BUYERS
Guide

Your Journey to the Perfect Home Starts Here.

Your Key to Buying Success

Unlock the Secrets to Buying Your Dream Home with Confidence and Clarity

FIND AN AGENT

01
Connect with Lisa Tozer, licensed Compass Realtor.
Moving around Austin, relocating across the State or the Country? Let's chat about your needs — I would love to help you!

BUYER CONSULTATION

02
First, we will connect for an initial consultation to discuss what you are looking for so l can help guide your search.
There are a variety of property types such as resale homes, new construction, land, and more!

BUYER REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT

03
We will establish a mutual business agreement. This document is designed to increase transparency by laying out my obligations to you, in addition to details on term length, compensation, termination, exclusivity, representation, and property criteria.
Once we are both aligned with the terms of the agreement, you will be asked to sign before I can show you or send you any properties.

FIRST
STEP

SECOND STEP

THIRD STEP

Fourth Step

Fourth
Step

Fifth Step

Sixth Step

Seventh Step

GET PRE-APPROVED

04

If you are obtaining financing, getting a pre-approval letter from a lender before submitting an offer is important because it shows you are more likely to meet the proposed settlement date. A pre-approval letter and a good faith estimate from a lender will also give you insight into the projected down payment, closing costs, and expected monthly payment.

Find Properties That Meet Your Criteria

05
Using the Compass CMA tool, I will run market analyses on comparable properties in the area to give you a clear understanding of current market value. Together, we will identify your ideal home's location and amenities, and attend open houses in a range of areas. I will listen to your continued feedback and activate a 'collection,' or specialized search for properties as they hit the market until we find a home you.

Submit an Offer

06
Once we find the right home, we will collaborate on a competitive offer. The offer is an agreement to pay a certain price for the home if accepted and may include other terms, such as whether you are waiving any contingencies or in how many days you are willing to close. We may also enter situations with multiple offers or back up offers. It is my job to guide you through the decision-making process to ensure you are confident with our process to ensure you feel educated and completely confident in your decision making.

UNDER CONTRACT

07
Your contract is the agreement between you and the seller to purchase the property for a specific price. Also defined in the contract of sale is the settlement company, date of settlement, and earnest money deposit amount.
If required, an Escrow Deposit is the amount of money that the buyer will put in an escrow in good faith to demonstrate to the Seller that they are serious about purchasing the property. The money will only be deposited if the contract is signed and agreed by both parties.

Home Inspection & Reports

08
It is my responsibility to coordinate all desired home inspections within the agreed timeline and contractual contingencies. We will also review and discuss the disclosures and preliminary title report. You may approve or negotiate credits and/or repairs. Prior to closing, remember to schedule a final walk-through of the property to verify property is still in acceptable condition and any negotiated repairs were done.

Loan Application and Appraisal

09
If you are obtaining financing, your lender will let you know the list of financial documents necessary to provide to the lender, including a couple months of bank statements, tax records, pay stubs etc. Typically, you will have a mortgage contingency of the agreed upon length to obtain a mortgage commitment. Once your lender has all of your documents, they will review them and issue a Clear-to-Close, which means your loan is complete and the file will be sent to the title company for closing. Your lender will have an appraisal done on the property.

Seventh
Step

Eighth Step

Ninth Step

10

CLOSING

Congratulations! You are now a homeowner.
Welcome home!

first
Step

Understand why you're selling

01
What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your Real Estate Agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

second
Step

Determine Selling Price

02
Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

Third
Step

Start Preparations

03
If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

Fourth
Step

Develop a Marketing Strategy

04
I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

FiFth
Step

Evaluate Offers

05
Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

Sixth
Step

Accept an Offer

06
Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

Seventh
Step

Get Ready to Close

07
You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, I will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

eighth
Step

Close

08
You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your Real Estate Agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Want to work with Lisa ?

Let's Connect!

We offer personalized services for buying, selling, or investing, tailored to your unique needs. Trust our experienced team to guide you through every step of your real estate journey

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