Page 4 - How To Buy A Home with Cat Stevens RVG
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Call or text Cat Stevens with questions 502-888-3991 www.RiverValleyGroup.com
Timeline for Buying a House
While there are no absolutes on a time frame for buying a home, there are some general guidelines that
can help with your overall planning. These time frames are based on our experiences in the Southern
Indiana market and could be different if you bought a house in another city. In the spring and summer,
you will need to move quickly in writing an offer so that you can get your first choice. The best homes sell
the fastest, sometimes within hours of coming on the market. In the fall and winter, you may have the
luxury of a bit more time to view homes before making a decision, as they are less likely to sell quickly.
2-4 months from moving-in date:
■ Develop a personal checklist including what you’re looking for in your new home, your budget, and other
details. Use this workbook to help define your goals.
■ Start the mortgage pre-approval process. A mortgage loan officer (also called a lending officer) helps you
apply for the loan. The lender is the bank that loans you the money. You can go straight to a bank or go
through a mortgage broker who compares different banks across the country to find the best loan program
to fit your needs.
■ Hire an agent from RVG. I will spend time with you listening to what you want and I will thoroughly explain
the homebuying process.
■ Begin your home search! You can use my website, rivervalleygroup.com, to search for available homes.
It connects to the entire MLS, a database of all homes for sale in Southern Indiana no matter which real
estate company has it listed.
1-2 months from moving-in date:
■ See the houses in person. I can set up appointments to view homes on your schedule.
■ Choose a home; one that “feels just right.”
30-45 days from moving-in date:
■ Make an offer on the house you like best! I will help you through the offer process, paragraph by paragraph.
When the offer is accepted, it becomes your purchase contract.
■ Choose home inspectors, have the home inspected within the time written in your offer, and then either A)
accept the house as it is B) ask the seller to make repairs, or C) cancel the contract. It is your responsibility
to call the home inspectors and termite inspectors, etc. Make sure you get the inspections done according
to the number of days in the contract. Inspections are not required by Southern Indiana law, but I strongly
recommend one.
■ Arrange homeowner’s insurance. Call an insurance agent immediately after the offer is accepted.
■ Call moving companies and make moving arrangements.
■ Monitor the mortgage process and give your documents to the lender as needed. Check with them once a
week to see what other documents they may need.
■ Arrange any school transfers/registrations.
Keller Williams Realty Consultants - How to Buy a Home in Southern Indiana 2