Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments you will ever make! Buying a home is not just a dollars and cents investment; it's an investment in your life. It will create a sense of stability and identity for you and your family. Regardless of how times change, owning a home remains the cornerstone of the American dream.

If you are unaware of the different types of agency, i.e., Listing Agent, Buyer's Agent, Dual Agent, Designated Agent, Subagent or Transaction Agent, I strongly recommend clicking ABC's of Agency. Knowing “who represents whom,” CAN SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! If you need help in knowing how to select an agent, please click Selecting a Realtor.

Talk to a mortgage broker or loan officer. He or she will help you figure out how much “home” you can afford to buy. Shop around for a lender that can get you the best deal. Here is a Mortgage Shopping Worksheet to help you compare lenders. Don’t apply to more than three! Too many credit inquiries can actually harm your credit score.  Make sure to get a pre-qualification letter from your chosen lender. If you like, Lynn or I can provide you a list of lenders that have a proven track record for providing excellent customer service at very competitive rates. For more information about mortgage loans, please click Looking for the Best Mortgage.

You will need to have some cash available for expenses entailed in buying a home.  Here's a basic guideline of the amounts that you may want to have on hand – keeping in mind that Lynn or I may be able to negotiate some, if not all, of your costs into the contract price. If you have 20% to pay down, you can avoid paying Private Mortage Insurance (PMI) and be able to get a lower interest rate! If that isn’t possible, speak with your lender about options for zero-down loans or getting a “second” mortgage to cover the down payment. On average, your closing costs will be approximately 3% of your mortgage (loan) amount. Closing costs include lender & attorney fees, pro-rated property taxes, title search, title insurance (always buy title insurance for yourself), recording fees, etc. Your lender must give you a “Good Faith Estimate” of the closing costs within three days after applying for a loan. This will give you a good idea of the amount of money you may need to bring to closing. You may also need cash for a home inspection, termite inspection, and an appraisal. These fees normally range from $300 to $700. You will also need $500 to $2,000 for an “earnest money deposit. The earnest money will accompany your offer to buy a home. It tells the seller that you are sincere (earnest). This money is held in an escrow account and is refundable to you if your offer is not accepted or if the contract should fail to close through no fault of your own. At closing, this money is normally applied to your closing costs.

Call David or Lynn, click on Search all Dalton Area Listings. All the homebuyer services Lynn and I offer are 100% free and we will be glad to show you any listing in Whitfield, Murray, Catoosa, Walker or surrounding county.

It is rare to find a home that exactly matches your “dream home” ideals. Generally speaking, if you find 85% of what you want – buy it! It helps if you prioritize those things that you want in a home. That way you can make sure you the home you buy has the features that are most important to you, even if it doesn’t have all of the features that you want. The more information you can give us about what you want in your home, the better chance we have of finding it for you. Be prepared to make cosmetic changes (paint, carpet, etc.) that may be needed to make the home “yours”.

It is not unusual for desirable homes to have multiple offers. By the time you have gone home to think about it, your dream house may be under contract to another buyer! That’s why defining ahead of time what you really want in a house is so important. When you see it – buy it!

Once you find a right home we will provide all the legal documents you need, including the Purchase And Sale Agreement. Lynn or I will go over the entire agreement step-by-step making sure we answer any questions you may have. Once you sign the agreement and put down earnest money, Lynn or I will present and negotiate your offer making sure you receive the best price & terms possible.

Notify your loan officer that your offer has been accepted so they may begin the loan process, lock in your interest rate, and get an updated good faith estimate showing the amount of your monthly mortgage payment along with the estimated amount of money you may need to bring to closing. Don’t make any major credit purchases once you have begun the home buying process. Lenders always do a final credit check before funding the loan – if your credit score has changed for the worse, it could affect the funding by changing the interest rate, or even make you ineligible for the loan! Imagine buying new furniture for your “new “ home only to find that you no longer qualify to buy the home! It has happened! Don’t let it happen to you. Put the credit cards away until after closing!

Once your offer has been accepted, make sure you arrange for a home inspection. If you wish, Lynn and I can provide you a list of ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) home inspectors or you can select your own. But, never buy without first inspecting! Expect the home inspection to cost around $300 to $600 depending on the size of the home. It is money well-spent! If you don’t like the inspection results, Lynn and I can negotiate having the seller fix the problems or we can cancel the contract.

Plan your timeframe. Be aware that it can take lenders 3 – 4 weeks to get your loan through the complete approval and funding process – longer if you choose an internet-lender or out-of-state lender. If you need to vacate another residence, give yourself at least a month-and-a-half to find and close on your new home before you need to move. You may also want to allow for at least a week’s overlap to give you time to clean and paint your new home before you start moving in.

Notify your phone company, utilities (don't forget water and sewer), moving company, post office, newspaper and magazines, friends and family (see our moving checklist) and change your mailing address.

Buying a home can be very stressful, but it doesn’t need to be. Make a list of all the things that you need or want and carry it with you to refer to. Once we have a contract in place, we will give you a list of all the items that need to be done and the key completion dates. We will help you arrange for the inspection(s), get the utilities turned on, even help you find a mover should you need one. We will be there to help guide you through all of the above making sure your home purchase is stress-free.