The very first step in the home-buying process is to get pre-approved for a home loan by a reputable local lender.
Obtaining a pre-approval letter will help you to know what your buying power is. Therefore, you will need a pre-approval letter "Before" you even begin looking at homes. Answer Home Loans is one of the best lenders in Sacramento, and can get you the best interest rates available. Whenever you apply for a home loan, you will have a Loan Officer who will take down your information, process your application, and then issue you a pre-approval letter. Just as all Realtors are not the same, all Lenders are Not The Same! I highly recommend JP Rai, as he has over 20 years experience in lending, both as a Loan Officer and as an Underwriter...in Lending, Experience Matters! If you want the best interest rate and terms, call JP, and receive your pre-approval letter by email in as little as 1 hour!
Now that you have your pre-approval letter in hand, we can begin to fine-tune your property search. At this stage, if you have not already spoken with me by phone, give me a quick call at (916) 270-8115 to discuss your needs. I will help you to create a custom property search which is tailored to your specific needs, including price range, location, and property features. As an experienced Realtor and neighborhood expert throughout the Greater Sacramento Area, I will be able to help you set up your initial property search as well as make modifications as we go, based on the feedback you provide me on which homes you like, and which homes you don’t like. I made a video tutorial on setting up property searches, which you can view by clicking here, but for the very best result, call me to get the initial dialog going, and I be able to quickly and accurately help you fine-tune your search, to get you the very best result. Remember, the home-buying process is a process of elimination, with the goal being, to disregard those homes which aren’t a good fit for your particular needs, and focus only on those homes which are a good fit. This website is inter-linked with the Real MLS (Metrolist), so you can be confident that every home listing you receive from me is updated in real time, to the second! This is important, especially in Sacramento, where the market moves so quickly.
At this stage, things start to get very exciting! Once you’ve found the home that is right for you, you’ll want to get an offer submitted as soon as possible. Knowing how to write a “good” offer is an art in and of itself. This is one of my best skill-sets as a Realtor. Using my expert knowledge of the local area, combined with extensive experience in valuing homes based on surrounding comparable sales, I will help you to write an offer which will get accepted! In some cases, Sellers intentionally price their homes below market value as a way of creating a "bidding war," and in other cases, homes are over-priced due to lack of quality real estate agency representation or lack of knowledge on the Seller’s side. With me as your agent, this will not be a “guessing game,” but instead, a knowledge-driven, strategic approach to finding you the best home, at the best price possible. I look forward to helping you find your home, and we will talk soon!