There doesn’t have to be so much intimidation surrounding buying a house. Finding a place to call home should be a fun and exciting process with as little stress as possible.

Follow my comprehensive guide and learn everything you need to know about the home buying process in Connecticut. Still have questions? Reach out anytime! Contact info below.

Talk to a lender (if purchasing with a mortgage). By far, the most important thing to do is talking to a lender and determining your budget.  After you know how much you CAN spend, figure out how much you actually WANT to spend and set a monthly payment budget that you are comfortable with. In addition to the mortgage payment, remember to consider property tax and home insurance costs. Don’t forget about closing costs! Find a lender to help you every step of the way so there are never any surprises. As needed, I can provide recommendations for lenders I regularly work with! 

Refine your criteria. Come up with a list of “needs” versus “wants”. Need a big yard? Want a two car garage? Prioritizing some features over others helps make appropriate compromises when necessary. It’s also important for you to research and consider areas you may like to live in.

Hire a realtor! (Hopefully me!) As your realtor, I’m with you from start to end; I will set up a home search using your criteria, schedule and provide showings, submit offers, negotiate on your behalf, and guide you all the way through closing! Don’t be discouraged if we don’t find “the one” right away. I promise you we’ll find the home you are looking for!

Submitting an offer. Think you found “the one”? I’ll run a market analysis on the home to determine its approximate market value, and from there we can discuss a reasonable offer that will hopefully win you the house! It’s important to remember that price isn’t the only valuable part of an offer to a seller. Sellers look at closing date, type of financing, type of inspections to be done (if any), and other factors before making their decision.

Hire an attorney. Your attorney will perform a title check to confirm there are no surprise liens etc. on the subject property. Your attorney will also handle the transfer of funds and regularly communicate with your lender to ensure everything is in order to finalize the purchase and transfer ownership!

Home Inspection. Hire a reputable home inspector to conduct a thorough analysis of the house you are purchasing. The inspector will provide a detailed report of the home’s structural soundness and mechanical systems (furnace, hot water, etc.). They can also perform septic inspections, water tests, radon tests, and mold tests, among others! We will review the report together and can request that some issues are remedied or financially compensated for. If the inspection is unsatisfactory beyond repair, the contract can be terminated without penalty. 

The Appraisal (not applicable to cash buyers). Your lender will order an appraisal of the property. This is to ensure the property is worth what you have agreed to purchase it for. If the appraisal comes in at or above purchase price, no further action is necessary. If the appraisal comes in below purchase price, we have a few options. Ideally the seller reduces the purchase price to the appraised value, but usually this won’t be the case. It’s more likely that the seller will ask you to make up a portion of the difference between the appraised value and purchase price in cash.

Clear to close. When all conditions have been met, your lender will give you “clear to close” and the funds are made available to your attorney.

It’s closing day! Just before closing, we will do a final walkthrough of the property to ensure everything is as it should be- if there were any repairs to complete, if specific items were contractually obligated to be left behind, and that the house was left in “broom clean” condition. You’ll meet with your attorney to sign paperwork and that’s it! Congratulations on your new home!