For those who seek an exceptional place to call home. THE HOME BUYING PROCESS
Why work with a buyer’s agent? The decision to purchase a home is likely one of the largest financial decisions you will make. By aligning yourself with a trusted advisor, you will be well positioned to find the right property, negotiate fair terms and overcome any obstacles that appear along the way. Leveraging our vast local expertise, digital tools and industry connections, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty will not only assist in helping you find the right home, but guide you through the entire purchase process.
Brian Caluori Residential Real Estate Advisor 518.423.0309 | Brian.Caluori@GibsonSIR.com BrianCaluori.com
Constantly striving for perfection, Brian Caluori never gives his clients less than 100%. With over a hundred residential rental and sales transactions annually, Caluori, a top producer at Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, serves buyers, sellers and investors in South End, Back Bay, Beacon Hill and South Boston. “My business is my top priority, and my clients receive the same level of service whether it is a $2,000 rental or a $2 million sale,” he says, adding that his clientele are 95% referrals and repeat customers. A South End resident, Caluori is immersed in his local community. Since moving to Boston after graduating from the University of New Hampshire nearly seven years ago, he has quickly learned the nuances of the city’s distinct neighborhoods. This past year, he represented a 45-unit newdevelopment building in Fenway, successfully filling the building after multiple delays and the beginning of the pandemic. Citing his eagerness to educate his clients as fundamental to his success, Caluori notes that he encourages open and easy communication throughout the process and is always accessible, even after the transaction is complete. “I am always focused on putting my clients’ interests before my own,” he says. “I never make them feel like being with them is a waste of my time or that I would rather be somewhere else.” Caluori is a member of the Greater Boston Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors. He has volunteered with the South End Historical Society at the South End House Tour, the Ellis Neighborhood Association wreath hanging and South End Baseball. He is a big fan of motor sports and holds season tickets for the Red Sox. Caluori also enjoys snowboarding, scuba diving, traveling with family and trying out new restaurants around the city.
Steps to Buying a Home The following details a comprehensive overview of the buying process from start to finish. As your buyer agent, I will advise and guide you every step of the way. Together, we will work to achieve your goals and secure the best home for you.
01 GET PRE-APPROVED The first step of the home buying process is getting pre-approved for a loan. During this process, your mortgage lender will review your income and credit history to determine what size loan you are eligible to receive.
02 BEGIN THE SEARCH Once you have determined your budget, we will meet to review your wish list and desired timing and will begin your search. Together we will review inventory and visit properties.
03 SUBMIT AN OFFER When you find a property that you love, we will submit an offer. The seller will respond in one of three ways: the seller accepts the offer, the seller makes a counteroffer, or the seller declines the offer. Based on the seller’s response, I will guide you through next steps.
04 HOME INSPECTION Once your offer is accepted, you will schedule a licensed professional to visit the property and check for any needed repairs.
05 SIGN THE PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT After the offer and terms are accepted, the seller’s attorney will draft a Purchase and Sale Agreement. It states the final sale price and all terms of the purchase. This binding contract needs to be reviewed by your attorney prior to you signing it.
06 SIGN FINAL LOAN DISCLOSURES Your mortgage lender will work with you to review all final loan documents.
07 APPRAISAL The property will be reviewed by a licensed professional to assess its value.
08 HOME INSURANCE You will need to review various options and select your homeowners insurance policy.
09 FINAL WALK THROUGH Just prior to the closing, you will go through a final walk-through of the property. This will ensure that the property is in the same condition as when you visited previously.
10 CONGRATULATIONS! Once you sign the final paperwork and exchange the payment, you are officially a homeowner. You will now receive the keys to your new home, congratulations!
Key Terms APPRAISAL If you are receiving financing on your purchase, the bank will hire an appraiser to visit the property and provide a report to the bank detailing their assessment of what the home is worth to protect the banks’ investment. ASSESSED VALUE The value that the city or town sets to base real estate taxes on. CONDO / CO-OP FEE The fee that the homeowner is responsible for on a monthly basis.Condo fees cover different building expenses that cannot be allocated to individual owners. Some expenses covered by condo fees are water/sewer, heat, hot water, master insurance, management, reserve account, etc. CONTINGENT (CTG) The property has an accepted offer. Typically, the property is still available to be seen for potential backup offers. MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE (MLS) A platform that agents submit their listings to with key information about the property and photos. Agents can put their buyers in the system to receive notifications when a property is listed with their search criteria such as price, square footage, number of bedrooms, etc. Below are categories you will see within MLS updates. NEW / ACTIVE The property is either newly listed or active on the market. SIGN IN SHEET At open houses, listing agents may ask you to sign in. You can sign in with my name, your name, and both of our contact information. That way the listing agent will contact me for feedback and not add you to their prospect list. TITLE SEARCH The attorneys will do a title search on the property to make sure there are no outstanding liens, unpaid taxes, or improperly filed previous bank discharges on the property before you close. UNDER AGREEMENT (UAG) A purchase and sale agreement has been signed. The buyer is moving forward with the purchase.
Closing Costs These costs will all be paid at closing and will be detailed on your closing statement. All costs are approximate. They vary by lender, locality, and law firm.
BUYER ATTORNEY FEE Average about $500+. Buyer should confirm with the attorney what is included in the fee and the cost of add-ons. Some attorneys charge a flat fee or by the hour. RECORDING FEE $400+/VARIOUS LOAN ORIGINATION AND PROCESSING FEES Average $1,000 to$1,800 depending upon lender. POINTS If applicable. APPRAISAL $400+/- to $575+/- depending upon property type. MUNICIPAL LIEN CERTIFICATE $25 – $65 depending on locality. TITLE CHARGES Title exam: $200, courier fee: $40, obtain MLC: $25, rundown fee: $35. Fees vary and should be confirmed with the closing attorney. TITLE INSURANCE About $4 per thousand of purchase price. Confirm with the title company and closing attorney. HAZARD INSURANCE For single family and multi-family, most banks require a 1-year, prepaid insurance policy. DECLARATION OF HOMESTEAD PREP $65+/TAX ESCROW Pro rata of the quarterly taxes. Confirm with the attorney and lender. CONDO FEES Pro rata of monthly condo fees. For new construction, you may be required to contribute 3 months fees to reserve.
Collection of Past Sales 4-5 ARLINGTON STREET
11 PLAYSTEAD ROAD
780 EAST BROADWAY
U: 3 | Back Bay
Dorchester
U: 2A | South Boston
5,650,000
$900,000
$550,000
25 CHANNEL CENTER STREET
15-33 SLEEPER STREET
1807 BEACON STREET
U: 804 | Seaport District
U:203 | Seaport District
U: 1A | Brookline
$1,900,000
$865,000
$540,000
8 W HILL PLACE
212 L STREET
21 BOWDOIN STREET
U: 2 | Beacon Hill
U: 2 | South Boston
U: 1A | Beacon Hill
$1,600,000
$860,000
$530,000
63 CHELSEA STREET
11 BUSHNELL STREET
13 BOWDOIN STREET
Charlestown
Dorchester
U: 14C | Beacon Hill
$1,550,000
$840,000
$517,500
580 WASHINGTON STREET
121 PORTLAND STREET
65 CHELSEA STREET
U: 503 | Midtown
U: 203 | Midtown
U: 305 | Charlestown
$1,370,000
$800,000
$508,824
16 MINER STREET
57 GATES STREET
1411 WASHINGTON STREET
U:404 | Fenway
U: 2 | South Boston
U: 12A | South End
$975,000
$640,000
$380,000
Clients Put Their Trust in Me “Brian was highly recommended to us 3 years ago when we were ready to purchase our first home. Brian is a great guy—kind, confident, reliable and knowledgeable. He helped walk us through each step of the process and was always available to answer any questions we had. When we were ready to sell and move into a bigger home we knew we could trust Brian with listing our current house and finding our new forever home—we wouldn’t have considered anyone else. Buying and selling a home is one of the most stressful life events but Brian brings a sense of confidence and ease to the process. He helped us stage our home and coordinated photographs and a 3D walk-through. His pricing recommendation yielded multiple offers and we accepted a final offer $35,000 over the asking price just 5 days after we listed. When finding our new home, Brian’s advice helped us make our offer as appealing as possible and he successfully negotiated seller concessions after the inspection. We would confidently recommend Brian to friends and family and we will not hesitate to call him for any future real estate transactions.” —KAYLEY AND PATRICK
“Brian came highly recommended and is a consummate professional, who embodies all of the skill, knowledge, energy, integrity, patience and care that one wishes when completing an important transaction like buying a property. He successfully closed our complex transaction on target and on time, going well beyond the normal mandate of a real estate agent. One could not be in better hands. He has our highest recommendation.” —ERIC AND MARIYA
“Brian assisted my wife and I in buying our first condo. Brian is extremely knowledgeable, well connected in the Boston area and an all around good person. We wouldn’t consider using anyone else!” —CHRIS AND STEPHANIE
“I could not have been happier with Brian. The best quality about Brian is he has your best interests at heart. Additionally, Brian is very responsive, attentive, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Brian to everyone.” —NGAN
Wherever Life Takes You We Are Here to Help
24 OFFICES
400 AGENTS
3,000
+
CLIENTS IN 2020
Arlington
Needham
Back Bay
North End | Waterfront
Brewster
Orleans
Cambridge
Provincetown
Charlestown
Savin Hill
Chatham
South Boston
Cohasset
South End
Dennis
Sudbury
Harwich Port
Wellesley
Hingham
Weston
Manchester-by-the-Sea
Westwood
2.9B
$
Highest Average Sale Price O F T H E TO P F I V E F I R M S
235
ANNUAL SALES VOLUME
GLOBAL REACH PLACED REFERRALS WITHIN THE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY GLOBAL NETWORK
24,000
1,000
SALES ASSOCIATES
OFFICES WORLDWID E
75 COUNTRIES & TERRITORIES
Notes
Brian Caluori Residential Real Estate Advisor 518.423.0309 | Brian.Caluori@GibsonSIR.com BrianCaluori.com
556 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02118