Buyer's Guide

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

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by our team will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

Step 1: Research

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? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. 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.

Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice we said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for agents like us to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will we help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but we also have knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where our expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let us show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). We will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. We will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. We can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

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Hank W.

Moved to the West Coast from New York City and had a very specific sort of house in mind. LaVerne took as much time as necessary to do searches and to show properties to my wife and me. We were not easy to please, but LaVerne f...

Ameen B.

We have been working with LaVerne for the last 12 years. He is very helpful and goes out of his way to get every small detail.

Catriona V.

LaVerne did a wonderful job helping me purchase a home in Seattle while working remotely. He was my eyes and ears and was extremely knowledgeable about multiple neighborhoods, construction projects, and commuting paths both sou...

Byron G.

We've relied on LaVerne for four hassle-free real estate transactions since 2018. His professionalism, industry knowledge, and attention to detail are remarkable. But it's the way he listens, absorbs, and then advocates on beha...

Janet C.

Super real estate broker! I had a condo that needed some upgrades. He guided me as to what would add value. When it was listed, an offer came in on the first day that I was not enamored with. I gave him my thoughts, he gave me ...

Buyer

LaVerne Pike is a highly professional realtor. He is very easy to communicate with and get help through his work. He has helped my family buy and sell our properties. I highly recommend him for your future real estate needs.

Donna F.

LaVerne is our family's real estate agent. He handled several transactions for us: the sale of my son's home in Kent, the purchase of his new home in Sammamish, the purchase of our home in Woodinville, and the sale of the home ...

Vicki B.

My daughter and I worked with LaVerne several years ago. He worked nonstop to help us find the condo we were looking for. After putting in numerous hours, we finally found it in Redmond Ridge, Washington. I moved in after my da...

Tammy E.

LaVerne did an amazing job helping us sell our condo. He was very informative and helpful throughout the process and listened to our input as well. He made us feel very well taken care of. I would highly recommend him whether y...

Karin M.

LaVerne has helped us buy and sell our houses. He is an amazing agent and a great person. I trust his expertise 100%. He knows what he is doing, and it just makes this stressful process so much easier. Thank you, LaVerne, for e...

Taylor K.

LaVerne was extremely responsive and supportive through the marathon that is the Seattle housing market. He worked with us for a whole year. He was committed to helping us find the perfect first home.

Robert C.

LaVerne has become like family over the years as our trusted advisor in all matters pertaining to real estate. Always a gentleman, he conducts himself with dignity and integrity through the sales and purchase processes, ensurin...

Neha B.

LaVerne is a phenomenal agent. We have been working with him for years. He goes above and beyond to ensure his clients are satisfied when buying or selling a home. I would 100% recommend working with LaVerne.

Darcy G.

LaVerne was prompt, polite, knowledgeable, and patient. However, he also knew how to push things through when needed. He tirelessly searched for homes with my husband, advising him with authority on the hunt for our home. We ha...

Zain B.

LaVerne has helped us buy and sell several properties. Each transaction has been an exceptional experience, most recently helping us sell a condo in this tough real estate environment. He is as responsive as one could be, no ma...

Kay R.

As always, it has been a pleasure working with LaVerne! He goes out of his way to get things done for us in a timely and professional manner! Thank you for everything.

Bryson B.

LaVerne helped my family and me buy a townhouse in Seattle when the market was moving rapidly. He went with us all over town on multiple weekends, despite us not being high-income earners and knowing his commission would be rel...

Amin A.

LaVerne did an amazing job helping us sell our townhouse and condominium. He was very informative and helpful throughout the process. He made us feel very well taken care of. I would highly recommend him whether you are buying ...

Shaida A.

Laverne has become like family over the years as our trusted advisor in all our real estate matters. Laverne conducts himself with dignity and integrity throughout the purchase and sales process, ensuring a favorable outcome fo...

Charlie B.

It was great to work with Laverne again. He was with us for the purchase of our house in 2013 and again when we sold it in 2025. He really knows the business very well and helped us navigate what turned out to be a sale with a ...

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The truth of the transaction is a team effort, keeping on track until the end. Success is built on a foundation of focused effort & clear understanding of the desired goal. There is no mistake with LaVerne, he sets your satisfaction as priority #1. He does not sell homes, LaVerne provides results! His proven success, results in satisfaction.

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