BUYING
You’re ready to buy - or maybe you're just ready to start seriously thinking about buying. There’s a lot you can do to prepare. With so much information available at your fingertips it can be hard to know where to begin, so here are a few things to help you get started.
01 Determine a price range
Step one is finding out your budget for your new home. The best way to do that is to meet with a mortgage professional who will review your income, assets, and credit history in order to pre-approve you for a loan. Not only does getting pre-approved allow you to narrow your home search, but it also makes your offer stronger when it comes time to buy.
02 Make a wish list
Imagine your ideal home then make a list of everything you envisioned, such as the number of beds/baths, the style of home, and location. Then break that list down into high-priority items you can’t live without and lower-priority things that would be an added bonus.
03 Start your searching
Once you know how much you can afford and what you’re looking for in a home, it’s time to start your search. And the best place to start is online. Consider setting up a MyWindermere account so you’re notified every time something new comes on the market that fits your search parameters.
04 Count on me
I take my responsibility of helping my clients through the buying journey very seriously. I realize this is probably one of the largest financial purchases you’ll ever make, and you can count on me to be your guide, your counselor, and your fiercest advocate every step of the way.
Houghton | SOLD
Houghton | SOLD
Kirkland | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Sunset Hill | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Green Lake | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Beaver Lake | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Seattle | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Seattle | SOLD
Seattle | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Mercer Island | SOLD
Magnolia | SOLD
Green Lake | SOLD
You're ready to buy. What now?
You’re ready to buy - or maybe you're just ready to start seriously thinking about buying. There’s a lot you can do to prepare. With so much information available at your fingertips it can be hard to know where to begin, so here are a few things to help you get started.
When making an offer on a home, I will negotiate on your behalf in order to attain the best terms for you. This can include negotiating the price, repair costs, timelines, and contingencies.
This is the legal contract a buyer and seller enter into once the buyer’s offer has been accepted by the seller. It outlines the terms and conditions of the sale and is signed by both parties.
Once the Purchase and Sale Agreement is signed, a home inspector is hired to examine the home’s health, safety, and major mechanical systems. If any issues arise from an inspection, the buyer may be able to renegotiate their offer.
After your offer is accepted, the next step is to get final loan approval. During this process the lender will decide if they’re willing to approve your mortgage based on things like your creditworthiness and the title history and appraisal of the home you want to buy.
This is a report for you and your lender detailing the history of the home you’re buying to ensure there are no legal barriers to purchasing it.
This is when you agree to pay a percentage of the home’s asking price into an independent account to show the seller that you’re serious about buying. In return, they agree to take the home off the market. When the sale closes that money is put toward the down payment or closing costs.
During this final step of the home-buying process, ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer, closing costs are paid, and a number of documents are signed. After closing is finalized and recorded, the home is yours!
Explore Communities
"Russ Katz went above and beyond to support, educate, and communicate with us throughout the buying of our new home and selling of our previous home. His extensive local knowledge of Magnolia, understanding of the current market, and how to navigate the many steps of the process allowed us to have complete confidence in each decision that had to be made. We truly appreciated Russ’ professionalism, constant communication, and compassion for those anxious moments. We highly recommend Russ, couldn’t have been happier with our experience, and will definitely work with him again in the future."
Seller & Buyer | Magnolia, WA
"Russ was a tremendous agent for us, bringing a wealth of local knowledge as well as valuable advice as we sold our home under a tight timeline in the face of international relocation for work. He was a great listener and used his experience to help us navigate the selling of our home with care and efficiency. Would recommend him to anyone!"
Seller | Magnolia, WA
"Russ knows the Seattle market well. He helped me both buy my house and sell my house over the years. In both situations, he’s helpful in sharing industry knowledge and leveraging his local contacts. I would highly recommend him!"
Seller & Buyer | Queen Anne, WA
"Very helpful through the whole process. Our first time selling a house so there were a lot of questions (and I'm a fairly detailed person) and he willing to answer them all. Provided some helpful contacts for a few items needing attention prior to sale. Very happy!"
Seller | Fremont, WA
"We were looking for a home in an unfamiliar city (Seattle = crazy housing market) from Japan. Russ did a great job of offering a balanced perspective on potential neighborhoods. His familiarity and history with Seattle is an asset when trying to understand where would be a good fit for our family. Throughout the entire process, I felt like Russ provided great support and expertise. Highly recommend!"
Buyer | Admiral, WA
"Russ helped my family find our 'just right' home and relocate back to the PNW after living out of state for over 15 years. Russ demonstrated extensive knowledge about the greater Seattle area and was extremely patient as we navigated a variety of different areas, school districts, and houses. He was also quite savvy negotiating offers in this incredibly intense, fast-moving housing market. Russ continued to be very helpful throughout the closing and was super supportive getting us up and running in the new house."
Buyer | Mercer Island, WA
"Russ handled all the details, awesome realtor! He had all the necessary resources to sell our house quickly, at his fingertips. All details went smoothly."
Seller | Magnolia, WA
"Great depth of knowledge and service. Would recommend Russ both for buying and selling a home. Russ has good insights and data that helped us make informed decisions."
Seller & Buyer | Magnolia, WA
"Russ was extremely helpful from the initial planning phase through closing on the sale of our home. He has a wealth of knowledge of the Seattle market and professional contacts to aid in home prep. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Russ to anyone."
Seller | Fremont, WA
