I bought my first home when I was 21 years old. I was scared out of my mind and wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing. The home buying process seemed simple enough, yet there were a lot of little steps, and a TON of paperwork.
I was extremely fortunate to have had a great real estate agent advocating for me and guiding me through the process. He gave me his honest opinions without being too pushy. And he even entertained my crazy fixer upper ideas. 🙂
Flash forward to today. I’ve now been through the home buying process countless times, both as a buyer and as an agent, and I can tell you that no two home buying experiences are exactly the same. Sometimes things go off without a hitch. But more often than not, we discover hidden issues with the house, need to come up with creative lending options, or find out that the seller decides not to sell, mere days from closing (yes, that really happened!).
Given all the variations that can happen, I still believe it’s important to have a high level view of the home buying process framework, so you know roughly where you are, what to expect, and what’s coming next.
The Home Buying Process below highlights the key steps in going from dreaming about a house to holding the keys in your hand. For a more detailed guide, check out my Guide to Buying a Home.
If I could mark this up for you, I’d put a big star and exclamation points by Step 2: Find an agent. In my experience, having the right agent can make a huge impact on the process and your chances in meeting your goals.
Another tip I’d add here is to do your research and ask lots of questions throughout the process.
Not sure where to start? A fun place to begin is to think about the neighborhoods you might want to live in. Are you looking to live near Lake Merritt, or are you looking for a bungalow in Rockridge?
In a market as competitive as Oakland’s, it’s important to know exactly what you want, so when the home that meets all your specs hits the market, you’re poised to pounce.
Remember, I’m never too busy for your questions, so call or text me anytime: 510.995.0035
