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Buying a Home

Making it a Fun and Exciting Process

Whether you are a first time home buyer or have moved many times in your life, buying a home can be just as stressful as selling. From exploring listings online, to showings and finally making an offer, this is a big decision – and one of our favorite parts of the job.

From critical decisions like determining your budget to often overlooked items like asking “Where does the vacuum go?”, Denali’s team plays many roles when you’re buying a home. Sometimes we are the cheerleaders celebrating an accepted offer or sometimes we are the voice of reason helping you weigh the findings of an inspection report. But, we are always, always, always, there to help make your real estate journey a fun and exciting process.

Steps to a Fun New Home Search

STEP 1: BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP

Let’s be frank, we are going to be spending a LOT of time together looking at listings and exploring the market, so building a relationship is Denali’s first priority. Our buyers almost always invite us over after they’ve moved for dinner or a glass of wine, and that’s because we’ve built a strong relationship through out the process.

STEP 2: A FEW ITEMS IN THE BUSINESS OF BUYING

Assuming you’ve already got a financing pre-approval, we can move onto the business of buying a home. Not everyone understands the concept of a “buyers agent”, so we like to get that business out of the way. Simply put, when you are buying a home, we do the work for you, but the seller pays the bill. We simply ask for a signed Buyers Representation Contract to start the process.

STEP 3: WANTS VS NEEDS

Likely you are well down the path at this point on items like budget, bedrooms and baths. To avoid going on a tour of every home for sale in Southeast Wisconsin, we work through our process of determining your exact wish list – helping guide the search.

STEP 4: THE ONLINE SEARCH

Right here on our website you can search ALL of the listings in MLS. There’s a direct feed to this tool, and we also recommend realtor.com, which feeds from MLS. Many buyers don’t know it, but sites like Trulia and Zillow don’t actually feature all the active listings out there. Keep in mind that you are searching all active listings, even ones with accepted offers – so don’t fall in love just yet. We’ll check to see if there are any offers pending or accepted and set up showings based on what strategy is best for you.

STEP 5: SHOWINGS

We love showings. Exploring the nooks, crannies, and where to put the vacuum. It’s our job to point out the little details you might miss, and offer impartial advice along the way.

STEP 6: THE OFFER

A real estate contract can be a scary, daunting thing especially for first time home buyers, or those who haven’t purchased property in a while. Your agent will sit down with you, go through the terms of your purchase, discuss any necessary contingencies and submit your offer to the seller. Because sellers are often conflicted between the emotional component of moving from their home with the price you are willing to pay for it, we suggest sending a personal letter about why you chose their house, and how you can’t wait to make it your home.

STEP 7: WAITING

Waiting for the seller’s response to your offer can feel like an eternity – whether it is good news, bad news, or a counteroffer – we stay in constant communication with you and the listing agent. There isn’t a much better sound to our ears than your scream on the other end of the phone when we tell you “They’ve accepted your offer!”

STEP 8: THE INSPECTION

While this can be a nail-biting and emotional part of the process, remember that it is the inspector’s job to point out potential problems with the home. We can help you weigh the findings, determine what is critical to you, and work with the listing agent to request modifications or repairs.

STEP 9: PREPARING FOR CLOSING

Here’s where your homework kicks in and things quiet down on our side – working with the lender to finalize your financing. They’ll step in as the temporary quarterback, getting all your business in order and preparing for closing. Don’t worry, we’ll reconnect soon for a final walk-through a few days before closing.

STEP 10: CLOSING

We make an effort to attend every closing. You never know what questions or concerns might come up, plus it’s the big celebration at the end of all the hard work that makes our jobs worth it!