Buyer's Guide

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Step 1: Research

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.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I 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.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

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.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

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 an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I 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.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

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. I 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.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

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. I 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.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

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.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

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.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

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.

Congratulations!

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. 

Testimonials

See why our clients love working with us.
WILLIAM L.

WILLIAM L.

Honest. Dedicated. Knowledgeable. These are the three words that I would use to describe Meili. My house-buying process started with a simple text explaining my current financial status and what I was looking for in a home. Bei...
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JAMES L.

JAMES L.

First, allow me to qualify myself; I am an octogenarian and have been dealing in real estate for more than sixty years. During that time I have bought and sold both residential and commercial properties, across multiple states ...
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JEFF W.

JEFF W.

Kristie Rocca is an absolutely exceptional REALTOR. From the beginning, it was clear Kristie was truly representing my partner's and my needs. She listened to every concern big or small with the same level of care and respect. ...
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JOHN G.

JOHN G.

I truly cannot say enough great things about my experience with Meili Vera of Waterman Real Estate. She is by far the most knowledgeable, energetic, professional and sincere and honest real estate agent that I have ever worked ...
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AMANDA R.

AMANDA R.

We have had the pleasure of working with Meili to purchase a home twice now. She has been a God send with the entire process both times. My husband and I are very busy people finding and purchasing a home would normally be very...
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JAY B.

JAY B.

It’s hard to find the right words to express my appreciation for all of Meili’s guidance and attention during this process. I wanted to help my parents find a REALTOR who could help them find several investment properties. Meil...
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MONICA V.

MONICA V.

My husband and I had such a great experience with the sell and purchase of our new home. Our REALTOR Meili at Waterman Real Estate was extremely professional and very informative. She made us feel very comfortable and confident...
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BRI L.

BRI L.

Our REALTOR Meili Viera, REALTOR is hands down the best of the best. She’s been with us for over 2 years providing advice, expert opinion, support, and guidance. She is so knowledgeable at what she does and knows the market bet...
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CORRY M.

CORRY M.

I had recently purchased a home in GA, through a different REALTOR/broker. It was beyond stressful. Because of this experience, I was quite hesitant to make another home purchase. My experience with Meili, however, was complete...
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SUNNI M.

SUNNI M.

My REALTOR, Erica Peterson, went over and beyond for my family. We told her what type of home we were looking for and she made sure that every home that fit the description had a viewing booked for us. The real estate market is...
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KYALEA M.

KYALEA M.

Meili is an expert in her profession. She helped us find our home in days, close and move in less than 30 days, and consistently kept us informed every step of the way. I highly recommend her if you’re looking for an expert you...
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ROSANNA R.

ROSANNA R.

I could not have asked for a better experience. I have worked with several other REALTORS and none can even come close to comparison. Meili navigated me through the entire process of selling my home with ease. She took the time...
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CORTEZ L.

CORTEZ L.

Meili has been nothing short of a blessing throughout the entire process of finding our first home. She was patient and actually listened to our "non-negotiables" as it pertains to desired features we really wanted inside a hom...
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L. F.

L. F.

5 stars aren’t enough. I need enough stars to form a constellation to describe the rating for this agent. Meili is more than just an agent. She truly cares about your sale, your purchase, your well being and the best fit for yo...
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MELISSA T.

MELISSA T.

Meili is the REALTOR you want working for you. Professional, personable, hard working, reliable and patient, working with Meili was wonderful. Admittedly, I was looking for a unicorn. My wants list was long and unique. Meili un...
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FILIPE S.

FILIPE S.

We had the pleasure of working with Meili and she made our first home buying experience wonderful for me and my wife. She’s the most knowledgeable and hardworking REALTOR that I know and went above our expectations to make sure...
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SONYA J.

SONYA J.

Kristie is a person of action and an absolute advocate for her clients. She knows that home building, selling, and buying are one of the most important events in life and everything she does supports you in getting the very bes...
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KRISTIN B.

KRISTIN B.

Deciding to use Meili as our REALTOR to purchase our first home was one of the wisest decisions we've ever made. She is kind, responsive, and very knowledgeable. Meili knows the real estate industry inside and out, she was atte...
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IGNACIO P.

IGNACIO P.

Meili moves us in. We really enjoyed working with Meili to find and buy our dream beach condo. We always dreamed of a place in the ocean but it was a hard dream to make true. Meili was very patient and spent alot of time unders...
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CRIS M.

CRIS M.

I would highly recommend Meili Viera and Waterman Real Estate. We really felt the agent knew her business in real estate. She came to the initial meeting with very helpful Information and explained her process in a way that def...
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