Selling and Buying Guide

See how we facilitate the sale or purchase of a property

It’s All About You

My real estate business has been built around one guiding principle: It’s all about you

Your needs
Your dreams
Your concerns
Your questions
Your finances
Your time
Your life

We will work with you to understand your unique lifestyle, needs, and wishes because buying a home is more than a certain number of bedrooms or a particular ZIP code. It’s about your life, and it’s important to us.

Our focus is on your complete satisfaction. In fact, we work to get the job done so well, you will want to tell your friends and associates about it. Maybe that’s why so much of our business comes from repeat customers and referrals. Good service speaks for itself. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to earn your referrals too!

You Get From us...

A knowledgeable and professional REALTOR® who represents you
Thorough consultation to determine your unique wants and needs in a home
Advice on making offers based on expert market evaluation so you don't “overpay”
A committed ally who will complete your purchase contract, present your offer, and negotiate on your behalf
Preparation of all closing documents and guidance through the closing process
Assistance with any post-close issues
The backing of a trusted company, Keller Williams Realty

As part of our service, we will commit to helping you with your home search by:

Organizing and scheduling homes to view based on your unique specifications
Personally touring homes and neighborhoods with you
Keeping you informed of new homes on the market
Advising you of other homes that have sold and for how much
Working with you until we find the home of your dreams

6 Steps to Home-Buying

1. Choose a REALTOR®

Choose the best real estate agent to represent you in finding and purchasing your dream home and sign a Buyer Agency Agreement to work together. It is important to trust your agent, as you will be spending a lot of time together and your agent will help you with one of the biggest financial commitments you will make.

2. Obtain Financial Pre-Approval

Get pre-approved for a loan before you find the home you want to buy. Benefits include

You know your price range, closing costs, and monthly payments up front
You only look at homes within your price range
Your negotiating position with the seller is stronger
Closing on your new home can happen more quickly

3. View Homes and Find “The One!”

After a thorough understanding of your new home needs, you receive a list of homes that meet most or all of your requirements, and we schedule time to visit them. We will also help you find homes through:

Online with real estate search sites including our Keller Williams mobile search app – we will make appointments to visit them.
For Sale or For Sale by Owner (FSBO) signs as you drive through neighborhoods – we will make appointments to visit them.
Open Houses - accompanied by your real estate representative.
New home developments – accompanied by your real estate representative.

4. Make Your Offer

Once you have found your dream home, we will research market data on the home to help you will determine what to offer and we will present a written offer to the seller’s agent. There may be some negotiation required and the seller may either accept, reject, or counter your offer. When the seller accepts the offer, it becomes a legal contract.

5. Get Inspection and Negotiate Repairs

You will hire a professional home inspector to conduct a thorough inspection of the property and we will negotiate with the seller to complete any necessary repairs.

6. Final Review of Contract and Close!

The closing is the formal process of signing papers, paying fees and closing costs, and receiving the keys to your new home!

Funding Your Home Purchase

Three Factors Determining How Much Can You Afford

Qualification for the Mortgage
Down Payment
Closing Costs

1. Qualification for the Mortgage

Lenders may require that your monthly payments range between 28% – 44% of your monthly income. The percentage will depend on the borrower’s credit rating. Your monthly mortgage payment to the lender will consist of:

Principal on the loan
Interest on the loan
Property taxes
Homeowner’s insurance

2. Down Payment

Most home loans today require an upfront, or down payment, between 10%. If you are able to pay more upfront, you may be eligible for lower interest rate loans, and shorter loan periods.

4. Make Your Offer

5. Get Inspection and Negotiate Repairs

You will hire a professional home inspector to conduct a thorough inspection of the property and we will negotiate with the seller to complete any necessary repairs.

3. Closing Costs

Additional fees and costs associated with loan processing and closing are required to be paid at the final closing, unless you are able to include them in your financing.

Process of Funding

1. Financial Pre-Approval

Application and interview with a bank or other mortgage loan company
Buyer provides pertinent documentation including verification of employment
Credit report is requested
Appraisal scheduled for current home owned, if any

2. Underwriting

Loan package is submitted to underwriter for approval

3. Loan approval

Parties are notified of approval
Loan documents are completed and sent to title

4. Title company

Title exam, insurance and title survey conducted
Borrowers come in for final signatures

5. Funding

Lender reviews the loan package
Funds are transferred by wire

Making an Offer

Once you have found the property you want, we will write a purchase agreement. While much of the agreement is standard, there are a few areas that we can negotiate:

1. The Price

What you offer on a property depends on a number of factors including its condition, length of time on the market, buyer activity, and the urgency of the seller. While some buyers want to make a low offer just to see if the seller accepts, this often isn’t a smart choice, because the seller may be insulted and decide not to negotiate at all.

2. The Move-in Date

If you can be flexible on the possession date, the seller may be more apt to choose your offer over others.

3. Additional Property

Often, the seller plans on leaving major appliances in the home; however, which items stay or go is often a matter of negotiation.

We will present the offer to the listing agent and/or seller. The seller will then do one of the following:

Accept the offer
Reject the offer
Counter the offer with changes

By far the most common is the counteroffer. In these cases, our experience and negotiating skills become powerful in representing your best interests. When a counteroffer is presented, you and we will work together to review each specific area of it, making sure that we move forward with your goals in mind and ensuring that we negotiate the best possible price and terms on your behalf. Note: Earnest money may be needed at the time of offer. This is typically 10% of the offer price. This check is made to the Title Company and will ONLY be deposited if the offer is accepted. This amount will be applied to the down payment.

Closing 101

Once you have found the property you want, we will write a purchase agreement. While much of the agreement is standard, there are a few areas that we can negotiate:

Prepare for It

Closing day marks the end of your home-buying process and the beginning of your new life! To make sure your closing goes smoothly, you should bring the following:

A certified check for closing costs and down payment. Make the check payable to yourself; you will then endorse it to the title company at closing
An insurance binder and paid receipt
Photo IDs
Social Security numbers
Addresses for the past 10 years

Own It

Transfer of title moves ownership of the property from the seller to you. The two events that make this happen are:

Delivery of the buyer’s funds
This is the check or wire funds provided by your lender in the amount of the loan.
Delivery of the deed
A deed is the document that transfers ownership of real estate. The deed names the seller and buyer, gives a legal description of the property, and contains the notarized signatures of the seller and witnesses.

At the end of closing, the deed will be taken and recorded at the county clerk’s office. It will be sent to you after processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will you tell me about the newest homes available?

The Multiple Listing Service Website provides up-to-date information for every home on the market. We constantly check the New on Market list so we can be on the lookout for our clients. We will get you this information right away, the way that is most convenient for you: by phone, email, text and/or my IDX instant notification system.

Will you inform me of homes from all real estate companies or only Keller Williams Realty?

We will keep you informed of all homes. We want to help you find your dream home, which means we need to stay on top of every home that’s available on the market.

Can you help me find new construction homes?

Yes, we can work with most builders and get you the information you need to make a decision. On your visits with the builder, we will accompany you. By using our services with a new construction home purchase, you will receive the services we offer, as well as those provided by the builder, at no additional cost.

How does for sale by owner (FSBO) work?

Homeowners trying to sell their home without agent representation are usually doing so in the hopes of saving the listing agent commission, but most understand they will pay for buyer agent commission. If you see a FSBO and want the advantages of our services, let us contact the owner for you and make an appointment. Most times the homeowner will work with an agent even though their home is not listed, since the agent is introducing a potential buyer to their property.

Can we go back through our property again once an offer is made but before possession?

Usually we can notify the seller and schedule a convenient time to visit the property again. Immediately before the closing, we will schedule a final walk-through and inspection of your new home.

Once my offer is accepted, what should I do?

Celebrate and focus on moving into your new home! You will want to schedule your move, pack items, and notify businesses of your address change. We will provide you with a moving checklist to help you remember all the details. We will also give you a good faith estimate and HUD statement, which will indicate the amount you will need to bring to closing.

Keller Williams Realty

Reliability

Founded on the principles of trust and honesty, Keller Williams Realty emphasizes the importance of having the integrity to do the right thing, always putting your needs first. It reinforces our belief that our success is ultimately determined by the legacy we leave with each client we serve.

Track Record

We're proud to work for the world's largest real estate franchise by agent count. It's proof that when you offer a superior level of service, the word spreads fast.

Knowledge

Keller Williams Realty has been named the #1 training company across all industries by Training Magazine. Our training helps us stay ahead of trends in the real estate industry through its comprehensive, industry-leading curriculum and research resources. It's what prepares us to provide you with unparalleled service.

Technology

Leading-edge tech tools and training give us the edge in effectively marketing your property online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Through the exclusive Keller Williams Listing System (KWLS), your property is fed to more than 350 online search engines and is available on KW's Web network of more than 76,000 sites, including my Mobile Property Search App. Best of all, every single Internet inquiry in our system on your property will come directly to me so that we can follow up quickly with those potential buyers.

Teamwork

Keller Williams Realty was designed to reward agents for working together. Based on the belief that we are all more successful if we strive toward a common goal rather than our individual interests, We're confident that every Keller Williams professional shares the common goal of serving you, our client, in the best way possible.

What’s Ahead

Let’s look for a new home

The information we just discussed about your wants, needs, and desires will all be taken into account when we choose homes for you to view. In some cases, our clients find their dream home on the first day. In other cases, it takes more time to find the right home. Rest assured, there is a home out there just right for you. We just have to find it. To assist you in the home search journey, we will organize a list of homes with the following information for each:

Photos of the home
The home address
The current asking price
The square footage and property taxes
The number of bedrooms and baths
The age and lot size
Unique features and comments

Once we narrow down the list of properties that are of interest, we will:

Provide you with more detailed information about the home
Review the county tax records for tax liens, etc.
Tour the home with you
Determine how the asking price compares with other homes in the area
Answer any and all questions you may have

Looking for a property to buy or rent? Complete the request form below.

News

Selling and Buying Guide

It’s All About You

You Get From us...

As part of our service, we will commit to helping you with your home search by:

6 Steps to Home-Buying

Funding Your Home Purchase

Process of Funding

Making an Offer

Once you have found the property you want, we will write a purchase agreement. While much of the agreement is standard, there are a few areas that we can negotiate:

Closing 101

Once you have found the property you want, we will write a purchase agreement. While much of the agreement is standard, there are a few areas that we can negotiate:

Frequently Asked Questions

Keller Williams Realty

What’s Ahead

Contact

Become a Property Consultant