Step By Step Guide To Buying Your First Home In Arlington

So, you're thinking about buying your first home in Arlington. Awesome!! Buying a home in Arlington is a big deal both literally and figuratively. It requires a serious amount of money and time. The journey can be exhausting and frustrating. But, don't worry here is a step by step process that can help you get the keys to your new home in Arlington.
Waverly HIlls real esate agents
Waverly Hills is near Glebewood and Charrydale in Arlington VA
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Finding your dream home

Huntington
kitchen in Huntington duplex
We аll wаnt tо find оur drеаm hоmе аnd wе thіnk іt іѕ easy. However, аftеr dоіng thе ѕеаrсh bу оurѕеlvеѕ, we ѕlоwlу bесоmе fruѕtrаtеd аnd tіrеd. When this hарреnѕ, wе ѕеttlе fоr ѕоmеthіng less. Finding thе rіght home fоr uѕ ѕhоuld nоt bе that difficult. Thеrе are simple wауѕ tо find them. First, wе need tо set criteria. Aftеr thаt, we lооk for іt ѕуѕtеmаtісаllу whіlе соnѕіdеrіng thе іmроrtаnt factors іn сhооѕіng a hоuѕе. Sеttіng thе criteria In order tо fіnd the right hоmе fоr уоu, уоu ѕhоuld knоw whаt уоu are lооkіng for. Fіrѕt, whаt dо уоu need? If уоu have сhіldrеn, you nееd your home tо bе child frіеndlу. It ѕhоuld nоt have ѕhаrр edges. Thеrе ѕhоuld bе mіnіmаl glаѕѕеѕ as wеll. The еnvіrоnmеnt оf thе hоuѕе ѕhоuld bе ѕаfе fоr the kids. If уоu аrе someone whо works аt hоmе, уоu nееd a ԛuіеt рlасе fоr your hоmе оffісе. It ѕhоuld bе реасеful so thаt уоu саn concentrate оn thе thіngѕ you nееd tо do. Aftеr lіѕtіng уоur needs, уоu can ѕtаrt соntеmрlаtіng on whаt you want. Dо уоu lоvе tо cook? If уоu do, уоu mіght wаnt to hаvе a nісе аnd ѕрасіоuѕ kіtсhеn. Yоu рrоbаblу wаnt a wоndеrful gаrdеn оr a pool аѕ wеll. Lіѕt thе luxury уоu wаnt tо еnjоу at home and dесіdе whісh of thеm іѕ іmроrtаnt tо уоu. Finding уоur іdеаl hоmе
Well kept condominium
The condos at Midtown Alexandria Station are located at the Huntington Metro Station.
It іѕ еаѕу tо fіnd thе home оnсе you hаvе identified whаt уоu nееd and wаnt. First, it wоuld bе best tо hаvе a real еѕtаtе аgеnt. An agent is a bіg help. Hе hаѕ access tо thе MLS аnd саn present уоu hоmеѕ thаt meet уоur сrіtеrіа. Addіtіоnаllу, hе саn gіvе you hоnеѕt оріnіоnѕ about thе real еѕtаtе рrосеѕѕеѕ. Hоwеvеr, it іѕ аlѕо роѕѕіblе tо find уоur іdеаl hоmе оn уоur оwn. Cоnѕіdеr these ѕtерѕ to hеlр уоu оut.
  1. Whаt іѕ your budgеt? It is іmроrtаnt that уоu knоw how muсh уоu саn аffоrd. Go tо уоur lеndеr first аnd check hоw muсh уоu will bе able tо bоrrоw. It is important thаt уоu knоw thе price range оf thе рrореrtу уоu can аffоrd as it can bе vеrу dіѕарроіntіng to fіnd уоur drеаm hоmе, only tо find оut thаt you саnnоt afford іt.
  2. Where dо уоu want to lіvе? Lосаtіоn іѕ vеrу important, whісh is why you hаvе tо decide where you wаnt tо lіvе first. If уоu wаnt tо stay in a сеrtаіn community, drive аrоund thе different nеіghbоrhооdѕ. Yоu саn аlѕо dо a rеѕеаrсh оnlіnе.
  3. Onсе уоu hаvе dесіdеd where уоu want tо lіvе, ѕtаrt looking fоr thе property that fіtѕ your criteria. There are several sites оnlіnе thаt уоu can visit. Yоu саn tуре іt іn ѕеаrсh еngіnеѕ. Include thе сіtу аnd ѕtаtе where уоu wаnt to live whеn ѕеаrсhіng tо hаvе more соmрrеhеnѕіvе rеѕultѕ.
stone cottage
Stone cottage with porch and dormers
Looking fоr a hоmе ѕhоuld nоt bе dіffісult аѕ lоng аѕ уоu knоw what you want. Bеfоrе уоu jumр into уоur саr аnd drіvе аrоund thе vаrіоuѕ nеіghbоrhооdѕ, ѕресіfу уоur needs and wants fіrѕt. Yоu саn also visit online sites. Dоіng this wіll save you tіmе аnd mоnеу.

What are the steps of buying a home?

It's a waste of time and energy to look at homes that are outside of the budget, so prequalification is the first step for any home buyer. If you choose to work with Nesbitt Realty here are many of the steps that we'll be taking on the road to home ownership.
Julie Nesbitt
Julie Nesbitt is an Accredited Buyer's Agent and Top Producing agent.  Put her experience to work for you.
  1. Tour properties --- We'll take a top level tour of some of the properties that are in your budget. This gives the client something concrete and real to think about so that you can decide whether this home ownership thing is for you or not. It also gives us a chance to see which properties most interest you so that we can rely upon our experience to identify communities and properties you may have overlooked.
  2. Revisiting --- We'll revisit those communities that hold the greatest interest and look at everything available in those communities.
    • A few more choices --- If none of these really feel right, we'll find a few more to consider and continue with the search.
  3. Make an offer --- When we've found the property that stirs the soul, fits the budget and feels right, your agent will prepare an offer. At that time we'll collect earnest money.
    • The earnest money is evidence that the seller is serious about the purchase and is held in escrow until the sale is completed. We'll submit a preapproval letter, a copy of the earnest money deposit and the signed offer for the seller to consider.
  4. Negotiations --- Sometimes there is a difference between the asking price and the selling price. The selling price is determined by negotiation. We'll pass drafts of the contract back and forth until the buyer and seller have agreed on all terms.
  5. Loan processing --- Your loan officer will then collect additional documentation from the you and from your agent. This documentation will serve the purpose of proving the representations made in the loan application process. The buyer will produce pay stubs, bank statements etc. The loan office and agent will also order an appraisal as required by all lenders.
  6. Settlement --- Settlement is the word used to describe the actual transfer of ownership. We'll settle on the property in a timely fashion on an agreed upon date. Settlement will occur at a title company's office and a settlement agent will ensure that funds are present as is marketable title.
  7. Ownership --- Here's where the fun begins ... as does the responsibility of home ownership.

Real Estate for:

We help our clients sell condos, houses and townhouses in {Location_Name}.

If you're interested in real estate in Alexandria VA, in Crystal City, in Arlington VA, in Falls Church VA or in Fairfax County VA, we're here to help. Please help yourself to our community guides and property search tools. Our property search tools rely on a database of the most up-to-date information available anywhere. Use these tools to search for condos or to search for any type of real estate available in Northern Virginia. Once you've identified a property, contact us and we're help here to you with all aspects of your home sale or purchase. Read our home buyer's tips & tools

Listing your home for sale in {Location_Name}

Listing a home for sale involves a bit more than simply putting a sign out on the lawn and waiting for a buyer. When you decide to list your home in {Location_Name}, it’s wise to work with a real estate agent who can take you through the process. A Nesbitt Realty agent will take the time to carefully walk through the home with you. Our Realtor will go over what you can do to improve the property for a quicker sale and a better asking price. Our Realtor will go over the comparable sales in your area and suggest the best listing price. Once you’ve agreed on the asking price, we will sign an agreement with Nesbitt Realty that lays out the details, including commissions, duration, and more. Nesbitt Realty will take professional photographs throughout the home, and then list the property on the MLS. Our marketing will drive home buyers to you ensuring a quick sale at the highest possible price. [More about listing your home for sale with Nesbitt Realty]
We appreciate the opportunity of serving you, we and thank you for considering us in the management of your rental property in {Location_Name}.  Our promise is that we offer you our best effort every single day as we strive for perfection. On those very rare occasions when we make a mistake, we move swiftly to correct our errors and make the damaged party whole. Learn more about what we do and the services we provide. Please don't hesitate to contact Nesbitt Realty for assistance. Our real estate professionals look forward to helping you in any way possible.
Rental agents cannot tell you what you need or which property to choose but they can give you invaluable advice. Once you have identified your requirements then contact our rental agents to help you find the right property in {Location_Name}. Be clear with the agent about what you want. Our agents know the area and the market and if they know what you want they can probably take you directly to a property that ticks all the right boxes. [Read more about rental agents]

703 765 0300

 

Home buying starter kit!

Where to start the home buying process?

For a first-time home buyer, one of the most difficult things to do is to just start the process? What does one actually do to buy a home? We've prepared this short list of links to help you begin your home buying quest.
Stuart Nesbitt
Stuart Nesbitt is a real estate agent serving Northern Virginia.
  • Affordability Calculator -- How much home can you afford? The affordability will help you determine what your price range.
  • Buyers Tips -- Simple and effective tips for shopping homes.
  • Closing Cost Estimator -- What are closing costs? How much do you have to pay?
  • Guide to Northern Virginia -- All about the neighborhoods and communities of Northern VA
  • Map Search -- Our map-based search is one of the best in the business.
  • Mortgage Calculator -- Once you've identified a property plug the price into the calculator to see how much the purchase will cost on a monthly basis.
Call us anytime with questions or to learn more.  

Properties in Focus

Shopping Tips for Buying a Home Warranty

Home warranties can be attractive to home owners or buyers who are looking at purchasing a property. These service contracts can cover all of a home’s major systems, such as the furnace or air conditioner, and will cover needed repairs if the appliance breaks or damaged. Some sellers are offering a home warranty to try to lure buyers. But not all home warranties are the same. Experts say you should carefully weigh costs, policy allowances, and customer feedback before making a decision so that you ensure you’re getting the best deal. Home warranties cost about $250 to $500 a year. Here are some more tips from experts in shopping for a home warranty:
    • Find customer reviews. Web sites, such as homewarrantyreviews.com, provide reviews of home warranty companies. You also might check how each company is rated with your local Better Business Bureau.
home in Belle Haven Estates
typical home in Belle Haven Estates
  • Check for extra fees. Will you have to pay a fee for service calls?
  • Check the coverage allowance. Are there any exclusions to coverage? Will the allowance cover the entire cost of a broken appliance or just some of it? For example, if you have older appliances and mechanicals, will the policy cover the full cost of replacing it or just the depreciated value? If the policy only covers the depreciated value when a 20-year-old furnace dies, for example, the reimbursement may not be enough to buy a new one. Also, verify what appliances are all included in the coverage. Some companies will allow you to add coverage for swimming pools, while others won’t.
"The biggest thing is awareness of what the exclusions are," Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com, told the Chicago Tribune. "The mere presence of a warranty, by nature, tends to have exclusions. Being aware of that can aid in the decision-making process." Source: “When Home Warranties Are Worth It,” Chicago Tribune (Feb. 8, 2011)