Expertise. Communication. Integrity.
We excel in these areas in order to make your home buying process as smooth as possible.
Buying a home can be daunting...
We're here to guide you every step of the way.
Step 1: Contact Us
Before you do ANYTHING else, please send us a message or give us a call! We're happy to discuss the buying process, answer any questions, get you connected with one of our recommended lenders, and do whatever else we can to get you started off on the right foot. Starting strong is an important step if you want to be successful in buying a home!
Step 2: Prepare Financing
Now it's time to decide how you're going to finance your home purchase and figure out what your ACTUAL budget is. Will you be paying cash or using one of the many loan options available? No matter which route suits you best, getting pre-approved with one of our recommended lenders or having funds prepared will have you ready to act quickly and be competitive when it's time to make an offer. Another important step in preparing your financing is figuring out what your ACTUAL budget is. Just because you are pre-approved for a certain number, doesn't mean you WANT to spend that much or even that you can ACTUALLY afford that number comfortably. Figuring out your actual budget is vital and can start to give you an idea of what properties are realistic possibilities.
Step 3: Begin Your Search
The search begins! This is where the more information you can give us the better. Beyond just simple criteria such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage, we want to know what your ultimate plans and goals are for the property. Think location, architecture style, schools, recreation activites, and amenities (just to name a few). Anything that can help us understand exactly what you want allows us to better partner with you and craft an accurate search for your dream property. The more details you can provide, the more successful your search is going to be.
Step 4: Make Your Offer
So you found "the one". Crafting an offer that works for you but also allows you to remain competitive is key. Real estate contracts can be complicated, but we can simplify them for you and give you the BEST chance of getting your dream property, even in a highly competitive market. Not all offers are equal, but we use negotiation tactics that can make yours more competetive, no matter the situation.
Step 5: Win The Offer
Congratulations! We made it past the first major hurdle in the home buying process. Now the real work starts on our end.
Step 6: Due Dilligence
It's time to take care of any contingencies and details in your contract. The first step is collecting the earnest money deposit (EMD). This happens as soon as possible after your offer is accepted. The money will go into our escrow account to be held until closing. During this step, we will also make sure title work is started and any other contingencies in your contract are taken care of, such as inspections and appraisals. During this time, we will be available to answer any additional questions you have about the property, from easements to utility information and everything in between. This is a cruicial step in making sure everything is as it should be with your purchase!
Step 7: Prepare For Closing
We're almost there! Now, we make the final preparations for closing. Don't forget to transfer any utilities into your name, get your insurance lined up, schedule your final walkthrough (if you want to do one), and have all necessary funds ready to go for closing day. Remember that any funds for closing must be in the form of a cashier's check or wire transfer paid to the title company. Make sure you, as well as ANYONE ELSE ON THE DEED, is present at closing with their driver's license (or other photo ID). If anyone is not able to be present at the scheduled closing time, arrangements can be made to sign ahead of time, or even digitally in some cases.
Step 8: Purchase Your Home
Closing day! Time to sign on the dotted line and make your dreams come true. Just make sure you arrive at the title company 5 minutes early with all the necessary documentation if you are signing in person. Also, remember to let us know if you have any questions or concerns ahead of time because the closing table is NOT the place for vital property questions or additional negotiation.
Step 9: High Five
We made it! I hope you have the moving truck lined up. Now let's celebrate and enjoy the life you're building in your new home!
Buyer FAQ
Getting Started
Contact us! Give us a call text, email, send us a message on social media or through our website. We are ready to answer your questions!
Start with a free consultation. We’ll discuss your goals, budget, and must-haves, then create a step-by-step plan to find your dream home in the Upper Peninsula. Get in touch with us to set up an appointment at your earliest convenience!
Yes! Pre-approval strengthens your offer, helps you know your budget, and shows sellers you’re a serious buyer. Truthfully, a seller likely won’t consider your offer without one. Contact us for a free consultation and we will connect you with trusted local lenders tailored to your situation.
It varies depending on time of year, inventory, and your specific needs. Most buyers complete the process within 6 to 12 weeks, but we’ve closed deals as fast as one week (this is difficult). Sometimes it takes time to find the perfect home, so we also have clients we’ve been working with for years! We focus on efficiency without rushing you.
Searching for a Home
We highly recommend not contacting each individual listing agent for every home you’d like to see. It’s in your best interest to find a buyer’s agent who understands your needs and goals and is working to meet them. If you simply talk to the listing agent, especially if you don’t sign a buyers agency agreement, they are ONLY working for the seller! If you have a signed buyers agreement with a buyers agent and love a home they have listed, that’s okay. You can sign a dual agency agreement and still receive buyer’s representation. We’d love to help guide you thorough the buying process, get in touch today!
We provide insights on schools, amenities, recreation, and community vibe so you can find a location that fits your lifestyle.
Yes! Our local expertise and connections allow us to uncover off-market and pre-market opportunities. Give us a call to see what we have cooking behind the scenes
We guide you to evaluate layout, condition, upgrades, and potential future costs, so you make informed decisions. It can help to make a checklist of what you want to see how many boxes a home checks. It’s extremely difficult to check all the boxes, so be prepared to be patient or determine where you can be flexible.
Making an Offer
We’ve searched the market, viewed properties, considered all options, and now you’re ready to make an offer! We’ll go through all your possible options and every detail to ensure we craft the best offer to give you your best shot, given your situation, at your dream!
Absolutely. We handle negotiations to secure the best possible price, contingencies, and closing timeline for your situation.
We help strategize offers in competitive situations to give you the best chance without overpaying.
We maintain a pulse on recent sales, current market conditions, and property details to craft a strong, realistic offer that increases your chances of acceptance. We’ve done this plenty of times and our tool belts are full of creative options to help you meet your goals! Read some of the articles on our resources page, check out our videos on social media, or schedule a free consult to learn all of the options to craft a perfect offer!
Many people have heard the term bidding war. Buying a home isn’t like an eBay auction. People use the term bidding war, but they are actually referring to an escalation clause. With an escalation clause each buyer submits their highest and best offer (typically around asking price) and then specifies an amount above another competing offer up to a max price above asking price. The seller then compares these offers looking at which will give them the best price, but also the best terms to suit their situation. This may sound confusing, but reach out and we’d be happy to explain this in more detail and all the other nuances of offers.
Once your offer is accepted, the real work begins! We’ll take care of almost everything on our end. Just be sure to respond quickly to requests from us and your lender. You will need to provide some info throughout the process, but most of this is fairly simple and as long as we receive the info we need in a timely manner, we can keep things on ahead
of schedule and on budget!
From the time an offer is accepted it typically takes 30-60 days to close on the purchase if you are obtaining a loan. A cash offer is typically quicker, about 14-30 days on average. Whether financing or paying cash these timelines can sometimes be sped up slightly or if there are issues can take slightly longer. Be sure to let us know if you will need more or less time than the standard timelines and we’ll do what we can to keep you on schedule!
Financing & Costs
Great news! It’s still fairly common practice for a seller to pay the listing agent and buyers agent commission! This means you won’t have to pay anything to get this process started. Give us a call to set up a free consultation or viewing if you know which property you’d like to see!
Talking with a lender is an important early step in the buying process, but we’d encourage you to touch base with us first! We can discuss your plans and connect you with a lender who is aligned with your goals!
Down payment and closing costs vary by loan type, location, and property. We can help you break down all expected expenses so you know what to budget. Let us know if you have any questions on estimating how much you need on hand for your next purchase!
Yes. We work with many trusted local lenders who provide competitive rates and guidance throughout the process. We’d love to help match you with a lender who is a perfect fit for your situation.
Yes! We can connect you with programs that offer low money down, down payment assistance, grants, or tax incentives if you qualify.
Inspections & Due Diligence
Absolutely. Inspections identify potential issues before purchase, giving you leverage to negotiate repairs or pricing.
If you are financing your home (getting a mortgage loan) an appraisal will be required. The appraisal ensures the bank isn’t loaning you (and you aren’t purchasing a property!) for more than it’s worth.
When you are buying land it seems like the seller should have a survey to provide you, but many people are surprised to learn this is often not the case. Often times a survey can cause a major delay, and because of this, even be a deal breaker for a seller on a property purchase simply because most surveyors are backed up many months. But don’t worry, there is still a legal description that lays out the boundaries of the property you are buying. We have tools that can show approximate property lines to give you an idea where your property lines likely are. A surveyor we often work with always asks “why do you want the survey?” (not a very good approach to sell someone a survey) but he doesn’t want to waste his time or your hard earned money unnecessarily. Does this property in fact have lake or river frontage? Is this specific land feature on the property you’re interested in? Do you plan to build close to a property line? These may be reasons to consider a survey, but a survey is not always necessary and can always be done at a future date.
We analyze neighborhood trends, resale potential, and property condition to help you make confident decisions if this will be your primary home. Or, we can help you look at cash flow, cash on cash return, and preform further analysis for a potential investment property.
Closing & Moving
Closing involves signing paperwork, transferring funds, and officially taking ownership. A few important things to note: A few days before closing your final numbers will be ready, once you know how much you owe it’s time to prepare the funds. Certified funds must be provided to the title company by closing day, this means a CASHIER’S CHECK or WIRE TRANSFER directly to the title company. You’ll also need to bring your photo ID to closing. We guide you step-by-step so nothing is confusing or stressful.
Yes. We provide resources and local contacts to make moving, utilities, and services seamless. We are a resource for the long haul. Stay in touch with any questions or concerns after close. And be sure to send us photos of updates and how you have made your new property “home”, we love to see them!
When you are buying land it seems like the seller should have a survey to provide you, but many people are surprised to learn this is often not the case. Often times a survey can cause a major delay, and because of this, even be a deal breaker for a seller on a property purchase simply because most surveyors are backed up many months. But don’t worry, there is still a legal description that lays out the boundaries of the property you are buying. We have tools that can show approximate property lines to give you an idea where your property lines likely are. A surveyor we often work with always asks “why do you want the survey?” (not a very good approach to sell someone a survey) but he doesn’t want to waste his time or your hard earned money unnecessarily. Does this property in fact have lake or river frontage? Is this specific land feature on the property you’re interested in? Do you plan to build close to a property line? These may be reasons to consider a survey, but a survey is not always necessary and can always be done at a future date.
We tailor our strategy to your timeline, whether you need to move fast or have months to find the perfect home.
Final Thoughts
Every property, person, and situation is unique. If you still have a question, seriously, reach out. That’s what we’re here for… to help you and guide you. If you feel any stress or anxiety about this process, let us know. We’d love to clear things up for you and give you the confidence to move forward with your dreams!