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Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home

Schedule a Consultation
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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

I would recommend Charles to anyone looking for a real estate agent. His knowledge of real estate and professionalism is unmatched in the industry!

— Scott M.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Charles was fantastic! Lots of guidance to anticipate things and tons of assistance with multiple aspects of the transaction. I was on top of everything all the time. Couldn't ask for more!

— Catherine S.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Charles is an exceptional realtor. He came to us with knowledge and expertise on everything including locations, house issues, different builders, suggestions for upgrading, remodeling, etc. He understands the bones of a home, not just how it looks!

— Chrissy F.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Charles has assisted me with six real estate transactions over the past 20 years. He is polished, professional, highly knowledgeable, and extremely attentive to his client's wants, needs, and concerns. He is truly the best in the business which is why I always refer friends and family to him. Nobody knows the real estate market like Charles!

— Christy S.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

My husband and I recently utilized Charles for two separate real estate transactions. We cannot say enough good things about Charles. His knowledge and commitment to finding exactly what we were looking for was at a level of service that is unmatched by other agents. His connections with other professionals, as well as, his ability to have conversations that supported our goals on the sales were astoundi...

— Sonya T.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

It is always a pleasure working with Charles. His knowledge and expertise have been priceless!

— Conrad H.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

We have had Charles handle 3 real estate transactions for us - both buying and selling. He has a keen sense of market conditions and the best timing on both sides. His guidance throughout the entire process has been invaluable. His attention to detail makes things so much easier. He also has an amazing and vast network of vendors and craftsmen to deal with any curve balls as they come up. We highly recom...

— Art R.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Charles’ market knowledge and professionalism are unrivaled.

— Bryan F.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

I've known Charles for 12+ years and he's represented my wife and me on two separate transactions both as a buyer and seller. I would absolutely recommend him! His professionalism and knowledge of the industry are top-notch!

— Bo F.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Charles multiple times. He provides good guidance when he is in your corner. He and his team do a great job ushering the whole process from start to closing. I’ve also dealt with Charles from the other end of the closing table, where he represented the sellers of a property I bought. He was great to work with, completely professional, and diligently represented his c...

— J. P.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

I have used Charles multiple times to purchase and sell homes. As my family grew and my needs changed, Charles was outstanding in providing us with the guidance and feedback that allowed us to get into the right home. I have been so impressed with Charles that I referred him to multiple family members who have been equally happy. I highly recommend using Charles as your agent.

— Tom K.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Charles was instrumental in helping me with two real estate transactions, including one involving the purchase of a vacant lot and the construction of a new home. He is outstanding. Professional and personable, with excellent knowledge of the real estate market. His guidance in helping me understand and work through the transaction processes (and new home construction) was invaluable. Upon my recommendat...

— K. F.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Charles cares about his clients and tailors your experience based on your interests. We have purchased and sold 2 homes over the years with Novella and we would never use anyone else.

— Bryan P.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Charles was an absolute pleasure to work with. He could have just provided the basic realtor services with regard to processing paperwork, but Charles ended up being an invaluable member of the team, from making sure we knew everything about every step along the way, to actually providing really valuable design advice. Charles felt like an old friend vs. a transaction. We really appreciated having the ch...

— Nathan B.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

We have worked with Charles on both the buying and selling sides of our homes. He is extremely attentive and very thorough/patient answering our questions. His real estate and community knowledge are top-notch. We highly recommend Charles Ward as a Realtor.

— Chris H.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

I have used Charles Ward several times and throughout my home-buying process each time, Charles was incredibly communicative. He promptly answered calls and emails, keeping me informed about every development. His ability to clearly explain complex contract details was particularly helpful. Charles has a large network of contacts and was able to provide me with insurance contacts moving companies, etc. O...

— Tracee S.

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CHARLES WARD

5600 S QUEBEC ST STE 150D GREENWOOD VILLAGE CO 80111