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Buyer's Guide

Everything you need to know about the process of buying a new home.

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

A home is one of the most significant purchases you will ever make. It is not just about building equity, it is also an investment in your quality of life. You want a place that inspires you to imagine the memories and milestones that lie ahead. Beyond the spreadsheets and loan qualifications, mortgage calculators and market analysis, finding the right home should be exciting and empowering. You have wanted to do this for a long time so why not have a little fun now that we're here! From now until the day we drop a set of keys into your hand, our job is to guide you through every stage with confidence and care. The journey ahead will reflect our commitment to helping you find a place that ignites and fuels your passions. You'll never be left with unanswered questions or wondering what's coming next. We are present and available. Always.

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Step 1: CONDUCT A NEEDS ANALYSIS

As an experienced agent, I will leverage expertise, local market knowledge, and key industry partnerships to ease you through the process of finding your dream home. First, I'll ask you a few questions designed to gather the important data we need to kick off your journey to homeownership. Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer. 

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Step 2: SIGN A BUYER-BROKER AGREEMENT

Once you have selected which agent you'll be working with to find your dream home, sign a Buyer-Broker Agreement. A Buyer-Broker Agreement is a requirement in most markets. It establishes your selected agent's duties to assist you with market education, viewing properties, writing your purchase offer, negotiating offer terms, obtaining and reviewing property disclosures, navigating escrow, and closing your transaction, as well the compensation you will pay to the agent for those services in the event the property seller does not offer compensation.

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Step 3: FIGURE OUT FINANCING

At this stage, my job is to ensure you've got solid financial footing when your dream home becomes available. Our recommended network of lenders and financial experts will help you choose the best financing option and will get you pre-approved. They'll also help you determine exactly how much home and how big of a down payment you can afford. All of this preparation will solidify your position as a serious market contender.

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Step 4: SHOP FOR A HOME

Now for the fun part! We'll help you draw up a wish list of everything you're looking for in your new home and your new community. During this process, we'll determine your must-haves and nice-to-haves, and will come up with an inventory of everything you're seeking, ordered by priority. Then, we'll find properties that check all the must-have boxes within your budget and will begin scheduling showings!

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Step 5: MAKE AN OFFER AND NEGOTIATE

When you're ready to go after a home, we'll help you formulate a fair, data-driven offer based on in-depth market
analysis, and will draw up a purchase agreement. Then, we'll leverage our smart negotiating skills to guide you through contingencies, making sure you don't spend any more money than you need to. It's important to know that in a competitive market, it's not uncommon to be competing with other potential buyers, but you don't need to worry. Should things not work out for whatever reason, we'll be ready with a game plan for our next offer.

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Step 6: CONDUCT A PROPERTY INSPECTION

Once your offer is accepted, it's time to do a home inspection. At this stage, we'll send an independent licensed
inspector to thoroughly investigate the condition of the home. Because this person is trained to detect issues that may not be apparent during a walk-through, an inspection is your best insurance. It can also be a powerful negotiating tool if any problems are uncovered. If issues arise, we'll work with you to develop a strategy on how best to
proceed.

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Step 7: GET FINAL FINANCING APPROVAL

This part can get complicated, as mountains of paperwork change hands, and all the details are put into place. Luckily for you, we know from experience how to keep these crucial final stages of loan approval from becoming overwhelming. We'll regularly monitor the progress of your transaction, and will keep you in the loop on any funds that might be expected from you. We'll also work with your lender to make sure all the necessary paperwork is complete as we move steadily towards a stress-free closing.

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Step 8: Close and Celebrate!

Trust us when we say you'll be incredibly good at signing your name by the time we make it to closing. A few days before the sale is finalized, we'll conduct a final walk-through. Then, both you and the seller will sign closing statements, and the keys will be yours! It's time to celebrate.

What Clients Are Saying...

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You're in great hands with Viviana - knowledgeable and caring, and will always go the extra mile to make sure everything goes perfectly for you. Highly recommended!

Mark H.

Viviana helped us with renting our unit and she made herself available at all times, took care of all the details, and communicated with us on all matters, efficiently. We recommend her!

Susan J.

When I put my home on the market it wasn't a great time to sell. I wasn't realistically expecting to sell for more than I bought the home for and I was going to be thrilled even to just break even. Things were further complicated when the buyer had to delay closing for over a month. Throughout that long period of stress and uncertainty, Viviana was incredible in re...

Sarah M.

Viviana has been wonderful. She had helped us over the years to look for property that suited our family. We however were the indecisive ones and ended up not completing any purchases with Viviana. Because of her patience, however, we recently completed a sale through her and her company. Her team helped us look at market data from a bird’s eye perspective and in d...

Stanley W.

We are so grateful to Viviana for helping us find and purchase our wonderful home in a very short amount of time. She understands the market and was extremely dedicated to making sure we found a home that met our needs. It can be a stressful process and her kindness, patience, and warmth were very comforting. I highly recommend Viviana to anyone who is buying or se...

Kathleen M.

Viviana found my dream lease! A friend referred me to Viviana and as soon as we agreed to work together, it took only a couple weeks to find the living space I had imagined in the place I imagined it. Upon agreeing to work together, we talked right away to establish rapport which gave me the opportunity to convey everything I was looking for. I knew Viviana had lis...

Buyer

Viviana helped me buy a co-op, which is an unusual process in California. She was always up on the process and got me through, interview and all. She also understands the local market and was able to advise me, with great patience.

Liz G.

Viviana assisted me and my brother in selling our parents' condo after their passing. I had never purchased or sold a home, and the condo was located in a city far from where my brother and I each live. Viviana did an amazing job helping us with this seemingly daunting task! She sought referrals to local realtors in the area of the condo, conducted phone interviews...

Karen B.

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Viviana Lahrs | CA DRE# 01503767

(510) 910-3482
[email protected]

Address

1758 Solano Ave
Berkeley CA 94707