Snohomish, Washington Home Buyers Guide

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.

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.

Our Testimonials

Dusty & Tara

Matt was recommended by a co-worker of mine, and he certainly did not disappoint. We hired him for both the sale of our previous home and the purchase of our new home. His marketing strategy and team were phenomenal, and we wer...

Kimberly E.

Keri is the epitome of everything you would want in a real estate partner. She cares about her clients as if they are family. She will not stop until she reaches the possible outcome in every aspect of her life – business or pe...

Alexia M.

I am a three-time client of Wes's, and I have had phenomenal experiences each time! He is wildly professional, knowledgeable (I've bought or sold with him all over the greater Seattle area, and he knows the market and each neig...

Ryan R.

We are so happy that we chose Cooper to be our realtor. He was extremely professional and knowledgeable throughout the entire process. It was our first time buying a house, and he made sure to help us understand each step along...

Marissa M.

Words can not describe how helpful Phil was to me and my husband's journey in purchasing our first house! As first time home buyers, my husband and I were hesitant about a lot, but Phil was there for us every step of the way. W...

Nidhi S.

We cannot recommend Mariesa highly enough! As first-time homebuyers, we were nervous about the entire process, but Mariesa made everything seamless and stress-free. She was incredibly fast with all the necessary processes and w...

Amelia H.

In a truly unconventional process, Jennifer got us our dream home. I have a personal affinity for colonial homes and wanted to stay in our zip code. So, under her encouragement, I sent Jennifer 17 houses *off market* that would...

Melanie G.

We are thoroughly impressed with the professionalism and genuine care that we experienced in purchasing our first home with the assistance of Khaleel Grant. As a realtor, he holds incredible knowledge about the market, and coup...

Boyd & Mary

Matt was the absolute best agent my wife and I have ever worked with. He possesses a rare quality in that he truly cared about our experience and our desire to find the right home. Finding the right home can take a considerable...

Heather C.

Keri Sliger is hands down the best Real Estate professional we have ever worked with. From day 1 she made the world's most stressful process into a dream experience. We bought a new house with her, and sold our beloved old hous...

Elliott T.

My wife and I just bought our first home, and we are truly grateful that we had Phil to help us through the process. Buying in this market was overwhelming to say the least, but Phil was eager to see us through every question a...

Anne S.

This was the first time we ever sold a house, and we felt pretty overwhelmed, but Kaylynn was there to keep us going, and she was very understanding and reassuring. Our house needed some work before we could list it, and she wa...

David & Jillian

Matt was able to secure keys to our home in only two weeks. From beginning to end, Matt worked very hard to ensure we had a seamless process when purchasing our first home. It felt great to be represented by Matt, and we felt l...

John O.

We recently used Wes to sell our home in Kirkland. We were fairly nervous about the ordeal as anyone is selling their home, but Wes was incredible. He spent tons of time exploring different options with us and helping present t...

Ashley P.

Mariesa went above and beyond! Our journey as first time homeowners turned out to be a long one. Mariesa was incredibly quick and responsive as we began looking for home in a highly competitive market. She helped us understand ...

Allison B.

We worked with Jen as first-time home buyers and she was fantastic! She was extremely patient with us as we changed our minds between condos in West Seattle to houses in Issaquah. She was very knowledgeable about a variety of a...

Kiara S.

Mr. Grant has been an amazing realtor! He has gone above and beyond what his responsibilities were throughout the duration of the close. Very professional and responsive. He provided the utmost support for my family and I throu...

Richard & Robin

We interviewed three different agents before selecting Matt Hart. He was clear on what he would do to sell our home and followed through on every promise he made. We appreciated the marketing strategy, the pre-inspection, and t...

Paul P.

Whether you're seeking to purchase your first home, buy your next home, or sell your current property, Keri's expertise and guidance will truly be invaluable. Her negotiation strategies and extensive knowledge of local market c...

Betsy B.

Kaylynn did a wonderful job selling our home. We were moving out of state and had a very small window of time. She took care of all the little details associated with selling a home and handled them all. So we could move on to ...

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The Brokers at FIRST AND MAIN work to inspire the consumer and share the lifestyle of each home they represent through emotionally-charged video, dramatic photography and a public relations campaign that reaches some of the most respected publications in the world. With over a thousand homes sold and 100+ years of combine experience, the Brokers at FIRST AND MAIN's immense experience provides a level of representation and expert negotiation that matches the marketing they have become so well known for.

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Buyer's Guide

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