L Y M E L I G H T M A R K E T I NG
B U Y E R S
G U I D E
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ABOUT JANE SMITH Your profile goes here...(This is just a filler).
Jane is a native of Calgary. She grew up in Winnipeg, and spent her summers on Winnipeg lakes at the family cottage. After graduating from Kelvin High School, Jane attended University of Winnipeg, where she competed a Bachelor’s of Communications in Business Administration and Marketing. After graduation, Jane went into the family business of real estate drafting and design, where she spent the better part of two years working in the both the Winnipeg and Calgary regions. Looking to start a career, Jane began working for a real estate marketing firm, where she worked for over three years as an account manager and head of design. Ready for a new challenge, Jane received her real estate salesperson license in the fall of 2015 and joined Lymelight Real Estate soon after. Jane purchased her first home in Calgary, where she lives with her fiancÊ and their three children. They fill their free time boating in Kelowna and enjoying the Rocky Mountains, camping, spending time with friends and family, and vacationing in the Jamaica and Southern California.
Jane Smith info@lymelightmarketing.com www.lymelightmarketing.com
B U Y I N G I N F O R M AT I O N 1. MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE It is very important to evaluate yourself and your situation to help ensure that buying a home is the right decision for you. We believe in full disclosure and the importance of planning. Some questions you should ask yourself: What reasons are prompting you to move and what is your preferred timeline? Have you been through the pre-approval process? What amount are you approved for? When we find the right home for you, are you prepared to make an offer? 2. YOUR LIFESTYLE Deciding on what type of home you want to live in is just as important as deciding on where you want to live. For some, location is everything. For others, home details are everything. It is important that you decide what is most important for you and what type of lifestyle you truly desire. 3. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Another important decision during the buying process is proximity to important things such as schools, work, grocery stores, and amenities such as shopping centers, restaurants, parks and recreation centers. These things define your lifestyle choice and are not only necessary, but convenient. 4. WHEN SHOULD I SELL? You should immediately establish your time frame for selling. Obviously, serious sellers would like to sell as quickly as possible and for the most amount possible, however, it is good to know what the most effective plan of action is before listing your home. If you need to sell quickly, I can speed up the process by giving you a complete market analysis and action plan to obtain all of your goals. If there is no pressing need to sell immediately, you can sit down with me to thoroughly review the current market conditions and find the most favorable time to for you to sell.
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M O RT G A G E I N F O R M AT I O N GETTING STARTED You’ve decided you want to buy a home. Now what? The first – and most important step to the home buying process is financing. You can’t do anything until you know how much you can afford. To get started, you need to understand what lenders are looking for from a borrower. There are three main factors that help determine if you qualify for home financing: income, assets, and credit history. DIFFERENT TYPES OF MORTGAGES: Getting a mortgage is one thing. Getting a mortgage that best suits your situation is another. Some mortgages have less strings attached but have more strict stipulations, while others may be harder to get, but have more flexibility. It is important to have all the information about mortgages available to you before you decide to move forward in the purchase of a home. Find out how the Agent Marketing Group can help you find the mortgage that best suits you. INCOME & ASSETS Most loan programs require the lender to verify all of your income sources. Typically you will need to provide pay stubs, your T-4/W-2 and copies of your tax returns. Lenders will also want to go through your assets and how much of a down payment you will have when determining your loan approval. CREDIT HISTORY All lenders review a borrower’s credit history to determine the type of credit used, the amount owed, and the borrower’s repayment history.
MOVING CHECKLIST It is important that you use this checklist in order to be well-prepared when buying a home. The last thing you would want to happen is to move into a home without the necessities in life such as electricity, gas, water, or work/school related services such as Internet/phone, etc. Be sure everything is in order to keep things running smoothly during the buying process. If you need assistance, we are always here to lend a helping hand. It`s what we do!
UTILITY PROVIDERS • Electricity Providers • Telephone Providers • Cable & Internet Providers • Gas Providers
CLUBS & MISCELLANEOUS • Country Club • Health & Fitness Club • Recreation Club • Book Club
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS • CRA/IRS • Post Office • Schools • Provincial Licensing • Library
BUSINESS ACCOUNTS • Banking Institutions • Cell Phone Providers • Department Stores • Financial Companies • Credit Card Companies
INSURANCE COMPANIES • Accidental Insurance • Auto Insurance • Health Insurance • Benefits Provider • Home Insurance • Life Insurance
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES • Broker • Accountant • Doctor • Dentist
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ONLINE EXPOSURE I use the Internet and all online tools to help find your next home. With most buyers checking the web, getting online is the most effective and efficient way to search for homes. My web presence and online network will help me find a home that best suits you! Most people search for a home using three main search engines. I make sure to give you the widest possible access on these platforms.
BUYER SEARCH ONLINE! More than half of all homebuyers search online first when looking to purchase a home. It is vitally important that you are able to view the full range of potential homes to find the one that’s right for you. TOURING HOMES IN PERSON AND ONLINE Some people look at several homes before finding just the right one. And others find “the one” immediately. Thanks to the Internet, you can streamline your search process significantly by checking out homes for sale online. You can visit open houses and preview everything that’s for sale in your market.
B U Y E R S P R E PA R AT I O N You’re ready to buy - or maybe you’re just ready to start seriously thinking about buying. There’s a lot you can do to prepare. With so much information available at your fingertips, you may already be doing a lot of your own research. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you get started. DETERMINE YOUR PRICE RANGE The best place to start when buying a home is to find out how much house you can afford. An experienced agent can refer you to a mortgage broker who can assist you with determining how much of a down payment you can afford, comfortable monthly payment, and the type of loan that fits your needs best. Serious buyers who are highly motivated should go through the effort of getting pre-approved; not only will this allow you to focus your home search, but it will also position you as a serious buyer in the eyes of sellers when the time comes to make an offer. MAKE A LIST AND PRIORITIZE Imagine your ideal home and location. Now make a list of everything you envisioned, take that list and break it down from high to low priority. High-priority items are the things you cannot live without in your new home. (Large Bedrooms, Large Closets, High-end appliances, proximity to amenities and schools, etc.). Lower-priority items are those that are an added bonus, but not necessary. (Jetted-tub, landscaped yard).
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B U Y E R S P R E PA R AT I O N THE PRICE IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT It is a good idea to make sure what you think you are buying is indeed the property you are buying. It is so important to feel comfortable with your purchase during the home buying experience. Feeling comfortable starts with financing, but then leads into feeling confident that your purchase is sound. Having a professional home inspector is the way to gain peace of mind. A proper inspection will cover all areas of the house both structurally and mechanically and give you an objective view of the property. A qualified home inspector will also provide you with a written report indicating areas of concern and the estimated cost of repairs. HERE ARE A FEW HOME INSPECTION TIPS: Ensure the home inspector checks for visible issues with plumbing, electrical systems, roof, insulation, walls, ceilings, floors and windows, and the condition of the foundation. Ensure your home inspector gives you a close and personal look at your new home. It takes about three hours to go through all the systems, and if there are any problems, you will see them with your own eyes. They will also give you maintenance tips and easy fix-ups, if necessary. Ensure that in the end, you receive a detailed report that summarizes the condition of your home. The method most often used in evaluating single family homes is the Comparable Method. A property is worth what the buyer is willing to pay for it and this is determined by the basic laws of supply and demand. These two factors are evaluated by comparing the home with similar homes that have sold within the market area, with appropriate consideration given to location, amenities lot size, condition, and financing terms.
TRUSTED ADVICE ARE YOU DEALING WITH AN EXPERT? Did you know that the average agent sells or helps their client buy only 8 homes per year? Did you know that 45% of real estate agents spend less than $500 per year on training and professional development. These are the facts, so how do you know if your agent is an expert when it comes to helping you buy a home? WE ARE COMMITTED We are committed to finding a home that fits your criteria, from budget, to location to style. We are dedicated to making sure you are paired with a home that works for you and/or your family. Not all available homes for sale may meet every one of your expectations, but we ensure that we will find a home that best suits you and your needs. WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY Sellers often make the mistake of wanting to price their homes high at the start, with the assumption that they can always reduce the price to a more realistic level later on. However, interest peaks when your home is fresh to the market and often declines as time goes on. YOUR WISH LIST Many agents have trouble keeping up with your wish list and many times end up cutting corners when searching for a home that fits your criteria. There is definitely some compromises that sometimes have to be made, but it is my duty to find the ideal home in the ideal neighborhood for an ideal price. Now doesn’t seem ideal? STICK TO THE SCHEDULE Now that you have made an offer, you and the seller will be given a timeline to mark every stage in the process of closing the real estate contract. Meeting the requirements on time ensures a smoother flow of negotiations and also ensures that each party involved is not in breach of their agreements. During the process we will keep you constantly updated so you will always be prepared for the next step.
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TESTIMONIALS & REVIEWS “This was the first time I had worked with a Realtor to sell a property. Our dealing were through John, and he was very responsive to providing answers to questions and keeping us up to date. The timing of the sale was during a period of low activity, so getting the property sold through collaborating with us and prospective buyers was a nice accomplishment. Well done!” - ANONYMOUS “I was referred to John from a family member and I wasn’t disappointed. John was amazing at finding time to accommodate my needs. I have an extremely busy and nonstop job, and John was able to work around my schedule either early morning or late at night. Whenever I needed him, he made the time to help me out. John made my first home purchase easy and stress-free and was just as excited as I was which was a feeling I will never forget. I strongly recommend John for sales or purchasing your next home! Top notch professional service with a sales team that makes buying and selling your home fun!” - ANONYMOUS “It was nice having John just a phone call away at all times . He always made himself readily available for anything that I needed, whether that be looking at houses or just talking things over. He was friendly and I would definitely recommend him to others as well.” - ANONYMOUS “John made himself available on his day off as well as very late. We appreciate this as our time line was tight. The recommendations he made ( inspector and broker ) were extremely helpful as well and again much appreciated!” - ANONYMOUS
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