Buyers

First Time Home Buyers
Buyer's Process

Buying your first home can be an exciting stage in your life! For some people, it can also be very intimidating. Don’t let this process frighten you though! The Canto Group has worked with countless first time home-buyers and has developed their plan to guide them through the process. The plan focuses on educating buyers about every step of the process, setting expectations and fully preparing them before they walk into the first house. The first step towards home ownership will be to contact us and set up your buyer’s consultation. Whether you are hoping to buy within the next month or even next year, it’s never too early or too late to start the discussion.

We have provided some information on our website to help you get the gears in motion. Check out the home buying process page to get an initial understanding of what to expect. We also have a “First Time Home Buyer” category on our blog, this blog series is intended to answer many of your first time home buyer questions. We wrote these blog posts based on questions we have received in the past while keeping in mind the things you will want to know when you get ready for this exciting experience! If you have questions that you don’t find the answers to, don’t hesitate to reach out!

The home buyer’s process can be daunting if you don’t have the right guidance, The Canto Team has years of experience helping buyers and has put together this brief summary of what you can expect when buying. This is just a very brief guide to give you an idea of the home buying process. Once you contact us about buying, we will set up a buyer’s consultation where we will take the time to review the home buying process in detail, field all questions you may have and discuss the best way to proceed for buying a home. When you prepare to buy, it is essential that you understand the process and that’s why we put such an emphasis on educating all our buyers before we get started.

1. Contact The Canto Group

Your first step towards buying a new home is to get in touch with the best realtors in Northern Virginia and DC! Once you get in touch with us at The Canto Group, we will meet for a buyer’s consultation to get the process started. This consultation is a brief meeting where we get to know each other, review the process, answer any questions you have and go through our comprehensive guide to finding your next home. We really take the time with all of our clients to fully understand their wants, needs and goals in searching for their new home.

2. Getting Approved for a Loan

This is one of the most crucial steps when thinking about buying a home. Speaking with a lender is the best way to give you a full understanding of the different types of financing available and what you can afford. A pre-approval can be done in as little as 30 minutes on many lender’s websites and this gives us a concrete number to work from when looking at properties. It is also the best way to ensure that you are fully qualified and ready to buy the right home when we see it! We have a number of great lender’s that our clients typically work with and would love to share their names with you!

3. Start Shopping

This is where the fun begins! During our buyer’s consult, we will have gone through an extensive list of questions which streamlines the process of looking at homes. We will know exactly what we’re looking for when we’re going out there. We will give you access to the most up to date searches matching your criteria, no need to waste time scanning the web! The Canto Group makes it a point to be available for all of their clients ensuring you won’t miss the home of your dreams when it becomes available!

4. The Offer

Once we’ve found your new home, it’s time to write the offer and negotiate the contract! We take the time to review the contract with all of our buyer’s at the time of writing, it’s important to us that they have a full understanding of all the terms and conditions. Negotiating the contract can be a fun and stressful time, our years of experience will ensure you get the best possible deal on your new home. Once all the terms are agreed upon and both parties sign the offer, it becomes a ratified contract.

5. Contingencies

Contingencies are terms that need to be satisfied before we close on the house. The three most common contingencies during the contract phase are Home Inspection, Appraisal and Financing. The Financing contingency
is to ensure you are able to secure the funds to close. The Appraisal contingency is to ensure the home appraises at the sales price and the Home Inspection Contingency is to find defects and negotiate repairs. I’ve only just skimmed the surface of these contingencies, for more information one these contingencies and others, visit our blog!

6. Closing

Congratulations! You are a new homeowner! The title company that we close with will have worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the property is free and clear of any title defects. Come prepared to sign a lot of documents but be excited because when we walk away from the table, you take the keys and are able to call the new property home!

This is the tiniest nutshell of the home buying process but it serves as a basis for us to build on once we meet. If you are thinking to yourself “How do I buy a home”, the best step you can take is to get in touch with us! We will guide you through the whole process and get you into the home of your dreams!