Buyer Guide for Diane Smith

YOUR HOME MATTERS I believe in going above and beyond to provide top tier service & exceptional client experience.

Don’t make the wrong move by choosing the wrong agent. My name is Diane Smith, with Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company.

I grew up in Northern Michigan… in Traverse City and moved to Georgia after college. Prior to real estate, I was an HR Manager for an Orthopedic Surgery Center in Hattiesburg, MS. This is where I learned to LOVE helping others become familiar and comfortable with new surroundings. When I moved here I fell in LOVE with Augusta. Now, I have the pleasure of showing others why.

I LOVE to build long lasting relationships with my clients and help them find a home that meets their specific needs. I am committed to providing my clients with quality service and trusted advice each and every time. When you work with me, you work with a personable and professional real estate agent who’s invested beyond the sale.

Participating in our community, through my neighborhood, church, and area schools is one of my favorite ways to give back. It also allows me to have valuable, first-hand experience and knowledge with all the resources, events, and local insights my clients may need.

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and our dogs, playing tennis, or watching sports. And I won’t pass on a good Happy Hour!

If you have any questions about real estate in the CSRA contact me so you can make a well-informed decision about your next investment. Let me help you make the right move!

IN-HOUSE MORTGAGE

Ready to answer questions and help you make your dream home a reality.

IN-HOUSE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

We offer efficient and reliable property management services for hassle-free ownership.

WE SUPPORT FIRST RESPONDERS

Ready to answer questions and help you make your dream home a reality

WE GIVE BACK

For over a century, we’ve invested in our community and its efforts to grow and expand. We will continue to invest back into the community.

IN-HOUSE INSURANCE

You’ve worked hard to get here let us help you keep it safe and protected.

IN-HOUSE MARKETING TEAM

We boast a full-service marketing team, each member holding advanced degrees in their respective fields.

WE KNOW LUXURY

We’re the ONLY brokerage in the CSRA that’s Well Connected in the luxury market on a global scale.

WE’RE A LEGACY

Our legacy is built on our core values of honesty, integrity, and service. We believe in the Golden Rule and always doing what’s right.

IN-HOUSE COMMERCIAL SERVICES

We offer strategic commercial real estate solutions for modern businesses.

IN-HOUSE RELOCATION

Through our affiliation with LeadingRE, we’re able to move our clients ANYWHERE in the world!

WE INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY

We believe in working SMARTER not HARDER. Our brokerage has a large array of tools and technology to ensure timely and accurate service.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Meet some of my happy clients

We have used Diane to buy and sell houses over the last decade, and each time has been a great experience. The last two homes that we sold with her were under contract within days of being listed. She is a great asset to have, and we consider her to be a true friend!

Diane is a go getter! She makes sure every detail is addressed and completed with urgency. She is very knowledgeable and ensured that I was well informed of every step of the purchasing process. I highly recommend Diane Smith!

Diane was beyond helpful. A true professional who thought of us at every turn. We would recommend her wholeheartedly, without reservation.

Diane Is the best! Very knowledgeable and went to bat for me, the seller, every step of the way.

Mrs. Diane was awesome, she recommended decisions that were in our best interest and kept us informed. She sold our property in a week.

Working with Diane was amazing. My husband and I moved from across the country and couldn’t see the house in person at first. Diane went above and beyond to look at different locations for us and give her honest opinions about what she believed would be best for our needs. It felt like she wanted us to find a home that our family needed, and not just trying to sell us a house to make a sale. She was a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend her.

Great support during the sales process and follow through on open items.

1

INTERVIEW Find the right Real Estate Agent for you

2

PRE-APPROVAL

Meet with a lender and get a pre-approval letter

7

Inspections

Schedule inspections and negotiate any repair requests and issues from inspection

8

Financing

Order appraisal and obtain homeowners insurance

3

SEARCH

Begin your online home search

6

Under Contract Deposit earnest money and complete loan application

4

Showings

We will set up showings and view the homes you are interested in

5

Offer

After finding the right home, we will put in a strong offer and negotiate the terms of the contract

9 10

Last Steps

Receive clear to close from lender and perform final walk-through before closing

Closing

Hooray! Time to get your keys and celebrate your home!

THE DIANE SMITH EXPERIENCE

THE HOME BUYING TIMELINE OUR SIGNATURE PROCESS

STEP ONE

Meet with a Professional

Before you even begin the home buying process, I suggest that you sit down with a lender and get pre-approved. Together, you will determine the best mortgage type for your situation, as well as how much house you will be able to afford, within your budget.

STEP TWO

Pre-Approval

After you have met with your lender, we can sit down and discuss the type of home you’re looking for. We will discuss style, price, location, and any other features that you find important for your home.

STEP THREE

Search and Showing

Now the fun part! I will set you up on a custom client search that will send you every available home that meets your criteria. From there, I will schedule showings and we will go view the homes that you are interested in.

STEP FOUR

Make an Offer

After finding the right home, we will discuss important factors and criteria needed to submit a strong offer. We will discuss offer price, inspection time period, financial contingencies, etc.

STEP FIVE

Negotiation and Contract

The seller will have the opportunity to accept, reject or counter your offer. I will help you understand all the terms of the contract to decide the best course of action for securing your home on terms that work for you.

STEP SIX

Escrow

You will deposit to agreed upon earnest money. You will schedule any inspections during the time period negotiated in the contract and will negotiate any repair requests you would like the seller to make.

STEP SEVEN

Final Details

The mortgage lender will typically order an appraisal to determine the value of the home. I will educate you on your rights as a buyer and will offer you alternative routes to take if the appraisal should come back low in value.

STEP EIGHT

The Closing

After your loan has been processed you will receive the clear to close from your lender. We will perform the final walk-through before closing. After you sign the documents, it’s time to celebrate because your home purchase is now complete.

FINANCES

Before you officially begin your home search, I always recommend to begin with talking to a lender and getting pre-approved. A lender will be able to answer all of your questions regarding finances and give you a clear understanding of the exact price range you will be pre-approved for and an estimate of the expenses to expect.

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN INTERVIEWING POTENTIAL LENDERS:

What is the best type of loan for me?

Do I qualify for any special discounts or loan programs?

What interest rate can you offer?

When can you lock in my rate?

What fees can I expect from you?

What are my estimated closing costs?

COSTS TO CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING A HOME

CLOSING COSTS

Closing fees can include lender’s fees, survey fees, and document preparation fees.

DOWN PAYMENT

Down payment will be determined by the loan type and lender.

EARNEST MONEY

Earnest money is an upfront deposit that gets applied to your down payment or closing costs at the time of closing.

ESCROW FUNDS

Your lender will collect these funds at closing to ensure there’s enough money in your account to pay tax and insurance bills as they come due.

HOME INSPECTION

All inspections are based on buyer discretion, and typically cost between $500 - $1,000.

INSURANCE

You will have the option to shop for homeowner’s insurance before closing. This amount will be escrowed into the monthly payment for the loan if using a mortgage.

PROPERTY TAX

The amount will vary with location. This amount will be escrowed into the monthly payment for the loan if using a mortgage.

HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION (HOA) DUES

If you are moving somewhere with HOA dues, you may be required to pay a year’s worth at closing.

HOME WARRANTY

A Home Warranty is an annual contract with a third party company covering repairs/replacements on systems and appliances in your home, These can sometimes be purchased within 30 days of closing and can be extended year after year. Will not cover known defects.

YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCES

IMPORTANT INFO

What other factors will influence your decision and why? Describe your dream home. (School Zones, distance to work, specific neighborhoods, etc.)

What features are important to you in your new home? What did you like or dislike in past homes you’ve lived in?

What are the must-haves in your new home?

What are the deal breakers in a new home?

What can I do to give you the best experience? What do you like least about realtors?

Why are these features important to you? Any specifics not mentioned above:

YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCES

MUST HAVE CHECKLIST

What’s Important To You?

Kitchen

Island

Updated countertops

Walk in Pantry

Updated cabinets

Breakfast nook

Updated appliances

Main Living Area

Walk-in closet

Split floor plan

Storage space

Owners Suite on main floor

Two story Foyer

Bathrooms

Double Vanities

Bathtub

Updated bathroom

Walk in shower

Guest bathroom

Additional Features

Hardwood floors

Fireplace

Office

Formal dining room

Open floor plan

Front porch

Separate laundry area

Parking space

STEP ONE

FINDING YOUR HOME HOME SEARCH

Starting The Home Search

After you speak with a lender and get pre-approved, we will begin your online home search. I will set you up on an automated search on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and reach out to other realtors and potential sellers about what you are looking for.

STEP TWO

We will discuss your ideal price range, your must-haves list, deal breakers, location preferences, school districts, and all of the other factors that will help me to best help you during the home search period.

STEP THREE

When you decide you are interested in a home, we will schedule a showing to view the home in person. If you decid it meets your criteria, we will write an offer for the home. When we get an accepted offer, you will be Under Contract.

Services I Will Provide As Your Buyer Agent - Our Value To You

Market Experts - Our team is trained to go above and beyond to provide outstanding service. We will show you homes that fulfill your dream. When you find a home you love, we are prepared to write solid offers and negotiate a great price and terms that work for you!

Teamwork - Our team is here to listen and keep you on track through the entire process. We have many recommended resources and vendors to help you through your home buying journey, and beyond!

Communication - We will help you navigate through the entire process. We can help you schedule inspections and review them with you. We will negotiate repairs and monitor your mortgage to make sure it’s on track. We will communicate with the Seller’s agent and all involved parties from start to finish to ensure a seamless experience.

Customized Auto Search - I will set up a customized auto search through our website that will notify you right away when homes come on the market that meet your criteria and contact other agents for their coming

No Stress - When you hire our team to represent you, we do whatever it takes to remove as much stress as possible. We only work with a small number of great clients at a time, to ensure a personal touch.

Schedule - I schedule showing efficiently, mapping out routes. Some sellers may have showings restrictions that we need to accommodate. I will preview homes for you too! I can arrange meetings with new home builders or For Sales By Owner properties.

Research - I will research the value of comparable properties recently sold in the area. I recommend you drive through the area during different times of the day / night to get a feel for the neighborhood.

Resources - I can provide you with resources to get information such as crime states, schools, etc.

OFFERS & NEGOTIATIONS

Presenting a Strong Offer

Before we begin writing an offer, we will need to gather some documents and discuss some important details.

Multiple Offer Situations

It's more common than ever to see homes go into multiple offer situations. This means that your offer is not the only offer on the table for the sellers. Here are some of my best tips to win a multiple offer situation...

• Submit your Pre-Approval letter with your offer

• Have your lender call the listing agent to share your Pre-Approval details

• Make a cash offer if possible

• Offer more than the asking price

• Be flexible with your closing date

• Pay for all Closing costs

• Offer a higher amount for the Escrow deposit so the seller knows that you are serious

• Keep your offer clean when it comes to contingencies and don't ask for any that are not a deal-breaker for you

Escrow

Congrats! We are almost there. You will turn in your earnest money, we will get inspections scheduled, negotiate repairs, and move forward with your loan application. The entire process from contract to close typically takes between 30-45 days.

INSPECTION PERIOD FINDING YOUR HOME

Types of Potential Inspections

Based on your discretion:

(Typically between $500 - $1,000)

Home Inspection

Roof inspection

Termite Inspection

HVAC Inspection

Mold Inspection

Lead Based Paint Inspection

Inspection Time Period

The typical inspection period is between 7-14 days.

It is critical that we begin scheduling the inspections you choose to have done as soon as we are under contract on your potential new home. This will ensure that we do not run out of time or have any delays in the process.

Recommended Home Inspectors

I can recommend Home Inspectors that I know and trust or ask your colleagues or friends for their recommendations.

Home Inspectors know “a little” about “a lot” of things. They complete a thorough “Head and Shoulders” look of the home. Inspectors will recommend that an expert looks further into anything that they may be unsure of or a repair that requires a licensed professional.

PREPARING FOR CLOSING

Buying Your Home

Loan Application & Appraisal

You will typically have 3-5 days after the contract has been executed to make application for your loan with your lender. The appraisal will be ordered by your lender after we have made our way through the inspection period . If your contract is contingent on the appraisal, this means that if the appraisal comes back lower than the offer you made, we will have an opportunity to negotiate the price once again.

Home Insurance

You will need to obtain a Homeowner’s Insurance Policy that will begin on the day of closing on your home. If you don’t already have an insurance company you plan to work with, I will be more than happy to provide you with recommendations.

Important Reminder

As excited as you may be to begin shopping around for furniture and all of the things that help make a house a home, don’t! Be careful during this period not to make any major purchases, open new lines of credit, or change jobs. If in doubt, be sure to ask me or your lender.

Clear To Close

These words are music to my ears, and yours too! This means that mortgage underwriter has approved your loan documents and we can confirm your closing date with the attorney.

“ Real Estate is not simply a job for me, it is my passion. I am dedicated to helping each and every one of my clients achieve their real estate goals and have an exceptional home buying experience.”

EMAIL

ALL ABOUT YOU

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

FULL NAME

WHENS YOUR BIRTHDAY

YOUR PARTNER’S NAME

HOME ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBER

CHILDREN’S NAME

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? WHAT KINDS?

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE COFFEE SPOT? WHATS YOUR GO TO DRINK THERE?

BEER OR WINE? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OR BRAND?

COFFEE OR TEA?

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT?

DO YOU LIKE TO COOK? IF YES, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH?

DO YOU HAVE ANY DIETARY RESTRICTIONS/ALLERGIES?

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 HOBBIES?

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS?

WHAT COMPANY DO YOU WORK FOR? WHAT IS YOUR TITLE?

WHERE IS YOUR HOMETOWN?

DO YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL? IF YES, WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ROOM IN THE HOUSE? WHY?

Thank you for choosing me to help you in the task of purchasing your home. I look forward to working with you to help you achieve all of your real estate goals.