I became a part of new a Mr. and Mrs. Team five years ago when my husband and I said our vows at The Bernardo Winery. Mel and Tim were of course our fantastic photographers and captured the true spirit of that day. Ahhhh…sweet bliss. Shortly after the honeymoon all of my new found free time had an eagerness to be spent on something else just as worthwhile as my wedding day. Take note: you will be here soon. The huge advantage you have at this moment is the positive vibes and the forward momentum that you picked up leading up to the big day. You will have just accomplished a major milestone in life. After the honeymoon, why not knock out another? Home buying for some people may be the next big landmark after marriage and can be as equally stressful if you don’t seek guidance from a professional. Ready? Now brace yourself. It’s going to be okay. From a fellow ex-bride who has been there, I share my tips for completing a successful home purchase in San Diego.
Assess your buying power.
Plan to talk to at least two lenders before starting your home search. This will save you time and frustration if you do this first. Do yourself a favor and complete this step before you start looking at homes on the internet. There are programs for down payment assistance out there and if you are a first time homebuyer, your lender can help you apply for a government loan program such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan. Once you have the magic ‘purchase’ number from your lender, you are GTG – good to go and start looking. This small time investment will also help create a stronger offer package when writing offers. Celebrate this mini-milestone in the process of home buying. It’s the first step towards home ownership.
Find the right team of professionals.
Once you have picked your Lender assemble the right Realtor for the job. Your Realtor will in turn provide you with trusted vendors during your transaction. This is a big decision so put your powers of judging good character to work. A Realtor will ask you all the right questions about you so you should be prepared to ask them all the right questions too. Do your homework on them.
- What is their process in helping you find the right home?
- Do they work with a team that can support you too?
- What are their hours of operation?
- What are their fees?
If you are not happy with their service how is the best way to walk away from THEM? Some of these questions may sound hard but the right Realtor will be prepared to answer them with confidence, transparency and ease.
Dream Big!
And by big, I really mean realistically. Look at each home with the knowledge that some cosmetic work will have to be done in order to customize your home to your liking. Now would be a great time to do some yoga, prayer or meditation. The big picture is to find the right home for you and your partner. This may mean looking into commute times, outdoor activities in your area, walkability, school ratings, etc. Do not get pigeon holed into an episode of one of those pseudo reality home buying shows. It’s not worth your time looking at each home in your price range. Your Realtor should carefully curate a short list for you based on their exhaustive search of homes that fit your criteria. Lean heavily on your Realtor. This may take a while so be patient as well.
Success in finding the One (AGAIN)!
At this point the Seller has accepted your offer. CELEBRATE! Life is about celebrating each step towards your heart’s goals. After the celebration, however, hold on tight during the transaction timeframe and ask a lot of questions of your entire team (Lender, Agent, Escrow Representative). Do not procrastinate when completing your investigations or when the Lender asks you for any personal documents. The time you eat up can affect your goal of closing escrow on time. Again lean on your Realtor, that is what they are there for.
Transition Smoothly.
During this time that you are in escrow plan your impending move into your new home. This may include all or some of the following: Arrange for a moving company, hold a garage sale, obtain change of address cards (credit card companies, post office, subscriptions and important contacts), and arrange for final utility reading at your former residence and have utilities turned on at your new home. Arrange for transfer of your driver’s license.
For the price of just pizza and beer you and your husband may coerce a few friends to help you move in on the big Day. What we did was have two ‘friends moving us’ crews. Crew #1 showed up to move stuff into the moving van. Crew #2 showed up at the new house and helped move things out of it. Nice right? You are welcome. Once moving day is over and you bid your friends’ adieu high five your hubby and call it a day. Your Mr. & Mrs. Team will be doing awesome and the best is yet to be.
{Author Feature: Audrey Hanes – Sassy MTP Bride & Real Estate Agent Extraordinaire}
