Buying with Team Tringali
Working with a Professional REALTOR®
The right home at the right price
Working with an experienced, knowledgeable REALTOR® is vital when shopping for your perfect home. Team Tringali will start by getting to know you and your needs. What are you looking for?
- Something with room to grow, or an in-law apartment on the ground floor?
- How much yardwork do you want to do?
- Do you want a condominium where you can come and go—and someone else handles snow shoveling and landscaping chores?
- Are you a do-it-yourselfer seeking a fixer-upper?
- Or looking for a turnkey home?
- Is this your first home, or do you need to sell another house first?
Next, you need to figure out what you can afford. Working with a mortgage banker, we’ll “pre-qualify” you, that is, determine what size mortgage you can handle, at what interest rate. You may qualify for a break based on being a veteran or buying FHA. (If you’re paying cash, we’ll skip past this part.)
Once we have the numbers, then the fun starts: looking at homes.
Buying Real Estate Today
Welcome to cyberspace! If you haven’t bought or sold a home in the past 5 to 10 years, things have changed. Real estate moves at the speed of the Internet and, with sites like Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, and of course our website, you can look on the web. With a click of a button you decide whether to peruse a listing’s photo gallery, and you can focus your search based on specific location, number of bedrooms and other features, architecture, age, and of course price range. When navigating this global market, it’s more important than ever to have experienced professionals on your team. Team Tringali knows the area and the market, and will set up appointments as you narrow your choices.
Team Tringali: Negotiating on Your Behalf
You’ve found the home you’ve been looking for. How much should you offer? In a seller’s market, you’ll want to move fast and make a full-price offer. But often there’s room for negotiation, based on the condition of the house, if you’re offering all cash, if the seller wants a quick close, etc.
Using our professional tools and up-to-date records, Team Tringali will compare the listing with similar ones that have sold recently, and those still on the market. Just as if you were selling your home, we’ll provide you a free, no-obligation market analysis. Then you can decide what to offer, and what terms you would like. For an older home, for example, that looks as if it needs some work, you may want to write into the contract: “contingent on passing inspection.”
Your offer has been accepted and you’ve got a contract to buy! Team Tringali will take over from here, with team professionals making sure the paperwork is complete and submitted promptly to the mortgage company, title firm or attorney, seller’s broker. Expect to pay several fees, beyond a good faith down payment. (The balance of the down payment can be paid at closing.) You may have an application fee from the bank or mortgage broker, an appraisal fee, a fee for a title search, and to pay for any inspections.
Speaking of the mortgage, you should get a “Truth-in-Lending” statement when you apply for your financing. This lays out the APR (annual percentage rate), the length of the mortgage (could be 15, 25 or 30 years), loan terms, and how much you will eventually pay at the current rate and payment schedule (typically monthly) you are applying for. (Prepare to be shocked!)
Now you’ll want a home, septic and/or well, or radon inspection from a professional home inspector. The inspector’s job is to check all systems and the actual structure. We’ll arrange it.
You’ll get a final “walk-through” before the closing to check on details. If the contract said you want any furniture, the washer or dryer, if something needed to be fixed post inspection, this is the time.
Top tip? Choose the right REALTORS®. Team Tringali has you covered!