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. I may be able to steer you away from certain homes or neighborhoods, suggest hidden gems, or give you pointers that will help you find your dream home for the right price.

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

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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. 

My Testimonials

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MICHELLE C.

MICHELLE C.

Words cannot express our gratitude to Kristen for securing us our first home. We found her by chance, referred to us by another agent we randomly contacted from an advertisement on another real estate app. Said the agent did no...
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SHELLY M.

SHELLY M.

Kristin changed our lives. My husband and I had become exhausted from looking at countless homes that weren’t right for our family. Then covid hit and we hit the brakes on our new home dreams because we didn’t think we would be...
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ZACK R.

ZACK R.

Kristen is a joy to work with. We found Kristen by accident, but we are so thankful we met her. From showing homes to answering calls and questions, she always made time for us. I was amazed at how quickly Kristen responded to ...
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GENE T.

GENE T.

Kristen is very responsive, very knowledgeable, and has a good sense of humor to go along with her many skills. She very quickly understood our need to acquire a condo in the Monterey area and helped us focus. She is very quick...
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MELISSA M.

MELISSA M.

We were so lucky to find Kristen as our real estate agent to find a home in Carmel! She was referred by a friend who she also helped find a home. We appreciated Kristen's excellent knowledge of the Carmel area and the entire Mo...
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GARRETT K.

GARRETT K.

Kristin helped us buy our current home and sell our previous home. She was great, on top of her stuff, and coordinated every detail for us. The home we were selling was one we had poured our whole heart into, but our family had...
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TAHNEE J.

TAHNEE J.

My husband and I were relatively new to the Monterey area and unsure about neighborhoods. Kristen is a local who helped with any questions regarding our concerns. This was our first time purchasing a home. She was very clear an...
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KAREN L.

KAREN L.

Kristen did a phenomenal job helping us find and buy the right home for us in Monterey. So glad that Zillow connected us. Kristen carefully listened to our needs and showed us condos that she thought best suited us. When a home...
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BUYER

BUYER

My husband and I have bought and sold properties from our own to the estates of our parents! Kristen was amazing. In the middle of the process of our loan, the lender gave us an unreasonable interest rate. Kristen was able to t...
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BIANCA N.

BIANCA N.

Kristen makes the buying/selling process so much easier than I could've imagined. I've used her for both and wouldn't want anyone one else in the area. She's super knowledgeable and always made herself available for any questio...
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BUYER

BUYER

Kristen is an incredibly driven, resourceful, and talented REALTOR. I cannot recommend her enough. If given the opportunity, you will not be disappointed in your experience with having her buy or sell you your home. She knows t...
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BIANCA N.

BIANCA N.

As first-time home buyers, my husband and I could not have gotten any luckier to have gotten to work with Kristen. She was extremely knowledgeable about the market and area we were looking to buy into and she was always sweet a...
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BUYER

BUYER

Kristen went above and beyond throughout the home-buying process. I was a first-time home buyer and due to Covid, I could not travel to Monterey. She helped me find a house and took care of everything including arranging inspec...
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BUYER

BUYER

Top-notch service from start to finish in helping me find the right home. A dedicated professional who treated my home purchase as if I was a VIP client. Gave great referrals for assistance with finance and shared her expertise...
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BUYER

BUYER

Kristen our REALTOR was a gem. Polite, approachable, extremely helpful, and knowledgeable. Assisted us through a change of lenders halfway through our purchase. She responded within minutes to calls and texts. Not pushy at all ...
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DAVID G.

DAVID G.

Superlative agent who guided me through the purchase of my new home. Faced with some complexity in the purchase of our new home she was up to the challenge. Outstanding and friendly service who was a pleasure to deal with on al...
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BUYER

BUYER

Thoroughly familiar with the Carmel and Monterey area. Always on top of things and available. Her cheerful personality made it a pleasure to work with her. Thanks to her alertness, diligence, and negotiating skills we were able...
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JOY A.

JOY A.

She is so nice to work with. As first-time buyers, we needed an agent that is willing to explain to us everything. She is very patient. Listened to her her buyer’s need, and gave us inputs and suggestions. She advocated for us ...
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TAWNI T.

TAWNI T.

Very helpful in buying our home. Christina offered a great deal of knowledge about the process and kept me from being overwhelmed with all that is normal in-house buying. I’m so grateful to have her as our agent. Honestly could...
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JEOVANNI ALICEA A.

JEOVANNI ALICEA A.

Kristen is a professional agent with vast knowledge and expertise, who will work diligently to find a perfect fit for her clients. Kristen helped me and my wife in both buying and selling our home, and I can’t be any happier th...
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