Why work with us:

* Because we are a family owned company with your interest as our primary concern
* We can help you find the right house for your family at a price that fits your budget
* Once you have selected you new home, we will work with you throught the entire process
* We can save you time, money and headaches because we are professionals in our field
* Our agents are knowledgeable about the neighborhoods where you are looking for your new home. 

Below are the steps to purchasing a home.  The following information is provided to you as an introduction to the purchasing process on Staten Island.  

Step 1.  Speak with a local, reputable Mortgage Lender/Broker to get yourself prequalified for a mortgage.  This will help both you and your agent to search with confidence for the home you've been looking for.  This also shows the seller that you are qualified, and serious about the purchase.  See "Services" Page for local recommendations.

Step 2.  Choose a local attorney. An attorney who specializes in Real Estate would be most beneficial.  Once you acquire your attorney, you can speak to him/her in depth as to the particulars of your specific deal.  You may want to discuss your downpayment with your attorney, time issues, etc.

Step 3.  Find the home.  Get out there with your agent and search.  This should be an enjoyable experience. We will stop at nothing to find you the house of your dreams.  It might be the 1st house you walk into , or the 20th house, but nonetheless, we are here to find it regardless how long it takes.  

Step 4.  Make an offer.  This is why your prequalification letter is crucial.  This will make your deal stand out to the seller when multiple offers are presented. This shows strength and will be taken very seriously.  Once your offer is accepted...

Step 5.  Set up an engineer report.  You can find a list of home inspectors in the yellow pages.  Make sure you find one who will also do a termite inspection as well.  Once the report is done, you take the completed report to your attorney for reveiw of any issues that may be of concern.  He will in turn tell you how to handle it, or possibly speak to the other attorney and obtain a credit, or have some of the repairs done by the seller.  

Step 6. Once the engineer report is settled and the contracts are out, the buyer signs first.  You will bring a percentage of your downpayment to the contract signing. This amount is determined by your attorney.  Once the contract is signed by the buyer, its sent over to the sellers' attorney's office for the seller to sign.  At this point, the seller will come in and sign the contract, then its time....

Step 7. For you to get the ball rolling with your mortgage.  You will need a copy of the fully executed contract for your bank or mortgage  broker.  The loan processing can take anywhere from 10 to 45 days, depending on your individual situation.  Your mortgage representative will guide you as to the steps in this process.

Step 8.  Once the bank issues the commitment letter, the closing is coming soon...  We begin final preparations for the closing.  The mortgage broker will guide you as to your last minute documents that need to be submitted, he will make sure your rate is not expiring, and will work with the bank to get the closing scheduled.

Step 9. Once a closing date is scheduled, we set up a walkthrough. We go to your prospective home and walk through  to make sure any appliances or fixtures that were being left, are there. We also want to make sure the central air and/or heating systems are in working order. You may run faucets, and flush toilets to make sure everything appears to be draining correctly.  Report any inconsistencies to your attorney immediately.

Step 10.   Close on the house. Congratulations! You made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can email me any questions you may have on this process at aplace2live@aol.com