Alexis Muegge - REALTOR/Broker (910) 467-4322
Serving Jacksonville NC, Richlands NC, Hubert NC, and surrounding areas.

The 9 Steps to Home Ownership in the Jacksonville NC area

Step - 1 Make the Decision to Buy

It seems obvious, but it's good to note that the first step to buying a home is making the decision to buy. Deciding to purchase a home can sometimes be a very daunting task. Consider the reasons you want a new home and write them down. Determine how long you want to live in the home - does buying still make good financial sense? Can you afford a home that will meet your list of requirements? A good rule of thumb is your mortgage payment should not exceed 1/3 of your net monthly income.

Step 2 - Seek Professional Guidance

Call me so that we can schedule a time to meet and discuss the reasons you want to buy a home and your plans for the future. We'll talk about neighborhoods, schools, and economic factors liable to affect the market today and tomorrow.

I will also help you get pre-qualified for a mortgage loan. Pre-qualification is a written statement from a loan officer indicating his or her opinion that you will be approved for a mortgage loan up to a certain amount. A pre-qualification letter can be very useful when negotiating a real estate deal.

Step 3 - Begin the Hunt

Once we've gotten past our initial introduction, I will take the information that you give me about what you want in a home, and use it to search all of my resources for matches. Then, I'll schedule appointments to tour the homes at times convenient to you.

As we tour homes, I will help you to compare them and their features. I'll ask you to tell me what you like and what you don't like. Through our home searching, I can help you narrow down the criteria that you are looking for and help you decide what features are absolute requirements. With this new information, I'll refine our search to narrow in on the house of your dreams.

Step 4 - Know the Market

My knowledge of the local market is an essential factor in a home search. I'll let you know when the market is "hot" and requires immediate action or when the market is "cool" and allows for thoughtful consideration.

As we tour homes, I'll let you know when the asking price has negotiating room and when the house is "priced to sell". I can also give you an idea of how motivated the sellers are, and what incentives they are offering to potential buyers. My unique market knowledge will keep you a step ahead of the "house hunting competition".

In a "seller's market", it is not unusual to see multiple offers on a property, full-price offers and even above-price offers. On the flip side, during a "buyer's market" there are more houses for sale than buyers, which can allow for more negotiating room as houses are taking longer to sell.

Step 5 - Find A Home You Love

I'm confident we'll find you a home that you will love. When we do, I'll put together the Offer to Purchase and Contract, tailored for your needs including appropriate contingencies (such as financing contingencies, closing cost requests, reserving the rights to inspections, etc.).

The offer is normally presented with an "earnest money deposit", also referred to as EMD. This is a deposit made, in the form of cash or a check, to a home seller to show that you are genuine in your offer to buy the property. If the deal goes through to closing, the amount is applied toward your closing costs. If the seller accepts the offer, closing generally occurs 30 to 60 days from the offer date (dependent on the turn around time of your mortgage financing).

Step 6 - Negotiate the Deal

It is not uncommon to receive a counter offer after the initial offer is submitted. Don't take the counter offer personally. We will discuss the it and decide whether or not to accept the counter offer, submit our own counter offer, or reject the counter offer and move on. In many cases, there will be multiple counters from both parties before we meet an agreement.

Market conditions will play a role in how aggressively we negotiate the deal. We will also work within your limits. I will be by your side to help you come to your decision reasonably, without letting your emotions get involved.

Step 7 - Get a Loan

During the closing period, you and I will work with your mortgage lender to close the loan. I'll gather all necessary property information your lender will need to close the loan, while you fill out and supply the necessary paperwork.

Step 8 - Close the Deal

You will receive a "Good Faith Estimate" of closing costs at the time the loan application is submitted to the lender. I will be glad to review the "Good Faith Estimate," answering any questions that you may have and highlighting any missing costs and estimates I believe to be low.

Step 9 - Move In

Congratulations! It's time to move into your new house and make it your home. Enjoy this exciting time, and don't hesitate to call me if you need any help!