
I recently had the pleasure of working with Rebeca to buy my first home, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience! From the very beginning, she was incredibly compassionate and made me fell supported every step of the way....
Rebeca was a pleasure to work with. She helped us sell our South Miami property. I was happy she took care of the entire process.
Working with Rebeca Cruz was amazing. She helped my family sell their Miami home while we lived abroad. She was knowledgeable and extremely professional.
Rebeca and her lead buyer’s agent, Courtney, went above and beyond in helping us purchase our home. We had previously attempted to buy a home twice over the past year, but those deals unfortunately fell through. As it turns out...
Working with Rebeca was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. Her deep knowledge of the Miami real estate market, combined with a professional yet genuinely friendly approach, made the entire process smooth and stress-free...
I have worked with a lot of different agents over the years and Rebeca is hands down the best I have come across anywhere. Her and her team work 24/7 to deliver service which is unmatched. This is not an exaggeration. Every tim...
Where do I start? It’s certainly been a bumpy ride — but we couldn’t have done it without Rebecca. I actually found Rebecca through an Instagram post and gave her a call for some advice, as my previous agent had been struggling...
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Rebecca, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. In a very challenging market, she remained patient, knowledgeable, and always optimistic, never losing hope. She went abo...
had an exceptional experience working with Rebeca on the sale of my home. She brings a rare combination of expertise, energy, and calm confidence that makes the entire process feel seamless. Rebeca anticipated every step, guide...
Rebeca handled the listing and sale of our home in Miami with great professionalism and efficiency. There were three other properties in our community for sale at the time we put ours on the market, and with her guidance and dr...
Rebeca Cruz is excellent to work with and brings a high level of professionalism to every interaction. She’s responsive, knowledgeable, and clearly understands the Miami market inside and out. What stands out most is how organi...