Resources

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.

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.

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.

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. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My Testimonials

See why my clients love working with me.

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Tyler T.

Faith and Dylan (and their team) are by far some of the most attentive and kind people to work with. They go above and beyond every single step of the way. From our first consultation about our future plans through our purchase...

Natalie T.

I can’t say enough good things about The Barrett Team. I first learned about them over a year ago when my friends started using their services and naturally, people on my social media raved about their excellent customer servic...

Kalah N.

Dylan and Faith were so helpful in assisting us throughout the home buying process! We moved up to Redding from Santa Barbara county and blindly put our trust in their judgment. They did not disappoint and actually exceeded our...

Caitlin R.

Faith and Dylan worked with us for two years from beginning to end to help us find and ultimately build our dream home. They helped us navigate every curveball along the way and knew the answers to all of our questions, advocat...

Casey P.

Dylan and Faith are awesome people and fantastic to work with! The process was streamlined, and we were able to complete all of the paperwork and signatures from Arizona which was very convenient. The Barrett Team was always re...

Eric J.

We recently purchased a home in Northern California with the Barrett Team. After leaving the Bay Area we were slightly overwhelmed with moving to a new city with a big family. Dylan & Faith came to the rescue and assured us the...

Xylia L.

I walked into their office with not a lick of knowledge on how the process works or even having a lender in mind. When looking for your forever home you want the very best team. Faith and Ezra are the 2 we worked with through t...

Katie M.

We are thrilled with the help we received from Alex, Faith, Dylan, and the whole staff with the Barrett Team. After moving here from the Midwest we knew what kind of home we were looking for and they worked closely with us to f...

Maria P.

What a delightful find! After being ghosted by another Realtor® who was recommended to me, we found Faith and Dylan here on Google! Right from the start, their communications were timely, honest, and clear. So refreshing. They ...

Amy M.

These two are the bomb dot com. They are quick to respond, professional and a joy to work with. They are detail-oriented, hard-working, efficient and you definitely feel like they have your best interest during every step of th...

Robyn H.

Cannot say enough about The Barrett Team! My boyfriend and I moved to Redding from the East Coast (not knowing much about the residential areas) and felt like we were already accepted into the community! Alex made the experienc...

Mason J.

Wow. The year is 2021 and the housing market is just bananas. I’m sure real estate agents are swamped and up to their neck in paperwork and business to take care of. I was pleasantly surprised with the Barrett Teams' responsive...

Natalie M.

It was great working with Faith and Dylan to find our perfect first house! They got up early multiple weekends to show us houses, answered our many questions, and were very patient with us throughout the entire home-buying proc...

Kirby F.

My husband and I were looking at houses online for months when I finally reached out to Faith and Dylan to ask a few questions. I am so very happy I did! They visited our current home and made recommendations on what to do to g...

Mark & Cristina S.

Faith & Dylan Barrett not only helped us find our new home, but they welcomed us to our new community! They went above and beyond to find the right home for us and were available whenever needed. We highly recommend them and ca...

Carrie M.

Looking for a team that does it all? I was thoroughly impressed with Faith and The Barrett Team throughout a complicated sale of my home. She offered great advice and promptly responded to my many questions. If you are looking ...

Amy & Dan

I can't even begin to tell you how fabulous, amazing, motivated, hard-working (I could go on) Faith Barrett has been through this whole process! This powerhouse lady is very professional but extremely warm and kind with a great...

Rachel Y.

Faith is absolutely amazing and she earned a double thumbs up from this happy client. She is truly a top-notch real estate agent. I am a first-time homebuyer, and not only did Faith assist me in finding a house in my dream neig...

Jraquel M.

The Barrett Team made first-time home buying quick and easy! Going into my first meeting with Faith, all I knew was that I wanted to buy and that's about it. She quickly brought me up to speed on the process and laid out the st...

Amy H.

Dylan and Faith were fantastic Realtors® when it came to searching for our very first home. It can be a little daunting going through the home buying process for the first time, but they walked us through the entire process wit...

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Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide