Naples and Marco Island Home Buyer

Buying a home is a big deal. It’s exciting! Specially if you are a Naples and Marco Island home buyer!

However, the whole process can be a disaster and cause a lot of stress and hardship if you don’t have an experienced real estate agent on your side. After all, the buyer’s agents’ commissions are paid by the seller (it’s free for you), so why wouldn’t you want to have an agent represent you? It’s like going to court without a lawyer, needless to say it’s never a good idea even if you are a lawyer!

That is why I want you to relax, enjoy Naples and Marco Island, Florida and allow me to make your home search a fun and exciting experience.

What is the Process for the Naples and Marco Island home Buyer?

1. Talk to mortgage broker or Bank. Get pre-approved first. ( IF YOU ARE FINANCING ONLY )

First things first! The number one action to take is talk to your bank and get pre-approved. That really needs to be the very first thing done because the bank will tell us what you can afford and the type of loan you can get. For example, a VA loan has more strict requirements for the condition of the home versus a conventional loan which has more loose requirements on the condition of the home but it will require more down payment. So this is why it is very important to talk to your bank first.

If you’re not sure on a bank you’d like to use,  I can help you find an experienced mortgage broker Click here

2. Hire Mario and search for a Home. 

Here is the fun part! We’ll work closely on this one because I don’t want to miss out on the fun of house hunting for a Southwest Florida home. At this stage we’ll discuss your “must have’s” and “Oh No’s”.  I can preview homes for you based on your criteria and send you videos or do live FaceTime to show you the home just in case you can’t make it.

We are not just looking at the house’s cool features and  great neighborhood. I’m also checking out the “behind the house scene” looking as I call it. And I mean the taxes, HOA and Condo fees, Flood insurance requirements and all of the boring realtor stuff that are essential to a smooth and stress free transaction to take place.

3. Order Home Inspections

This is a crucial step in the process.  We’ll have to inspect every aspect of the house to make sure there are no costly “surprises” after we close on the house. And to prove to your lender that the house meets their requirements. To do that we’ll hire a home inspector to perform the inspection and give us a report when the inspection is completed.

If  we do find any issues that requires any repairs such as roofing or plumbing problems, the sellers will be notified and will be required to do the repairs as outlined in the inspection report. Please note some sellers choose to sell their house “AS IS”. And usually that means that we can inspect the house but will buy it “AS IS”. The exception lies if the repairs are considered a potential hazard or not and depending on the loan type you have, the lender may not loan you the money to buy the house unless the repairs are made.

But don’t worry, I can help you find a good inspector if you don’t already have one.

4. Order the Appraisal

Once all of the repairs are completed and the house is ready, we are ready to get the appraisal done. This is when the lender sends an appraiser (but you’ll have to pay for the service) and they will check the condition and features of the house, look at the comps and come up with a “Price” of what your house is worth. 

If the appraiser prices the house value bellow of the contracted price you are paying for the home, we may have to re-negotiate the price again. Otherwise your lender may not want to lend you more than the house is worth.

5. Final walk through and Closing

After the appraisal clears you’ll do a final walk through of the house, usually the day before the closing to ensure the condition of the house is still the same. If all is favorable the we go to the closing table.  That is when you have to sign the huge pile of paperwork the makes us sign. It will take you a good hour or more! Very boring stuff but exciting at the same time because for the most of us, homeownership is a dream come through.

Then you get your house keys and live happily ever after. You are no longer a Naples and Marco Island home Buyer, You are a Homeowner!

The End !