We always suggest that our clients get to know their current credit score before taking any further steps. Your credit score plays a major role in getting the best financing terms, so you’ll want to be sure that your credit history is accurate and that you are a qualified lender to resolve any credit issues before beginning the financing process.

Mortgage lenders look closely at your debt-to-income ratio to determine the loan amount for which you will qualify, so it’s important that your information is accurate and up to date. Your lender will need to know all of your monthly debts–including student loans, car payments, credit card payments, and any other monthly financials–before the pre-qualification process.

When meeting with a lender, you may need to provide your previous year’s tax returns, employment verification forms, and/or previous bank statements. It’s best to have these things ready so there’s no delay or interruption to your home buying; it will also be important to have any other investment information available to provide to a lender as they may influence the type of residential loan product you’ll be using.

With all your financial records in hand, it’s time to find a reliable mortgage lender. The Schneider Group team can make recommendations for lenders that our clients love and that are ethical and professional. Once found, be sure to ask your lender about all loan programs available to you, including Bank Statement loans, Asset-Based loans, Veterans Association (VA) loans, and any other residential loan products for which you may qualify.

Receiving mortgage pre-approval is the first big step in purchasing a new home, as this will need to be submitted with any offer put on your new home–and having this in hand before beginning your search helps us to move swiftly once you’ve identified your ideal property. Sellers typically pay close attention to your pre-approval letter and who it’s from.

This is where we come in! Although we can advise on Phase 1, this is where our work truly begins. You should always choose a broker that you trust and feel comfortable with as they’ll be your guide from finding a home all the way through negotiations, title review and signing your closing documents.

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In a metropolitan area with many unique neighborhood, it’s important to know where you want to live. Our team will help you determine which neighborhoods to shop in based on your lifestyle and priorities, whether it’s in the city, suburbs or a rural area.

Explore just a few of the neighborhoods we serve.

Buying a new home is a team effort. We use our vast network of local brokers and the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) to find homes–whether on- or off-market–that meet your criteria, then coordinate showings to get you in to see the properties.

Seeing a house in person is an exciting and critically important step in the home-buying process. Your broker will schedule the tour and walk through with you to discuss your options and provide professional, experienced insight.

Once you find your dream house, it’s almost time to move into the buying phase! With our understanding of the market, we’ll help you decide on an appropriate offer and negotiate with the seller’s agent. With our knowledge of individual markets and various other factors, we know when you need to move quickly and competitively – and when you don’t.

As part of submitting your initial offer, several different negotiations take place. In addition to price, your broker will be negotiating on several other contractual terms, including: Due diligence deadlines, appraisal conditions, inspection and repair terms, financing terms and title issues.

Similar to a down payment, earnest money will need to be provided to the designated earnest money holder, typically within 72 hours of the mutual execution of the contract. Your earnest money will be safe as long as all deadlines negotiated and agreed upon in the contract are honored. We’ll help you get it into the proper hands and keep it safe through the escrow period.

Home inspections are a crucial part of the buying process. This is one of the first steps we like to take before proceeding with the rest of contract so we not only make sure you’re not making a bad investment, but that we protect your earnest money and the rest of the finances involved in the buying process (such as the cost of an appraisal). We’ll help you find a reliable inspector, interpret the inspection report, and negotiate repairs to be made by the seller based on the findings.

Lenders will require an appraisal of the property to ensure the loan amount is appropriate to the value of the property. Once the inspection terms are agreed upon, we’ll work with your lender to order the appraisal, the appraiser for which is a third-party entity chosen by the lender.

Congratulations! Once all negotiations related to the due diligence period are complete, and the mortgage company has funded the loan, it’s time to close the transaction and claim your new home. At this step, The Schneider Group brokers will sit down with you at the closing table to facilitate the closing process – and of course, help you celebrate!