A GUIDE TO BUYING IN NORTH CAROLINA by jennifervickco

A GUIDE TO BUYING

Investing in a home is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. So much more than a roof over your head, your home is where life unfolds and memories are made, all while building a financial foundation for your future. Deciding how you’ll navigate your journey to homeownership is equally critical to the real estate agents you work with. Our team has mastered the ins and outs of the buying process. When you work with us, you’ll benefit from our experience, and together we’ll work toward making sound, smart decisions for your future.

Jennifer Vick , CEO/Founder

WORKING WITH A REALTOR We are experts who help you every step of the way. With 15+ years of experience our market knowledge, proven systems and innovative marketing strategies set you up for success. Realtors® save you time, money, and frustration. Realtors® are knowledgeable about the housing market and help you avoid the "wild goose chase" Realtors® can help you with ANY home purchase, even if it is listed elsewhere, being newly built, or being sold directly by an owner. Realtors® are an excellent source for both general and specific informal on about the community such as schools, churches, shopping, and transportation. Realtors® are experienced in presenting offers and can help with the process of negotiating the best price, bringing objectivity to the buying transaction. As licensed real estate professionals in both North and South Carolina we can help you buy a home in either state.

WHY WORK WITH US?

Choosing a trusted real estate partner is critical to your success in the journey of homeownership. Our team of Agent Specialists along with a full-time Administrative staff is ready to serve you all the while providing an unparalleled level of client care. We practice daily the company motto, “Connecting the Dots in Real Estate”

to ensure all aspects of your transaction are handled professionally and with the utmost in communication making the process seamless from beginning to end. Time and again we work with repeat clients as well as receive continued referrals from those who believe in the quality of our services. We would be honored to add you to that trusted group.

MEET YOUR TEAM @jennifervickco Jennifer Vick & Co.

THE TEAM AT A GLANCE Jennifer Vick CEO/Founder (Lead Listing Specialist) Born and raised in Greenville, SC, Jennifer moved to Charlotte in 2000 after graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree in Education. As an elementary school teacher with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, she took pride in her ability to manage multiple daily tasks and challenges associated with education all while building lifelong relationships with her colleagues, students, and parents. She has brought that same tenacity to the real estate business for over twelve years. As the business grew through consistent referrals from past clients, then Jennifer had the honor and opportunity to acquire and assist the clientele of three other Realtors® leaving the Charlotte region, she knew the only way to give superior client satisfaction was to form a team of talented people who also have a focus on service and care- hence the beginning of Jennifer Vick & Co. in 2015.

Lizi Cruz (Agent Partner) Lizi is a Florida native who graduated from the University of Florida. She earned her C.P.A. and worked in accounting and finance. As a stay-at-home mom for several years, she worked on a consulting basis for clients providing financial services. She then turned her sights to real estate where she started helping buyers find a home that best fit their needs. From there she forged ahead to helping those same buyers eventually sell their homes. Her accounting background helps Lizi bring an unprecedented level of attention to detail to all her transactions for which she is highly recognized time and again. Lizi has three children, one recent college graduate, one in college and one in high school. She recently adopted a rescue pup named Poppy and lovingly calls herself a “foster fail”. She lives in Charlotte with her husband and kids but returns often to her native Miami. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and loves cooking Cuban food. Lizi is also very fluent in Spanish.

Allison Vaden (Agent Partner) Allison was born and raised in Lincolnton and grew up in Belmont, North Carolina. She comes to us with an extensive background in property management & special events. Both opportunities allowed her to hone her excellent customer service skills for her real estate clients. Allison attended Western Carolina University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and her knowledge and skills in psychology give her a unique insight into how to find the best fit for her clients and get the best results in negotiating on their behalf. Allison is married and lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, 4-year old son, 3 dogs, and cat. She enjoys spending time reading, cooking, and playing outside with her son and dogs.

Leize Watkins (Agent Partner/Marketing) Born and raised in Charlotte, Leize returned home after graduating from Clemson University with a degree in Marketing with minors in Communications and Management. She loves Charlotte and takes pride in showing clients around her beloved city. Leize's favorite part about working with buyers is watching them get excited about finding their dream home. Leize loves reading, watching football, and spending time with her family who still lives locally. She loves to travel and has visited over 50 countries throughout her lifetime. Leize lives in the Southpark area with her dog.

Anna McMahon (Agent Partner/Operations) A background that merges communications with real estate began at the University of South Carolina where Anna graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a major in Advertising. Anna’s sales and marketing background gave her a great foundation for her relationship skills and business management ability. Anna’s efforts equip our team with organized systems that are focused on outstanding customer service and consistent client care. She loves reading, spending time outdoors, nature photography, and cooking. She is married with two young boys. Anna is also fluent in Polish.

Lynn Marshall (Transaction Coordinator) Lynn has been working in real estate for over 23 years, most of which she spent on her family’s real estate team. She now translates her extensive knowledge and tradition of excellent customer care with her newest venture, “By George” Services, LLC. Lynn enjoys the beach, long walks and going to the movies with her husband, Joe of 27 years. She has one grown daughter who is a recent NC State graduate living in Raleigh.

THE LIFE OF A SOLO REALTOR

Working as a solo Realtor can be daunting! There are so many tasks to be done with every transaction. As a matter of fact, it has been documented that every single real estate transaction consists of over 100 components. This makes the solo agent a “Jack-of-all-trades,” and forces them to wear many hats throughout the day. It's very challenging for any one person to handle all of these tasks if they want to provide exceptional services to more than one client.

WORKING WITH A REAL ESTATE TEAM What we’ve done at Jennifer Vick & Co. is put you, the client, in the center of our universe. We have the time and resources to handle all the details of your transaction from start to finish. As a team of highly skilled specialists, we each focus on a part of the transaction, enabling us to provide great customer service and be available for you. If one of us is in an appointment, there is always another team member available to assist you. To top it off, we’ve surrounded ourselves with great vendors including lenders, inspectors, handymen, plumbers and nearly any other resource you might need when buying a home.

Our Mission Statement, Vision and Values Mission: Build community through exceptional real estate experiences Vision: Creating abundant lives through relationships, education, and giving back

Our values help others achieve their DREAMS through… Delivery of the very best customer service Relationships with our clients Empowerment to give back to community Authenticity in everything we do Mastery in our skills

Systems that make things simple

Partner With A Realtor Get Pre-Approved for a Loan Find Your New Home Make Your Offer and Negotiate Terms

BUYER'S CHECKLIST

Be prepared with our step-by-step guide

Under Contract Before You Close Closing Day: What to Bring Closing Day

Partner With A Realtor Absorb their local insight Get to know the neighborhood inventory levels See what's about to hit the market Gain access to off-market properties Review market data Complete needs assessment

Get Pre-Approved For a Loan Understand what you can afford Determine your monthly mortgage payment

Find Your New Home

Understand your debt ratio

Set up an online home search

Prepare for closing

Favorite homes of interest

Obtain a pre-approval

Nix homes that don't meet the mark

Your Realtor will schedule showings Decide on your dream home

Make your offer

Discuss and review contract terms Negotiate purchase price Choose a closing attorney Prepare for down payment Choose a target closing date Sign the offer Deliver earnest money Deliver due diligence

PRO TIP: Use a local lender! We have many we can recommend.

TOP THREE MUST HAVES

1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________

We provide your lender with a copy of the contract Acquire home insurance Schedule home inspection ($500-$1000) Your lender orders appraisal ($500-$700) The attorney conducts a title search Our team schedules your closing Solidify both contract effective and allowable move-in dates Certify funds for closing Stay in close contact with your Realtor, lender and attorrney

Under Contract

Before You Close

Contact your closing attorney for wiring instructions and follow all instructions closely Reserve a moving company and set a moving date Change your address through USPS, your bank, and other instances Set up utilities to be activated or transferred for day of closing Confirm all negotiated repairs have been completed and all receipts have been provided Our team schedules the final property walk-through Stay in close contact with our team, lender and closing attoney

Closing Day What To Bring: Confirm wire transfer Government-issued photo ID Your checkbook (just in case)

Get ready to sign Closing disclosures, loan documents, and many more Save all your paperwork Once the transaction is funded, the deed is recorded

CONGRATULATIONS You are officially a homeowner and you get your keys

Home Inspection Congratulations! You are Under Contract and it is time for your home inspection!

The inspector will look for issues within the home that are defective, not up to code, or hazardous Inspectors are "generalists" who know "a little about a lot of things" They will give you a full inspection report within 24 hours We will review the inspection report together and submit a repair request to the listing agent You can add-on a Radon and/or Termite Inspection

PRO TIP: Bring your tape measure and an open mind!

Due Diligence Period

You are entitled to do all desired appraisals, investigations, examinations, and inspections to assure you would like to proceed with the purchase including but not limited to: Appraisal Property inspection Termite inspection Radon inspection Review of property documents Review of loan documents Utility information Zoning and Governmental Regulation Insurance Streets & Roads School assignments

Approximate Closing Costs $750 Attorney Fees 0-1% Mortgage Lender Fees Tax Escrow $1500-$3000 Homeowners Insurance $2500 Title Fees $500-$600 Appraisal $750 Survey $225 Compass Transaction Fee for Compliance $150 Recording Fee $50 Credit Report $75 Flood Fee *Please note that this closing cost list is an approximation and your final closing costs are determined by your lender and attorney- they vary buyer to buyer, based on your loan fees, tax amount, etc. This is purely a guide and are not exact amounts.

WORK WITH COMPASS, THE #1 INDEPENDENT REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE IN THE COUNTRY

Private Exclusive Advantage Private Exclusive: A Private Exclusive listing is an off-market home that can be shared by a Compass agent with their Compass colleagues directly. Property details aren’t disseminated and won’t appear on public home search websites. Our buyer agents are able to share these listings with you before they ever hit the market. With such low inventory, this program gives our clients a big edge over other homebuyers.

Bridge Loan Services Compass Bridge Loan Services provides access to competitive rates and dedicated support from well established industry lenders, with the exclusive option to get up to six months of your bridge loan payments fronted when you sell your home with a Compass agent.

What’s a bridge loan? A bridge loan is a short-term loan that uses the equity from your current home to help you make an offer on a new one, without rushing to sell. After months of research, Compass has selected lenders that are offering competitive rates and dedicated service for Compass clients. Already working with a lender you love? No problem. This unique solution lets you choose the provider that works best for you.

Work with a Compass agent to sell your current home and get up to six months of your bridge loan payments and other associated costs fronted — an exclusive offering for Compass clients, regardless of the lender you use.

TESTIMONIALS "My wife and I were blown away with the job Jennifer and her team did. Jennifer knew what a prospective buyer would want. Her spot-on recommendations and help with the work resulted in our home going under contract 5 days BEFORE we went on the market and for above asking price!" "I used Jennifer Vick & Co. for two real estate transactions in the past year. Both times, everyone I worked with was professional, responsive and most importantly to me, knew the market and how to get the sale done (from both sides). Truthfully, they made both transactions as simple as possible. I highly recommend this team!"

"Jennifer and her team worked tirelessly throughout the process, keeping us informed every step of the way."

"Jennifer and Lizi are a dream team to work with and they don't stop just because you have sold and bought. They sealed us as forever clients by continuing to advocate and work for us when needs arise before, during, and after selling/buying. They think of everything and really make it a seamless process."

"Jennifer Vick & Co. went above and beyond with my husband and I to help us in the purchase of our first home. They were reponsive, thorough, and helped put our mind at ease when any worries arose. Her team is always courteous and quick to help throughout the entire process. Lizi was an absolute joy to work with - truly recommend her as your agent!" "As first time homebuyers, we were so pleased with our partnership with Jennifer Vick & Co. at Keller Williams Ballantyne. From making the offer, to the contract, inspections, etc...all the way through - everything went off without a hitch and on schedule. We appreciate all the team effort."

"We highly recommend Jennifer and her team. My home had been listed for 3 months with no offers. Jennifer made some minor changes, relisted and my home sold in 12 hours! Closing happened in less than 30 days. Cannot say enough good things about this group and their level of professionalism." "We can’t say enough about Jennifer Vick and her team. They made the home buying and selling process easy every step of the way. They go above and beyond by providing topnotch referrals for every service you need and even helps to schedule them. They are dedicated, responsive, and we always felt they had our best interests in mind. We highly recommended Jennifer Vick & Co. and could not be happier!

"In all my years of real estate transactions, I don't think I've had a more smoother, convenient, or attentive real estate person OR experience!"

HOW WE GIVE BACK Closing For A Cause

We hope that you'll choose our team to help you achieve your real estate goals. As part of our thank you at closing we will make a donation on your behalf to a charitable organization that helps those less fortunate find shelter in their time of need. Helping you reach your dreams allows us to help others in our own community.

Families Forward Charlotte partners with area families who are currently living in poverty. They provide individualized mentoring, educational opportunities, and essential support as they walk alongside each family on their journey towards long-term stability and economic mobility. Services include weekend food packs for families in insecure food households.

Since 1989, A Child's Place has grown to serve over 2,000 children in our community and is the only nonprofit organization in Charlotte focused specifically on the success of children whose families are experiencing homelessness and generational poverty. Over 78% of funding dollars are put back into programming to help local children in need.

Habitat for Humanity partners with local individuals and companies to help build or improve homes for those in need. Qualifying Habitat homeowners to help build their own homes along with volunteers and are then set up to pay an affordable mortgage. Habitat also offers critical home repair services to upfit existing homes to meet modern standards.

Humane Society is a private nonprofit organization that helps to place animals into new and loving homes. They believe no healthy, treatable, and behaviorally sound animal should have to be put down and have maintained a 99.9% live release rate. The organization provides shelter for animals in need, offers adoption services for those animals, and was the first low-cost spay/neuter clinic in the Southeast.

CONNECT WITH US Phone: 704.284.7674 Email: info@jennifervickco.com

Agents: Jennifer Vick Phone: 704.564.2808 Email: jennifer@jennifervickco.com

Lizi Cruz Phone: 704.604.7060 Email: lizi@jennifervickco.com

Allison Vaden Phone: 704.747.7084 Email: allison@jennifervickco.com

Leize Watkins Phone: 980.621.5110 Email: leize@jennifervickco.com

Administrative: Anna McMahon- Operations Phone: 704.617.6302 Email: anna@jennifervickco.com

Lynn Marshall Phone: 704.562.8263 Email: lynn@bygeorgeservices.com

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Our team at Jennifer Vick & Co. are fully committed to serving you throughout the buying process and beyond.