The Home Buying Process
The well-prepared home buyer is able to take advantage of any market conditions. My role is to help you be one of the best-prepared home buyers so that when you do find the right home, you are able to move quickly and present a strong offer. Being prepared is the key to successfully purchasing your next home. As an added advantage, your agent's commission is paid by the seller of the home in almost all circumstances. This means that while buyer's agent services are not free, they may cost you nothing!
Below is a brief outline of the home buying process.
1. Buyer Consultation
We will meet to discuss the type of home you're looking for, including style, price, and location. I also will take the time to go over the entire buying process, legal forms, and types of agency available. You'll also have some homework to complete after our meeting that will help you prepare for buying a home.
2. Get Pre-Approved
You will need pay-stubs, W2s, and bank statements. Knowing what you can afford is critical to a successful home shopping experience and I don't recommend even beginning to look until you know what you can afford. Nothing is more disappointing than finding your dream home and then learning you cannot afford it. So let's start off looking in the right price range, which begins with your pre-approved loan amount.
3. Search for Homes
The fun part! I will set up search alerts so that you are immediately aware of any homes that hit the market with your desired size and budget. I will schedule showings for homes that you like and help you find the perfect home.
4. Make an Offer
I will prepare an offer based on the price and terms (part of the homework earlier) you choose.
5. Negotiation and Contract
In most cases, the contract provides you with a timeline to obtain financing, as well as time to inspect the physical condition of the home. I will keep you informed of all your rights and responsibilities related to the contract. Coordinating all services and vendors as you choose.
6. In Escrow (Under Contract)
You and the Seller have agreed to the price and terms. The home is effectively held for you until closing.
7. Final Details
During this time you will also perform any and all inspections according to the terms you chose in the purchase contract. You will also be finalizing your loan, reviewing documents, and discussing the findings from the inspection. There are many deadlines and notifications to keep. Don't worry, I will manage this process to assure everything goes as smoothly and timely as possible.
8. Closing
This is the transfer of funds and ownership. A title company or an attorney typically acts as an independent third party to facilitate the closing.
Next Steps
Are you ready to start the process of finding your new home? Begin today by completing my Buyer's Questionnaire and scheduling your Buyer Consultation.
Testimonials
"
Jay did a fabulous job working with us to sell our home. His thorough work on the comps in the area helped us price our home competitively, and we were under contract in less than a week! The whole process was seamless! Thank you, Jay!
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- Maelea Galyon
"
Jay was an excellent realtor. The whole process was super smooth and happened in a very timely manner. Our house was represented extremely well. Communication was great between us, the realtors, and the buyers. Would recommend Jay to anyone buying or selling their home!
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- Deanna Hite
"
Jay was a Godsend in this whole process. He followed up every question and was very helpful...The whole entire time was made easier and stress-free with his extreme patience... I would wholly recommend Jay to anyone who is looking to purchase a home.
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- Kelly Stacy
"
What a consummate professional and very insightful throughout, being available and so helpful day or night! Working tirelessly throughout the buying process you were instrumental on getting everything done and completed by closing. Couldn’t have done it without you. God bless you!
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- Stephen Tomlin
"
Jay was one of the best real estate agents that I have worked with. He was very pleasant and easy-going with no pressures put on me in any direction, he was very helpful in guiding and working with us in the direction we chose. Jay was very responsive in providing any information we asked for, even going out of his way to provide, even after hours, any information we asked for. Jay was always very professional and we certainly recommend him to any in need of a good real estate agent.
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- Ken Cooper
"
Jay was a joy to work with. He was on top of everything throughout the sale of our old home and the purchase of our new one. I wouldn’t use anyone else for my real estate needs.
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- Tom Amato
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Jay guided me through the entire process and made it so easy. My house sold within 4 days of its 1st showing in large part to Jays helping me get prepared in every way. Jay was involved in every aspect from start to finish. He also insured I got the most value for my house. Jay was great to work with and kept me calm throughout the process. I have complete confidence in recommending Jay Cottrell to sell your home.
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- Paulette Turner
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If you want a realtor that puts you and your property first, is always ready to answer your questions, keeps you calm throughout the entire process, keeps you updated, and helps in any way possible then I would highly recommend you call Jay Cottrell.
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- Barbara Haney
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We cannot recommend Jay Cottrell enough! He expertly guided us through our first experience selling a home and property. Jay was highly responsive with phone calls and emails, a great mediator between us and potential buyers, and he was able to accurately explain the process.
The next time we need to buy or sell a home, Jay is the first call we will make
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- Evan Wolfe
"
Jay was very professional and pleasure to work with. He was very honest and straight forward. He listened and done exactly as I directed. He answered all my questions and responded immediately. The most important thing is he got the job done; sold my property. I would recommend Jay to any residential home buyer or seller
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- Garry S
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We’ve been dealing with the real estate business for decades and by far Jay has been superior in attentiveness, return time on emails, finding answers to all of our questions, and generally excellent on all accounts. This was a small land purchase but Jay treated it like a million-dollar sale. We’ve recommended him to everyone exploring his area! Thank you, Jay!
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- Merrill & Susan Mueller
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Very professional. Gave good advice during offers. Always helping us stay up to date in the process as well. Kept us up to date at all times. House sold in a timely manner. The closing process went smoothly.
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- Crystal Hale
Tennessee Virginia Regional MLS All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested
Lakeway Area MLS® (LAAMLS). All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than eXp Realty in Tennessee Virginia may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. Copyright ©2023 All rights reserved.
Last Updated: September 23, 2023 8:35 PM UTC
