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 a 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.
Our Goal Is 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. 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.
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.
Kevin Lewis should be your first phone call if you’re buying or selling in Cohasset, MA. His knowledge of the market and access to unlisted properties is unlike anyone in the area. Once you find the property, you do not have to worry, his negotiation skills are incredible and you can trust that he puts your best interest first. The best part was not having to worry about anything from P and S to closing,...
Kevin is truly one of a kind. We were selling our home on the South Shore after relocating out of state. We did not have to return to Massachusetts once to complete the successful sale of our home, which closed above the asking price in one day. I honestly don't know how Kevin does it, but he was able to facilitate multiple home improvements, obtain quotes from multiple vendors, and project managed flawl...
Simply put, Kevin gets it done. As a first-time buyer, I wasn't sure how the process would play out but Kevin was a part of it every step of the way. From the start, he set realistic expectations for us. He showed us places that hit every budget range and overall the process was made simple by his local expertise and real estate knowledge. He is well respected in the real estate community and it certainl...
I retired in 2017, so my wife and I decided that we would sell our large multi-level home on the water and move to a condominium that contained a master bedroom and master bathroom on the main level. Kevin found us the perfect condominium in the area we liked which we totally renovated over a 10 month period. We listed our home in the spring of 2018 which sold in July 2018. Kevin developed a first-class ...
When you look for a real estate agent, you want someone that is confident, knowledgeable, cares about your best interest and is engrained in the market. Kevin Lewis not only checks all these boxes but knocks them out of the park. As a first-time homebuyer I was nervous about the process, and knowing what was the best option for me. Luckily, my nerves and uneasiness were thrown out the window as Kevin too...
Kevin is talented, creative, solution-oriented, and has extensive knowledge of the local market. But most importantly, Kevin is a good person. He moved mountains for me as I was selling my father's house during an unprecedented global crisis. Not many people could step up to solve each problem while staying positive in the way Kevin did. He really kept my spirits up while delivering the best results poss...
As our buyer's agent, Kevin kept our top priority throughout the entire transaction. He managed our very high expectations and was able to strongly negotiate even the smallest details. He worked around the clock (even hopping on the phone with us late at night after our work hours), to keep us engaged and satisfied. We owe our happiness in Hingham to him. We would have never landed such a beautiful home ...
Kevin went above and beyond to ensure that both my husband and I had the best experience when selling our home. He was answered all of our questions efficiently and diligently about selling our condo while working with us on purchasing a new one. His high attention to detail and professionalism are exceptional. He has acted as both our selling and buying agent and I truly wouldn't fathom working with any...
Kevin worked with my husband and me to sell our previous home and buy a new one a few months ago and we couldn't have been happier with our decision to work with him! He is knowledgeable of the area, negotiation tactics and is always willing to drop what he is doing to answer a client's call. He made the process easy and seamless! We recommend him to anyone and everyone we know.
Kevin Lewis is a partner for me and my family. Kevin has bought and sold four houses for me. I would not do anything without him by my side. Skill level, market knowledge level, ability to deliver on transactions have all exceeded my expectations. I honestly cannot say enough positive things about Kevin. I met him through a friend four years ago and things have been incredible.
It has been a pleasure working with Kevin Lewis, I found him to be professional, knowledgeable, responsive to any question I had, and very engaging. Always on top of any issue, we were dealing with. I would definitely recommend Kevin to family and friends and feel assured he will get the job done. I have enjoyed working with him.
We bought our first home in Cohasset with Kevin Lewis and he has been an amazing resource and friend ever since! Not only did he secure us our dream house, but he has helped us with so many aspects of relocating even finding a nursery school! Could not recommend Kevin Lewis more highly! Would give him 20 stars if I could!
Aidan was incredibly helpful throughout the process of finding an apartment. He was accommodating, professional, and extremely knowledgeable. He showed us places that fit all of our criteria, and we couldn’t be more thankful for all of his work. I’d recommend Aidan and Compass to anyone and everyone!
Kevin is a true professional. His knowledge and expertise are top-notch. His attention to detail is unparalleled. He is honest and hard-working. He truly went above and beyond selling our condo in less than a week. You are doing yourself a disservice not working with Kevin!
Kevin is highly knowledgeable, responded immediately, and has open communication. He is honest and is a master in the real estate market. He has excellent negotiation skills. Kevin is a hard worker and is personable. I was very impressed with his work.
Kevin Lewis is extremely knowledgeable of the real estate market in the Boston and South Shore areas. He helped in selling our home quickly and efficiently within a tight timeline. We look forward to using him when purchasing our next home!
Kevin was a great agent to work with! He was super helpful in the first-time home buying process. He was always there to answer questions and guide us through the process with ease. I highly recommend using Kevin!
Kevin knows his markets like the back of his hand. He made sure the sale of our home went as smoothly as possible. He then made sure we found the best home for our growing family to move into. True professional.
Kevin helped my wife and I find our perfect home in South Boston. He guided us in the right direction and proved that if you can have some creativity you can make it not your dream home!
I've used Kevin a couple of times in Southie, and he is fantastic. Very knowledgeable and available at all times. He's a hustler and will find a way to get it done.
The team is known to work effortlessly to ensure that clients receive the best care at every step of their unique process.
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