Our First Meeting
Having a clear understanding and vision of your goals, needs, and financial capacity when it comes to buying a home is a great way to start your journey. Whether you’re sick of paying rent or are in a place to settle down and have more control of your living space, homeownership is also a great investment that also allows you to build equity over time. In addition, the tax benefits of homeownership can provide a considerable advantage over renting. Choosing the right home starts with you, but we will be right by your side the entire process.
Financial Preparation
Build your ‘Green File’. A green file contains all your important financial documents. You’ll need it to secure financing for your home.
Check your credit rating. Your credit score will have a huge impact on what type of home you can buy, and at what price. Check your credit rating with a credit reporting agency such as Equifax, Experian or Trans Union.
Be careful with your finances. Now is not a good time to make sudden career changes or large purchases. You want to approach home buying from a position of financial stability.
Determining Where to Live
Having a team of agents who have lived in countless neighborhoods in Southern California, we have the knowledge to help you understand the lifestyle you are trying to achieve and how to guide you to a perfect community for you.
Finding The Perfect Home
Use our "Explore Southern California" search feature to select a few homes that interest you the most and have Costa make appointments to visit them. He will investigate the potential costs of maintenance and repairs on the homes listed.
Making an Offer
Costa Bargeliotes Realty along with Keller Williams has a unique advantage over other real estate agents in Southern California. Having a solid reputation and history of seamless transactions, other agents look forward to working with us. We’ll want to review comparable home sales in the area and discuss attractive offer strategies.
Title Company & Escrow Holder
Buying or selling real estate usually involves the transfer of large sums of money. It is imperative that a neutral third party handles the transfer of funds and related documents from one party to another. It is essential that all conditions of the sale are met before the property and money change hands.
Inspection of the Property
Once your offer is accepted by the seller, you’ll need to have professional inspectors evaluate your home’s major systems. We may recommend other inspections, such as roof, chimney/fireplace, pest control, property boundary survey, pool/spa, or mold to make sure you're aware of any issues in advance.
Closing—Almost There
A few days before you take over the property, we’ll do one last inspection to make sure everything is in order.
When your transaction is nearly completed, the title company will provide you with a “closing statement” that details all of the financial details of your home purchase.
We will go over this with you to ensure its accuracy. At the last step in the buying process, the title company will have you sign the final documents, including loan documents.
Moving in
We can help you with any of the details of your move and settling in. We have a large network of trusted experts we can bring in, including: movers, home designers, painters, electricians, etc.
You will want to set up all of the necessary utilities in your name. This will include: electricity, water/sewer, phone, internet, security system, and other services in your area. If there is a HOA you’ll want to contact the office/point of contact as well. We can assist and provide phone numbers of preferred venders for whatever is needed.
