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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, and 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.

Passion & Expertise

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. I am dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

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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. 

Real Client Experiences

Testimonials

"Lisa is an outstanding realtor who made our home purchase process incredibly smooth and stress-free. Her expertise and dedication were evident from start to finish, ensuring that every detail was handled with care and professionalism. Lisa's friendly demeanor and excellent communication kept us informed and confident throughout the entire process. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Lisa to anyone looking to buy a home."
"Lisa is an outstanding realtor who made our home purchase process incredibly smooth and stress-free. Her expertise and dedication were evident from start to finish, ensuring that every detail was handled with care and professionalism. Lisa's friendly demeanor and excellent communication kept us informed and confident throughout the entire process. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Lisa to anyone looking to buy a home."
Kevin H.
"Our family has worked with Lisa on two purchases and a sale - and through it all, Lisa supported us with wonderful kindness and skill. She took the time to get to know us and made recommendations tailored to our family's unique needs and preferences. She walked us through a tricky simultaneous closing to get our forever home (we love our new place so much!). She brought great knowledge and recommendations to all our interactions, along with a very welcome dose of humor and understanding, giving us confidence that we were in great hands. If you're looking for someone who can bring creativity, expertise, and fun to what is otherwise a very stressful process, go with Lisa!"
"Our family has worked with Lisa on two purchases and a sale - and through it all, Lisa supported us with wonderful kindness and skill. She took the time to get to know us and made recommendations tailored to our family's unique needs and preferences. She walked us through a tricky simultaneous closing to get our forever home (we love our new place so much!). She brought great knowledge and recommendations to all our interactions, along with a very welcome dose of humor and understanding, giving us confidence that we were in great hands. If you're looking for someone who can bring creativity, expertise, and fun to what is otherwise a very stressful process, go with Lisa!"
Eleanor G.
"Easy going and made home searching a breeze!"
"Easy going and made home searching a breeze!"
Shane U.
"I would trust Lisa with anything. We needed to move urgently for medical reasons, but also we did not want to make a stupid financial disaster because of our desperation. Lisa listened to what we needed, and what we wanted. She showed us homes I asked to see based on listing photos - and I proved how bad I am at judging photos! She suggested homes that fit our needs better. When we toured a few homes, she really listened to what we liked, didn't like, and more importantly, what kind of life we wanted. Yes, I wanted sidewalks. But more than that? I wanted a place where my kids can walk the dog safely without traffic. We ended up in a place without sidewalks but with cute cul-de-sacs perfect for dog walking, bike riding, and doing chalk in the driveway. She was compassionate and realistic in helping me see through my own emotional need to move quickly and helped us to meet our medical needs while still finding a solidly good home that will let our family live happily for a long time. Plus she's funny and smart and a joy to spend time with."
"I would trust Lisa with anything. We needed to move urgently for medical reasons, but also we did not want to make a stupid financial disaster because of our desperation. Lisa listened to what we needed, and what we wanted. She showed us homes I asked to see based on listing photos - and I proved how bad I am at judging photos! She suggested homes that fit our needs better. When we toured a few homes, she really listened to what we liked, didn't like, and more importantly, what kind of life we wanted. Yes, I wanted sidewalks. But more than that? I wanted a place where my kids can walk the dog safely without traffic. We ended up in a place without sidewalks but with cute cul-de-sacs perfect for dog walking, bike riding, and doing chalk in the driveway. She was compassionate and realistic in helping me see through my own emotional need to move quickly and helped us to meet our medical needs while still finding a solidly good home that will let our family live happily for a long time. Plus she's funny and smart and a joy to spend time with."
Shevaun O.
"Lisa sold my house in just over 24 hours! Let's face it, realtors are a dime dozen in Las Vegas. However, what separates one from the other is the competence, the professionalism, the care and ability to listen as well as guide the buyer, or seller. Lisa specializes in just that, she embodies allof these facets and more. She has community knowledge, compassion, human component of understanding, and supreme market intelligence. In the past I've worked with other realtors, who were nice, but always seem to change and get pushy the closer it gets to finalizing a deal. Their overwhelming desperate desire to close becomes paramount and you, the buyer /seller, no longer do. Lisa is not that kind of realtor. With her wonderful communication facility she clearly, and concisely informs you from start to finish about the process. She keeps you informed about market competition and climate. She is strong in negotiation, and incredibly responsive to your needs. When looking for realtor I strongly recommend Lisa for your home buying and selling needs. You'll be so happy you did!"
"Lisa sold my house in just over 24 hours! Let's face it, realtors are a dime dozen in Las Vegas. However, what separates one from the other is the competence, the professionalism, the care and ability to listen as well as guide the buyer, or seller. Lisa specializes in just that, she embodies allof these facets and more. She has community knowledge, compassion, human component of understanding, and supreme market intelligence. In the past I've worked with other realtors, who were nice, but always seem to change and get pushy the closer it gets to finalizing a deal. Their overwhelming desperate desire to close becomes paramount and you, the buyer /seller, no longer do. Lisa is not that kind of realtor. With her wonderful communication facility she clearly, and concisely informs you from start to finish about the process. She keeps you informed about market competition and climate. She is strong in negotiation, and incredibly responsive to your needs. When looking for realtor I strongly recommend Lisa for your home buying and selling needs. You'll be so happy you did!"
Joshua K.
"Lisa went over and above during the listing process. We had multiple offers in the first few days. We ended up selling over list price and to a cash buyer. I can’t thank her enough for helping me navigate the selling processing always having my best interests at heart."
"Lisa went over and above during the listing process. We had multiple offers in the first few days. We ended up selling over list price and to a cash buyer. I can’t thank her enough for helping me navigate the selling processing always having my best interests at heart."
Stuart R.
"Lisa guided us through a sale and a purchase, making both go incredibly smooth. She is great to work with, professional, well organized, and responded to all of our many questions and concerns at all hours of the day. Beyond that she is a genuinely caring person and “in it” along with you."
"Lisa guided us through a sale and a purchase, making both go incredibly smooth. She is great to work with, professional, well organized, and responded to all of our many questions and concerns at all hours of the day. Beyond that she is a genuinely caring person and “in it” along with you."
April & Philip F.
"I am very pleased to have to opportunity to recommend Lisa Santacaterina as a realtor. She helped me through my recent house hunt in Roanoke area. I was living in Northern Virginia, so having someone local to check things out and follow up was vital. Lisa visited several homes, taking video and pictures and giving her impression of the home. I explained the things I really cared about, like good gardening space, and she made sure to include that kind of information in her report of the home. If it sounded promising, she was always available to tour the home with me when I could work it into my schedule. This is how I was able to find the home I purchased. Lisa also was terrific at follow up and looking for issues. She stayed in close contact with the other realtor representing the seller, counseled me on getting radon testing done and followed through on repairs and remediation that needed to be done. She also followed through to make sure I knew and understood all the results of inspections, so I was clear on what work I might need to take on after the house was purchased. I like that there have been no real surprises and I credit Lisa's attention to detail for that outcome. She also found out about a lender credit and requested and got a seller credit, which saved me over 2000 dollars on my closing costs. She was always responsive to my texts, emails and phone calls. I think I was a little high maintenance! Even now after the house has closed, she is still there to be supportive. like lending me a stepladder, since my stuff is not moved yet. If you are looking for a conscientious, honest, communicative and supportive real estate agent, then I suggest you talk to Lisa. You will not regret it!"
"I am very pleased to have to opportunity to recommend Lisa Santacaterina as a realtor. She helped me through my recent house hunt in Roanoke area. I was living in Northern Virginia, so having someone local to check things out and follow up was vital. Lisa visited several homes, taking video and pictures and giving her impression of the home. I explained the things I really cared about, like good gardening space, and she made sure to include that kind of information in her report of the home. If it sounded promising, she was always available to tour the home with me when I could work it into my schedule. This is how I was able to find the home I purchased. Lisa also was terrific at follow up and looking for issues. She stayed in close contact with the other realtor representing the seller, counseled me on getting radon testing done and followed through on repairs and remediation that needed to be done. She also followed through to make sure I knew and understood all the results of inspections, so I was clear on what work I might need to take on after the house was purchased. I like that there have been no real surprises and I credit Lisa's attention to detail for that outcome. She also found out about a lender credit and requested and got a seller credit, which saved me over 2000 dollars on my closing costs. She was always responsive to my texts, emails and phone calls. I think I was a little high maintenance! Even now after the house has closed, she is still there to be supportive. like lending me a stepladder, since my stuff is not moved yet. If you are looking for a conscientious, honest, communicative and supportive real estate agent, then I suggest you talk to Lisa. You will not regret it!"
Nancy I.
"Lisa was absolutely wonderful! Lisa is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of buying a home and this helped the process go smoothly. I was really impressed with how well Lisa read us as not only customers, but as individuals. She was able to pinpoint what we wanted in a forever home and was able to provide us just that, a beautiful home with land! We also appreciate her honesty when it comes to houses on the market, instead of treating us like a sale. Buying a home during a pandemic is stressful, but Lisa was a beacon of light in the midst of all the chaos. Not only was Lisa communicative during the whole home buying process, she has reached out to us again, even after our move to make sure we were settled in. Thank you again Lisa."
"Lisa was absolutely wonderful! Lisa is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of buying a home and this helped the process go smoothly. I was really impressed with how well Lisa read us as not only customers, but as individuals. She was able to pinpoint what we wanted in a forever home and was able to provide us just that, a beautiful home with land! We also appreciate her honesty when it comes to houses on the market, instead of treating us like a sale. Buying a home during a pandemic is stressful, but Lisa was a beacon of light in the midst of all the chaos. Not only was Lisa communicative during the whole home buying process, she has reached out to us again, even after our move to make sure we were settled in. Thank you again Lisa."
Samantha
"Lisa goes above and beyond. She is very personable and really gets to know her client in order to help meet their needs. In my case she helped me find the perfect home while staying within my budget."
"Lisa goes above and beyond. She is very personable and really gets to know her client in order to help meet their needs. In my case she helped me find the perfect home while staying within my budget."
LeeAnn M.
"Lisa is very knowledge and easy to work with. She is very responsive and will go the extra mile to meet your needs. Once we decided to make an offer on a house, she was great at negotiating the price down. She even checked in after we closed on the house to make sure everything was going well. I would definitely recommend her to friends."
"Lisa is very knowledge and easy to work with. She is very responsive and will go the extra mile to meet your needs. Once we decided to make an offer on a house, she was great at negotiating the price down. She even checked in after we closed on the house to make sure everything was going well. I would definitely recommend her to friends."
Shandin
"Lisa was wonderful! Lisa took the time to get to know us and understand what we were looking for in a home. Lisa went above and beyond at every turn and helped us find the home of our dreams and pull off a seamless remote closing. Throughout the whole process, Lisa was consistently responsive, knowledgeable, and prompt. I highly recommend her!"
"Lisa was wonderful! Lisa took the time to get to know us and understand what we were looking for in a home. Lisa went above and beyond at every turn and helped us find the home of our dreams and pull off a seamless remote closing. Throughout the whole process, Lisa was consistently responsive, knowledgeable, and prompt. I highly recommend her!"
Heidi
"As first time home buyers we were nervous stepping into the field without help. We were paired with Lisa and she has been the most amazing agent! We can't express how pleased were with her field experience, knowledge, reliability, communication and overall likeable personality. With her as our agent we were able to get our dream home and couldn't be happier with the end result. We appreciate everything you did for us Lisa and for anyone in need of an agent we highly recommend Lisa. Thank you for your help!"
"As first time home buyers we were nervous stepping into the field without help. We were paired with Lisa and she has been the most amazing agent! We can't express how pleased were with her field experience, knowledge, reliability, communication and overall likeable personality. With her as our agent we were able to get our dream home and couldn't be happier with the end result. We appreciate everything you did for us Lisa and for anyone in need of an agent we highly recommend Lisa. Thank you for your help!"
Abbie F.
"Lisa Santacaterina was our buyer agent and we closed on our home this summer 2021. She is absolutely phenomenal. We decided to work with Lisa because she was a veteran agent who is extremely knowledgeable about real estate, passionate about helping her clients, and she always made herself available throughout the process. She is very patient, very kind, and extremely helpful. We had such a great experience with Lisa that we used her as our seller agent for an investment “fix and flip” property we sold this fall in Draper, Virginia. We highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home. I assure you, she will make the process very pleasurable. We look forward to working with Lisa in the future as we continue to buy and sell investment properties."
"Lisa Santacaterina was our buyer agent and we closed on our home this summer 2021. She is absolutely phenomenal. We decided to work with Lisa because she was a veteran agent who is extremely knowledgeable about real estate, passionate about helping her clients, and she always made herself available throughout the process. She is very patient, very kind, and extremely helpful. We had such a great experience with Lisa that we used her as our seller agent for an investment “fix and flip” property we sold this fall in Draper, Virginia. We highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home. I assure you, she will make the process very pleasurable. We look forward to working with Lisa in the future as we continue to buy and sell investment properties."
Elanda J.
"I could not have asked for a better realtor! She is very patient, thorough, and friendly. Easy to talk to about what I was looking for in a house. She is also very quick to respond to calls. I was buying a house for the first time and she was able to explain every step along the way."
"I could not have asked for a better realtor! She is very patient, thorough, and friendly. Easy to talk to about what I was looking for in a house. She is also very quick to respond to calls. I was buying a house for the first time and she was able to explain every step along the way."
James B.
"Lisa is awesome! Instantly, I felt more like a friend than a client. My family and I moved from Sc to Va and she helped us buy a house before seeing it in person. She is truly passionate about what she does and is really more interested in finding happiness for others rather than making a sell. Lisa went through great lengths to ensure we were matched to the perfect home. Without a doubt, I would and will use her again and again for my home search needs as well as recommend her to all friends and family. Thank you Lisa for everything. You are amazing!"
"Lisa is awesome! Instantly, I felt more like a friend than a client. My family and I moved from Sc to Va and she helped us buy a house before seeing it in person. She is truly passionate about what she does and is really more interested in finding happiness for others rather than making a sell. Lisa went through great lengths to ensure we were matched to the perfect home. Without a doubt, I would and will use her again and again for my home search needs as well as recommend her to all friends and family. Thank you Lisa for everything. You are amazing!"
Ron H.
"Lisa was so great to work with. Her kindness and helpfulness was there from the start. She listened to our needs and wants and helped us navigate the difficulties of being first time home buyers in a crazy market. Her communication skills are excellent; she worked with our lender to strengthen our offer. We couldn’t be happier with her work and thank her so much!"
"Lisa was so great to work with. Her kindness and helpfulness was there from the start. She listened to our needs and wants and helped us navigate the difficulties of being first time home buyers in a crazy market. Her communication skills are excellent; she worked with our lender to strengthen our offer. We couldn’t be happier with her work and thank her so much!"
DeAnna L.
"Trustworthy, supportive, understanding, honest, kind and always professional. Selling a home can be so much more than finding a buyer and signing on the line. This home had 5 generations pass through it's doors, and to a few people, it was more than just a house. I felt at a tremendous amount of responsibility to honor the 2 generations that were present before me as well as making sure I protected the inheritance of the 2 generations that came after me. Lisa listened to all of my concerns during each step of the way and when I had problems making decisions, she always went over the options no matter how many times I needed them to be explained. I will never forget how hard she worked for me and most of all, how this heartbreaking task was made a bit easier because of her unwaivering support."
"Trustworthy, supportive, understanding, honest, kind and always professional. Selling a home can be so much more than finding a buyer and signing on the line. This home had 5 generations pass through it's doors, and to a few people, it was more than just a house. I felt at a tremendous amount of responsibility to honor the 2 generations that were present before me as well as making sure I protected the inheritance of the 2 generations that came after me. Lisa listened to all of my concerns during each step of the way and when I had problems making decisions, she always went over the options no matter how many times I needed them to be explained. I will never forget how hard she worked for me and most of all, how this heartbreaking task was made a bit easier because of her unwaivering support."
Tracy K.
"Lisa was fantastic in every regard - she was attentive, incredibly knowledgeable, and patient with us during our home buying search. During each visit she curated a better idea of what we were searching for, and by the end of our time together she had found a gorgeous home for us to live in! I could not have asked for a better experience."
"Lisa was fantastic in every regard - she was attentive, incredibly knowledgeable, and patient with us during our home buying search. During each visit she curated a better idea of what we were searching for, and by the end of our time together she had found a gorgeous home for us to live in! I could not have asked for a better experience."
Christian H.
"Lisa is extremely knowledgeable about the market. She is professional and hardworking. It has been a pleasure working with Lisa. I highly recommend calling Lisa first!"
"Lisa is extremely knowledgeable about the market. She is professional and hardworking. It has been a pleasure working with Lisa. I highly recommend calling Lisa first!"
David P.

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