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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 Pre-Approval from your Lender

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 Realtor®

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a Realtor? 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 an excellent knowledge of the market 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.

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.

Kenneth M.
Sean Joyce
Jill K.
Rachel N.
Reina Valdez
Michael S.
John Smith
Lewis Davidson
Leslie G.
Jason Scott
Kathy Cain
Katie Hollie
Donna Raphael
Daisy and Thomas Burton
George Gonzalez
Loraine Budge
Leslie Grimm
Donald and Elizabeth Mack
David and Mary Gigliotti
A modern dining room with a modern table and chairs. There is a swimming pool visible through the windows behind the table.
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Jim Carney
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra is very responsive. I was a difficult case, but we got the job done in this difficult market. I am getting a divorce, which makes the financing more difficult. Not only that, I really did not know what I wanted. Yet, we figured it out along the way. Made a good bid as a potential buyer backed out and I filled that spot due to Debra. So in reality she should be a 9 rather than a 8. My personality do...

— Kenneth M.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra went above and beyond to ensure that we found the right house for our family and that we were informed throughout the whole process. She puts her client's interests/needs above her own and really goes the extra mile to make you feel comfortable throughout the home buying process. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking to buy/sell a home in the WA.

— Sean Joyce

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We enjoyed our time with Debra very much. She was personable, professional, and knowledgeable about the areas in which we searched. She made herself available several days and we did an exhaustive search of the homes available. We are looking forward to moving into our new home soon!

— Jill K.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra was wonderful! She made a very stressful process (buying from out-of-state, sight-unseen (except over FaceTime)) as pleasant as possible. She was knowledgeable, warm, reassuring, competent, and calming. Would definitely recommend and work with her again!

— Shannon Johnson

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra was very professional and has several years experience as an agent. I had a very positive experience working with her and have suggested her to several of my friends looking for homes.

— Rachel N.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Deb is honest and very professional yet gives me a comfort that because she has many years of experience. It's my second time asking her to represent us.

— Reina Valdez

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

What we liked about Deb was her availability, accessibility, honesty, knowledgebase, and friendliness. Amazing asset to your real estate company!

— Michael S.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

She is great to work with and knows how to best take care of her customers!

— John Smith

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Very easy to deal with remotely. I did all my transaction remote.

— Lewis Davidson

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

She worked very hard for me again. Debra is very knowledgeable and has saved me money when purchasing properties. She equally worked hard and got me top dollar for the properties I sold. She’s my “go-to” Realtor!

— Leslie G.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Deb was so amazing!!!! She really helped me find the perfect home! She succeeded where others failed!!!!

— Jason Scott

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra was amazing to work with! She found us the perfect house and fought hard to get us a good price. We would definitely recommend her to anyone buying a house and look forward to working with her again when the time comes.

— Kathy Cain

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra is a boss woman! She knows how to get the deal done. She is a great advocate, listened to our needs and wants, and helped us find our perfect first home. She was always available for us and answered any questions we had. She is very knowledgeable. She worked great with the selling agent. She is professional and diligent. She informed us step by step during the process. I totally recommend her!!

— Katie Hollie

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra Truelove was a joy to work with and oftentimes went over and above to help us navigate through this tough market. We wish we had another home to sell and utilize her talents.

— Donna Raphael

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

My husband & I recently hired Debra Truelove to sell our home in Lacey, Washington. She was awesome and got our home sold within two weeks. She went above and beyond making sure our home was listed on every platform. She communicated with us well every step of the way. If you need your home handled by a real professional, contact Debra.

— Daisy and Thomas Burton

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra was outstanding throughout our whole home-buying process. She was knowledgeable, responsive, and very easy to work with. I would highly recommend her and we would definitely use her again.

— George Gonzalez

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra helped me get a condo that was in high demand. Her knowledge, expertise, and advice helped me not only get the place I wanted but also gave me the guidance I needed to outbid many other potential buyers. She is amazing; I couldn’t have done it without her as my Realtor. She also helped me sell my home and did a great job. I highly recommend Debra if you’re looking for a Realtor to help you with eve...

— Loraine Budge

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra is very knowledgeable and has saved me money when purchasing properties. She also worked really hard and got me top dollar for the properties I have sold. She’s my “go-to” Realtor!

— Leslie Grimm

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra is exceptional, and we had an incredible experience. As my Realtor, she sold my condo within two months in a very tough market.

— Donald and Elizabeth Mack

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra is professional, knowledgeable, and provides the highest level of customer service. We have worked with and known her for over six years, and she will continue to tirelessly search for what is best for her clients. She truly loves her role as your representative and will ensure you are covered with all home purchase or sale aspects. We can highly (strongly) recommend Debra as your purchasing or sel...

— David and Mary Gigliotti

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Debra is a fantastic real estate agent and an all around amazing person. She communicated with us throughout the whole home buying process and made sure that our questions and concerns were taken care of in a timely manner. I would recommend her to anyone looking to find the perfect home, and I would use her services again if it weren't for the fact that she already helped us find the perfect home. Than...

— Michael Darger

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We were first-time homebuyers and had an absolutely excellent experience with Debra from start to finish. We were moving from California (during COVID-19), and Debra went the extra mile for us (no pun intended!). From the beginning, she visited prospective homes and sent us video tours. This was so helpful for us while we were 3,000 miles away. We did end up driving to Washington, and Debra showed us s...

— Anonymous

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

To whom it may concern I am unsure how I ended up working with Debra Truelove, but I am glad I did. My two sons and their grandchildren live in Washington, and after retiring in California, I felt it was time to move closer to my family so I could enjoy watching the kids grow up. I had the VA available to help me with my down payment and closing costs. We looked at several places and put in an offer, b...

— Jim Carney

Work With Debra

When you come to me for help buying or selling real estate Debra promises to listen to what your needs and wants are and make sure to translate that into the perfect solution for you.