BUYER’S BOOK
206.276.5476 | SarahRu@Windermere.com | RudinoffResidential.com
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: n BUYER’S MEETING n LOAN APPROVAL n ANALYZE YOUR NEEDS n SET UP SEARCH n TOUR PROPERTIES n MAKE AN OFFER n INSPECTION Or PRE-INSPECTION n NEGOTIATE n LENDER APPRAISAL n SIGNING n CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY n TAKE POSSESSION OF YOUR NEW HOME!
LET’S GET STARTED! Name: _______________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________ Email: ___________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________________ City: ______________________________________________ State: __________ Zip: _______________
Who is the primary contact and what is the best time and way to reach that individual? ______________________________________________________________________________________
What is prompting your purchase? ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
Anything else you want us to know about your timing? _________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
When do you need to be in your new home? ______________________________________________ Are you preapproved for a mortgage? o Yes o No What is your price range? _______________________________________________________________ Check all that apply that you are interested in:
n Single Family Home n Condo n Townhouse
WHAT IS YOUR
TARGET PRICE?
Before you start looking at homes, it’s a good idea to find a target price range that you can afford and that you feel comfortable with. That’s why we always make sure our buyers are preapproved for a mortgage before we start a home search. This will help us narrow the search to a range that works for you and it makes for a stronger offer in a competitive market. We are happy to connect you with mortgage lenders who will make sure you are educated about lending and your loan in particular. You will provide financial information to the lender and they will prequalify you.
THINGS TO CONSIDER This is just to get you thinking about what you really need in a home, and what you really want, as well. Let’s start with the basics: Need: ____Beds/_____Baths Want: ____Beds/_____Baths • Do you have an era or style of house that you are really drawn to or one that is a real deal breaker? • Are you looking for a home that has almost everything updated or a place to put some elbow grease into? • Do you have ideas of min and max square footage? • Are there any special spaces you need for a hobby or profession? • Are you opposed to living on a busy arterial?
KITCHEN/DINING • Do you have any “dream appliances” that you like to have? Is gas cooking important to you? • Do you like open layouts with kitchen and living space or more separated spaces? • Do you need a dining room space and how large should that be? • What are your ideal kitchen finishes?
THE GREAT OUTDOORS • How important is the lot size to you and what do you envision doing with your outside space? • Do you require a flat lot, would you like low maintenance or an established garden? • Do you like a sunny property or lots of evergreens for shade and privacy? • Are you looking for an outdoor entertaining space? • How important is a fenced yard? Are there animals in the family?
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. • • • •
Where do you want to live? Do you have a neighborhood in mind? What’s the farthest that you are willing to travel on a daily commute? Is convenience to public transportation a high priority? Tell us how you feel about walkability and how you see yourself living in your neighborhood?
LIFESTYLE • • • •
Who will be living in the home that we are looking for? Will you have regular guests to consider? (e.g., parents, stepkids, etc.) Are there special needs to take into account? Is there anything else that I should know before we get started?
THE FUN STUFF • Do you want a place for a hot tub or a sauna? • What size garage do you need? What size garage do you want? • Specialty spaces: Do you require a Cal King bed, do you need storage for 1000 books, do you need a place to play video games that gets dark?
MAKING A LIST
CHECKING IT TWICE
10 STEPS
TO BUYING A HOME
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1
MEETING We sit down in person or online and talk about the buying process in detail and educate you about how it all works in the current market. We listen to what your dreams and goals are for the purchase and we discuss time frames, priorities, and ways we can help you.
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Contact a lender for a loan preapproval. You will need a loan preapproval before we start looking or have proof of funds if you are using cash for the purchase. We have great referrals!
SEARCH New listings come on the market each day and some sellers will wait for a week to look at offers. We will set you up on a search on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) and we will edit and send listings to you each day. You can also send us listings you find as well but all listing will aggregate from the NWMLS.
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LOAN APPROVAL
MAKING AN OFFER When you have found a place you love, we will work to make a winning offer, but also get you the best price and terms we can. We go over all the purchase documents so you understand what you are signing and what is being disclosed. We will advise you on the best strategies to getting an offer accepted and communicate with the listing agent about the seller’s wants and needs.
INSPECTION The inspection is a great opportunity to learn more about the house. Qualified and licensed inspectors of your choice will do thorough reports and we can also employ specialists to examine things further. You can use this information to negotiate based on what was found. Unless we have written different language into the contract, the buyer can walk away during this part of the process and retain their earnest money.
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PRE-INSPECTION When more than one buyer wants a home, it can be competitive. You may want to have a structural and sewer pre-inspection and then waive the inspection on the contract. Often a seller will provide a pre-inspection and you can choose to rely on this inspection or have an inspector of your choice perform a pre-inspection for you. You can always choose to not make offers on homes that may be competitive.
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Your offer has been accepted and we now have a binding contract. Your earnest money will be liquidated into your escrow account and will be a credit to you at closing. We open files at escrow and send the contract to the lender so they can lock your rate. You will get homeowner’s insurance and start packing up your current home.
APPRAISAL Your lender orders an appraisal of the home. Should your house appraise for lower than the contractual price, you are only obligated to buy it at the appraised price. However, the seller is not obligated to sell it to you at the lower price. Both sides may negotiate further following a low appraisal.
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ACCEPTANCE
SIGNING The escrow company will schedule you to sign documents a few days before closing. You will sign at the escrow office or with a mobile notary. You will bring in a cashier’s check or arrange to wire your funds which will include your down payment and closing costs.
CLOSING Congratulations! Official closing is when the deed has been recorded under your name at the county building. Once that happens, the home is yours and we can bring you the keys!
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TIMING IS EVERYTHING Timing is everything. Once we begin to walk through your wants and needs list, we’ll talk about your preferred timing as well as the timing of the marketplace.
DEALBREAKERS It’s just as important to know what you don’t want in a home. Is it important to live near a school, but not so close that you hear every football game? You may want to live in downtown Seattle, but as far away from the stadiums as you can get.
THE SELLER COULD GENERALLY BE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE FOLLOWING: • • • • • • • • • •
Real estate commissions Excise tax - 1.28% for homes between $500k-$1.5 million Title insurance premium Escrow fee Recording charges Document preparation Tax proration and any and all delinquent taxes Interest accrued to lender and any pre-payment penalties Any unpaid homeowners dues (for condos) Payoff of all loans, judgments, tax liens in seller’s name
THE BUYER COULD GENERALLY BE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE FOLLOWING: • • • • • • • • •
Loan origination fee Lender fees (credit report, appraisal) Title insurance premium Escrow fee Recording charges Document preparation Tax proration Interest on new loan Homeowners dues (for condos)
DETAIL OF
CLOSING COSTS
Sarah Rudinoff LEAD BROKER
206.276.5476 SarahRu@Windermere.com Growing up on the island of Kauai in a family of real estate brokers, I knew one day I might join the ranks of the family business. Becoming a broker in 2005, I now have one of the most unique and varied client bases in the city- from tech workers to artists to retirees. Real estate evolves and changes every week but what remains the same is that everyone wants to be heard and my business is built on a foundation of rock-solid communication with every client. Having a soft spot for first time buyers, I have worked with hundreds of people to align their desires and budgets to win in a competitive market as well as negotiate for the best deal in a buyer’s market. On the listing side, I maximize proceeds for my sellers by intelligently preparing homes to show them at their best. Marketing is knowing your audience and telling them a compelling story, I create a custom plan and narrative for each home. I also believe the real estate journey can be fun and I have been nominated by clients for Seattle Magazine’s Best in Client Satisfaction award each year since 2009 and have won seven times. I have had a long-time commitment to donating 10% of my net income to organizations that bring more equity to Seattle including Mary’s Place, the Duwamish Tribe, BLM King County, Treehouse, the Boys & Girls Club among others. We are also making new commitments to craft a world of shared power by creatively re-shaping unjust systems within housing and creating more opportunities for BIPOC buyers in the region. I also am an artist and am very active in the arts community as a performer and patron- I have hosted benefits for the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle Art Museum, Velocity Dance Center and On the Boards. I own a home and garden in West Seattle and am an agent at the Windermere Mount Baker office where I have an excellent team of colleagues and executive support.
AWARDS and DESIGNATIONS Member of Agents of Change - A guild of real estate professionals committed to making a sustained difference supporting unsheltered communities at Mary’s Place in Seattle. (marysagentsofchange.com) 8 Year Winner - Seattle Magazine’s Best in Client Satisfaction, awarded to 7% of King County Realtors®, nominated and awarded by recent buyers and sellers. 2020 - Top 5% in sales for office, Best in Client Satisfaction feature in Seattle Magazine, raised $37,500 for Mary’s Place 2019 - Top 5% in sales for office, Best in Client Satisfaction feature in Seattle Magazine, raised $15k for Mary’s Place, hosted benefits for over 5 organizations, hired a licensed assistant 2018 - #1 agent in the office in sales, featured nationally in Top Agent Magazine, raised money for Mary’s Place and Windermere Foundation 2017 - Moved to Windermere Mount Baker - Top 5% of agents in sales, two Mary’s Place benefits 2014-2016 - President’s Elite Award - Top 5% in sales in the company 2007-2013 - President’s Gold Award - Top 10% in sales 2009 - President’s Elite Award - Top 5% in sales - #1 agent in office v2005 - Distinguished Rookie of the Year – Madison Park Office ABR - Accredited Buyer’s Representative ASP - Accredited Staging Professional
MEET THE
TEAM
Amy Gornet BROKER
206.799.3556 AmyGornet@Windermere.com I joined Sarah as her assistant in October of 2019 for what was supposed to be a slow transition into real estate from a long career in theatre and live corporate events. After a few months of working with Sarah, her wonderful clients, and our colleagues at Windermere Mount Baker I decided to accelerate the timeline and jump in with both feet. During my first full year, I assisted Sarah in 38 transactions including the sale of my condo in the Central District and the purchase of my family’s new home in Haller Lake. In January of 2021 I took another step forward and became a full broker as part of the Rudinoff Residential team. My years in theatre and live events required clear communication, juggling complicated schedules, extreme attention to detail and ultimately supporting the client every step of the way so that they could help to achieve their vision. I am excited to bring these skills to our clients to support them on every step of their journey.
Windermere RE Mount Baker | 4919 South Genesee Street, Seattle, WA