Home Buyer's Roadmap

1. Preparing for the search

Before we start looking for a home, we first need to know what to look for. Our job is to ask the right questions and to help you understand:

What you want
  • A spacious kitchen?
  • A great space to host parties?
  • An over-sized garage to work on your cars?
  • Trees around the perimeter to separate you from your neighbors?
What you need
  • Top schools for your children?
  • Access to public transportation?
  • A space for your in-laws?
  • Any health limitations?
How much you can afford
Do you have an idea of how much you can afford? If not, we have our team of vetted experts to talk you through finances and get you pre-approved.

2. Searching for the home

Now that we know what we are looking for, the search begins!

First, we search online

We will set you up with an account in our Advanced Client Tools.

You will be able to:

  • Use the search engine and its 20+ filters to find all the homes of interest on the market
  • Save searches & homes, so you can come back to them later
  • Receive email alerts on new homes & price changes
  • Take notes on saved homes, so your agent will get a better sense of your preferences and prepare for the next step
  • Access detailed market trends
  • Search recently sold homes

Once we have a list of homes, we are ready for the next step.

Schedule private showings

This is the fun part! We will educate you on anything that might cause problems, so you can have the peace of mind that you know what is going on in your next home.

As we walk through the home, we will show you what to look for, and teach you things like how to:

  • spot the ice damage in the house, and figure out what caused it, and how it can be fixed
  • look at the topography and see if the land is sloping towards the house, so the basement wouldn’t flood during heavy rain
  • see the difference between an old oil tank and a new one

If needed, we call, on the spot, experts & contractors, to get 3rd party opinions and quotes, so you know what to expect.

Our agents prefer to walk with you through homes, to ensure that nothing is missed, which can happen if you go to open houses on your own.

Dagny is like Sherlock Holmes! We were in the basement of a home, and it looked great. The seller had just painted it. Dagny looked closer and caught on to why! By looking closely at the walls, she could tell that the basement had been flooded and we used that to help determine our offer. (Marilyn T.)
Do drive-bys

After you find a home that you really like, we recommend you drive down the street, in the evening or on a weekend, to get a better feel for the community and meet the potential neighbors.

3. Negotiating with sellers

Once we decide on a home, we will:

Make an offer & negotiate

We focus on the initial price, contingencies, closing date, and also on the terms for the mortgage, inspection and appraisal.

Sign the binder contract

Once we come to an agreement, both you and the seller sign a binder contract, and you will write a check for 1% of the sales price as earnest money, which will be deposited in the broker's escrow account.

Do an inspection

We will bring a vetted licensed inspector to go through the entire home. This is your opportunity to learn everything about the house, good and bad.

Once the full inspection is done, we will negotiate on what the seller will have to fix before the close.

Sign the P&S contract

With our vetted real estate lawyer by your side, all of the final terms will be put in the P&S contract (purchase and sale agreement), which you and the seller will sign. At this point you will make another 9% down payment to the sellers' attorney's escrow account.

4. Getting the mortgage

Once you have the P&S contract signed the next step is ready to begin:

The mortgage broker will start the paperwork

We will bring a vetted mortgage broker to work with you and guide you through the process.

The lender will order an appraisal

If the appraisal comes in too low, the mortgage company will not cover the agreed upon price. If this happens we will negotiate with the sellers to lower the price so you will not have to pay more out of pocket.

The seller does the repairs

The seller will do the repairs included in the P&S contract.

4. Closing and moving in

Once the previous step is done, the lender will give you the clear-to-close, and at that point the seller will have approximately one week to pack and move, before you close the deal and move into your new home

Let's get in touch
    Call Us ( click again to dial )
    Let's find you a home in Fairfield County!

    20 Windy Ridge Place Wilton, CT 06897

    Terms & Conditions

    © Copyright 1999 - 2024 Dagny's LLC.