Find your match here

Core Realty Agents will require you to comply with the NAR DOJ Settlement (because we are required to) which means you will be required to sign a showing / touring agreement prior to viewing the first property. This is a requirement per the settlement (this is truly a case of its not us, its them) Commissions have always been negotiable between Agent and Seller or Agent and Buyer. Not all Sellers or Listing Brokers will pay compensation and your Core Realty Buyer Agent will tell you ahead of time, if it is known. With Seller or Listing Broker commission payouts no longer allowed to be posted on the MLS, we will make every attempt to find this out prior to a showing but we can't guarantee that a Listing Agent will connect with us prior to the showing. Compensation will be agreed upon within a Buyer Representation contract or a Showing / Touring Agreement. Core Realty Buyer Agents will do all we can to get payment from a Seller or Listing Broker but if they will not pay, you will be responsible for that payment. Don't be alarmed or overwhelmed. We will talk through all of this with you ahead of time so you can be prepared. From all appearances most Sellers or Listing Brokers are still paying out compensation to a licensed Buyer Agent (there are no statistics currently available since the change on August 17, 2024 on how many Sellers or Listing Brokers are still paying out) 

Commissions are always negotiable. If you are in the beginning stages of your home and want to pay for a Buyers Agent to tour homes, before you decide to commit to your Core Realty Buyer Agent, Core Realty has licensed Buyer Agents that can do tours starting at $ 50.00 per hour. Please talk to your Core Realty Buyer Agent for more information.

All Buyers pay a Broker commission of $ 595.00 at the time of a successful closing. This is in addition to any compensation agreed upon within this contract that may be received from a Buyer, Seller or Listing Broker.

Buying a property requires making many important financial decisions, understanding complex issues and completing a lot of paperwork. It helps to have an expert in your corner when undertaking such a large purchase. We can guide you through this process, and also provide you with access to property listings before they hit the general market.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing your real estate professional:

• Look for a full-time agent – one who has experience completing transactions similar to yours.
• Interview a few agents: Are they familiar with the area in which you are interested?
• Ask how much time the agent will have for you, and if they are available at night and on weekends.
• Ask about their credentials and education: A good agent will continually strive to improve and gain knowledge of the latest real estate trends and hold the highest designations in their respective fields of expertise.
• Does the agent return your calls/texts promptly? Time is money when attempting to buy a property.
• Ask for a list of properties they have sold or a list of references.
• Choose an agent who listens attentively to your needs and concerns. Pick an agent, with whom you feel comfortable. This is a big decision and purchase process. You will talk to your REALTOR® as much as you talk to your best friend, make sure your personalities and values are in alignment.

Purchasing a property is most likely the biggest financial decision you will ever make. Whether this is your first purchase, or you are an experienced buyer, this decision must be made carefully. Make sure you are working with a fully qualified loan officer that knows the ins and outs of all of the programs that may be available to you as a Buyer. It is important to find out your preapproval amount so you are looking at homes that you can actually purchase. Looking at homes drastically above the budget can be detrimental to your search. If you need a referral to one of our preferred lenders, please let us know.

As soon as you have a preapproval letter and choosing your REALTOR® are out of the way, it is time to find the right property for you.

Get to know the neighborhoods, complexes, or subdivisions, which interest you. Drive around and get a feel for what it would be like to own a property in the area. Start getting a sense of the properties available in those areas.

Select a few properties that interest you the most and have your real estate agent make appointments to visit them. Ask your real estate agent about the potential long term resale value of the properties you are considering.

Once you have picked out the property you want to purchase, your real estate agent can help you make an offer that the seller will accept. A good agent will investigate the potential costs and expenses associated with the new property. An agent can also help you draft your offer in a way that gives you the advantage over another offer.

The Process, Step-by-Step
The Initial Agreement and Deposit.

A ratified contract is a legal arrangement between a potential purchaser and the property’s seller. There are legal ramifications with signing a contract. 

Some important tips to keep in mind to streamline the process:

• Keep written records of everything. For the sake of clarity, it will be extremely useful to transcribe all verbal agreements including counter-offers and addendums and to convert them into written agreements to be signed by both parties. We will assist you in drafting all the paperwork for your purchase and make sure that you have copies of everything.
• Stick to the schedule. Now that you have chosen your offer, you and the seller will be given a timeline to mark every stage in the process of closing the real estate contract. Meeting the requirements on time ensures a smoother flow of negotiations so that each party involved is not in breach of their agreements. During the process we will keep you constantly updated, so you will always be prepared for the next step.

Once your offer is accepted by the seller, you may have negotiated to have a licensed property inspector inspect the property within the timeframe that was agreed upon in the effective contract to purchase. You may elect to have different inspectors inspect the property, if you wish to obtain professional opinions from inspectors who specialize in a specific area (eg. roof, HVAC, structure). If you are purchasing a commercial property, then you will need to have an environmental audit done on the site for the lending institution. We can recommend several different inspectors.

Depending on the outcome of these inspections, one of two things may happen:

1. Either each milestone is successfully closed and the contingencies will be removed, bringing you one step closer to the close, or
2. The buyer, after reviewing the property and the papers, requests a renegotiation of the terms of contract (usually the price) or a cancellation of the contract.

It is imperative that you keep in close communication with your lender, who will let you know when additional documents are needed to approve your loan application and fund your loan. If the agreement is conditional upon financing, then the property will be appraised by a licensed appraiser to determine the value for the lending institution, via a third party. This is done so that the lending institution can confirm their investment in your property is accurate. Appraisers are specialists in determining the value of properties, based on a combination of square footage measurements, building costs, recent sales of comparable properties, operating income, etc. When you are within two weeks of closing, double check with your lender to be sure the loan will go through smoothly and on time.

If you are obtaining a loan, you will be required by your lender to purchase a certain amount of insurance on the property. The value will depend on the lending institution and the purchase price of the property. You may be able to save hundreds of dollars a year on homeowners insurance by shopping around for insurance. You can also save money with these tips.

• Consider a higher deductible. Increasing your deductible by just a few hundred dollars can make a big difference in your premium.
• Ask your insurance agent about discounts. You may be able get a lower premium if your home has safety features such as dead-bolt locks, smoke detectors, an alarm system, storm shutters or fire-retardant roofing materials. Persons over 55 years of age or long-term customers may also be offered discounts.
• Insure your house NOT the land under it. After a disaster, the land is still there. If you do not subtract the value of the land when deciding how much homeowner’s insurance to buy, you will pay more than you should.

We will be happy to recommend experienced knowledgeable insurance agents for every property type.

Either a title company or an attorney will be selected as a closing agent. The closing agent will research the complete recorded history of the property to ensure that the title is free and clear of encumbrances by the date of closing and that all new encumbrances are properly added to the title. Some properties are subject to restrictions which limit various activities such as building or parking restrictions. There may be recorded easements and encroachments, which limit the rights to use your property.

You may wish to consult an attorney or tax advisor on the best way to hold title. Different methods of holding title have different legal, estate and tax implications, especially when selling or upon death of the title holder. Your Closer will ask you at closing if you want joint tenancy or tenancy in common (if you are purchasing with another person)

More of a formality than anything else, the final inspection takes place a day before, or the day of the closing. You will visit the property to verify that all is in working order, everything is the same as when you last viewed the property, that there are no extra items left behind, and that everything included in your purchase is still at the property.

We will provide a list of useful numbers for the activation of home services and utilities after the closing occurs.

We are ready to assist you should an unforeseen glitch pop up, even at this last stage. Something at the property breaks down, or some other minor detail – no need to worry. We have encountered these problems before so we know how to handle them efficiently and in a stress-free manor.

The closing agent will furnish all parties involved with a settlement statement, which summarizes and details the financial transactions enacted in the process. You and the Seller(s) will sign this statement, as well as the closing agent, certifying its accuracy. If you are obtaining financing, you will have to sign all pertinent documentation required by the lending institution. If you are unable to attend the scheduled closing, arrangements can be made depending on the circumstances and the notice that we receive. If you are bringing funds to the transaction, you can elect to either have the funds wired electronically into the closing agent’s escrow account, or bring a certified bank check to the closing in the amount specified on the settlement statement. The seller should arrange to have all property keys and any other important information for you at the closing so that you may receive these items at this time.