Home Buying Process

PROCESS OF BUYING

The home buying process in Texas can be a trying and stressful experience. Many potential homeowners do not know where to start when buying a house. Luckily, Calvin Kim has you covered! Below is an outline to ensure that you know the best way to buy a house in Texas.
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The right real estate agent is the best tool to have to begin your home buying process in Texas. This is the individual that you are trusting to find your next home, the biggest investment of your life. A real estate agent must have extensive market knowledge and be skilled in the art of real estate negotiation. Calvin Kim Houston Realtor® has a 5 star rating on HAR. As a Houston Realtor®, he is not pressured by Texas realtors to show certain houses. You see only the houses that fit your budget and your criteria. YOU are his top priority! Contact me for free consultation if you are in the process of buying and/or selling a house in Houston, Texas.
Before viewing your dream house, it is important that you understand exactly what house you can afford. There is nothing worse that falling in love with a house and realizing you cannot get the appropriate financing. Trulia is a national search engine that allows you to compare multiple mortgage lenders in Texas at once. However, calling mortgage brokers (lenders), credit unions, and national banks will allow you to find the lowest rate only for the specific type of mortgage. This may take some time, but saving money often requires extra effort. Remember, there are a variety of types of mortgages from which to choose (fixed rate, adjustable rate, fifteen year, thirty year, etc.). Be sure to shop around and find the type of financing that finds your budget perfectly!
Applying for a loan and qualifying for a loan is a relatively simple process. After you have decided on your lender (see above), submit the necessary personal and financial information. Your information is then sent to an underwriter who takes different aspects into account as to whether to approval may be granted. Such aspects are: ability and likelihood of repayment, source of income, and home value. Two pieces of advice when applying for loans: know your credit score and start saving money for the down payment, usually 20 percent in order to avoid PMI.
Now comes the fun part of the home buying process. Sit down and think about what criteria is important in buying a home. Do you need a big backyard for your kids and dog? Do you require an extra room that can be transformed to an office? Making a criteria checklist will help your agent show you homes that best align with your wants. Also, rank your criteria as concessions will need to be made. The sad truth in buying real estate is that your dream home that has everything will often come with a price tag that is well outside your budget. Granite counter tops may have to be conceded if you require that extra bedroom. However, Calvin Kim will ensure that you are able to buy that perfect dream house within reason because you should never force yourself or be forced to purchase a home you do not want.
Visiting properties in Texas is the second most exciting part of the home buying process next to closing the deal. Please trust your real estate agent to show you the best homes that meet your criteria and budget. Agents are able to use professional opinion to match needs and wants with what is on the Houston real estate market. When viewing a home, take note of issues you see and positives that make your eyes light up. You will be seeing many different houses, each with their own touch. Many homes may begin to run together and you want to ensure that remember each detail distinctively. Make sure when walking through that you could see yourself living in that house and that it is the perfect fit for you.

Whether it is starter home for a first time home buyer in Texas or whether you are unsure where your next job may take you, chances are you will try to resell this home. When making your decision to buy a home in Texas, ensure that you take into account what features may affect the resell of your home. How is the school district in the area? Where exactly is the house located? How with the bedroom size rates to different type of families’ needs? Will the trendy up and coming neighborhood be up and come yet when it’s time to resell? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before purchasing the home.

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After the hustle and bustle of viewing houses has ceased, sit down and rank the homes. Was there a perfect house? Do you have the energy to fix up the fixer upper? Go back to your list of the positives and negatives of each house and hash them out. Generally, you will have a good idea of which house fits your needs and budget.
After you have decided on your house, the next step in the home buying process is making the offer. Talk with your real estate agent about how high of a price with which you should begin in the negotiation process. Generally, the first offer will not be accepted if an offer is lower than the asking price. The listing price is the value the buyer expects to receive on a perfect day. The negotiation process is like a chess match with moves and counter moves. Trust your real estate agent to work towards your best interest while keeping you connected during each step of the process.
After an offer has been accepted, no home buyer wants to believe that any aspect of the property could be imperfect. Unfortunately, this happens. Please make arrangement for home inspection. Types of inspections, but not limited to, that should be ordered: Termites, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, and Chimney. Any good home inspector will make recommendations as to which professionals should be hired for a more thorough check if the inspector see signs of problems. Allowing a professional to come into the home and ensure that you are buying the house for which you contracted could make a lasting impact on the value of your home.
The final hurdle of the home buying process is the real estate closing. This is the meeting where money changes hands, contracts are signed, adjustments are made, and each party walks out the door happy. The two biggest pieces of advice for this aspect of the buying process are: bring your ID and BRING THE MONEY (generally in the form of a Cashier’s Check or an advanced bank wire). After all of the documents are signed, you will become a home owner!
The process of buying a house is over! Enjoy life in your new house.

What Clients Say

  • Zillow 5 Star Review  In my 45 years of using realtors, Calvin was the BEST that I have ever had the opportunity of working with! Simply stated... Calvin was Outstanding!!! Calvin listened to my list of wants, needs and desires! He provided me with many different homes that he thought would meet my wish list! Calvin scheduled several showings and he was always on time and was very helpful of pointing out different things that I may have missed! He was always quick and very responsive to communicating with me via calls, text and emails! Calvin found me the perfect home... a home that checked off every one of my boxes! I highly recommend Calvin! If I need a realtor in the future, Calvin will be my first choice!

    smehlers55
    May 25, 2022

    Zillow 5 Star Review  Highly recommend Calvin. He has been around the area doing real estate for decades that he provides historical context as well as developments with sophisticated knowledge. We had an introductory call where he listened to our needs and general profile then knew exactly how to engage with us and help us find a good home. He’s responsive - we were looking for a home while traveling internationally so he helped us do virtual tours and made sure our discussions didn’t get delayed due to time difference. He has genuine care for the client to know what to look for so you are stuck with a house that has undiscovered problems along the way. I’m today’s crazy competitive housing market in Houston, you need someone like Calvin to find a home that you can really be satisfied with. Especially folks you are coming with no knowledge regarding the Houston metropolitan area, reach out to Calvin. You won’t go wrong with him.

    Haley Park
    July 17, 2021

  • Zillow 5 Star Review  It was great experience purchasing home with Calvin. He explained all detail steps and has fabulous manageability with lender and seller. From my perspective, Calvin has better knowledge than any others. Really appreciate his effort and strongly recommand Calvin.

    ChristopherCho6
    May 30, 2021

    Zillow 5 Star Review  Calvin is caring, most importantly his professionalism and communication is simply outstanding. Our experience with him was amazing. Thank you again Calvin.

    faisal suleman735
    December 24, 2020

  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Very helpful, his top of everything you ask. Highly recommend Calvin. Great person, very understandable and listens very well. Doesn't give you pressure on anything!~

    Mimi Kim
    December 18, 2020

    Zillow 5 Star Review  I can't begin to say how wonderful it was to work with Calvin. It took us a long time to put our house on the market and Calvin was always working with us the entire way. His knowledge of real estate and properties was superb. He was extremely helpful in bouncing ideas and discussing strategies. Calvin is the realtor who can deal with high level strategy but also deal with all the details in a deal. I always felt confident that if there something issues in the process, Calvin would find it and ensure everyone understood the issue. I'd give him more than 5 stars if I could.

    Jong hak Kim
    October 27, 2020

  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Calvin was so helpful and friendly. He helped me navigate and sort everything through so well, and carefully guided me through the process until the end. I highly recommend his services. He definitely is experienced, and will do his best to help you!

    lde7058
    October 21, 2020

    Zillow 5 Star Review  From the beginning of discussion, I was very comfortable with his honest, accurate and strong sense of ownership. He always showed great memories and shared all information with professional knowledge. His marketing strategies, negotiation skills, and attention to details ensuring the process was very professional and effective. I will be referring Calvin Kim to all of our friends who need real estate assistance in the future because of his excellent service mindset and looking forward to working with him again.

    nauticus4
    October 18, 2020

  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Calvin was extremely involved in every aspect of the process. He always kept me in the loop and took care of all the work without needing to be asked. I have worked with other realtors in the past and Calvin exceeded all expectations by far, I would not hesitate to hire Calvin as my realtor if I...

    jaewonhong
    October 15, 2020

    Zillow 5 Star Review  We can't believe that Calvin sold our home for free! We can't say enough of what Calvin has done for us. We saved thousands of dollars, and we used it to purchase our new home! Thank you for all that you have done

    jonnykim0311
    September 9, 2020
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