Real Estate
Buying a Home with Vinny!
Buying a home can be a complex process in this market. Vinny has years of experience representing buyers in the largest purchase of their life!
Explore Ithaca and the surrounding community here. The interactive map highlights different neighborhoods, restaurants, parks, shopping stores and more!
Steps to the Home Buying Process
1: Meet with Vinny
This is maybe one of the most important steps in the entire process. We will sit down, discuss your real estate needs, and create a plan that best fits your needs and your situation. Whether you are on the “fast track”, and need to close ASAP, or, you are taking things slow and want to ease your way into the market, we will ensure our plan fits best for you. In these early stages of our search, it is sometimes best to keep the criteria fairly broad.
2: Speak with Lender, or get Funds together
If you plan to get a mortgage for your purchase, you will want to speak with a local and knowledgeable lender. Getting a formal pre-qualification letter may not be necessary at this time, but you certainly will want to form a connection with a lender to keep up to date on up-to date interest rates and terms for you. Getting a sense of what you can comfortably afford is key.
3: Educate yourself as a new Buyer
Learning the market as a buyer will pay off greatly! When we start our search, I will likely set you up a program that will notify you of any properties that match your search criteria. Watching what homes are
listing for, and selling for will keep you informed on what is happening in the market. Are homes still selling above asking price? Are you noticing homes in a particular neighborhood are selling closer to asking price than others? Studying these trends will set you up for success. And luckily for you, I am glued to the MLS all day, watching what is coming on the market, and evaluating what properties are selling for and why.
4: See Properties
Now that we know what you are looking for, we can start getting into homes! As an agent licensed in New York, I have access to any home listed in the state. We can see anything! My rule of thumb is, we need to “learn” something from every showing. If we see a house, and we learn it isn’t quite the right one, lets evaluate why, and learn from that, and maybe avoid similar properties or homes with similar characteristics in the future.
5: Make An Offer, Acceptance
The offer-making process varies greatly for every buyer and every property, and we can discuss what will work best for each situation. Agreeing on price and terms is a great victory, but there are plenty of other tasks and obstacles to navigate!
6: Clear Contingencies
You likely will have an ‘Attorney Approval’ period, and this will be the first contingency to clear. Your selected attorney will have three business days to review the contract, and answer any questions you may have
regarding the closing process. After this, typically we have home inspection and financing contingencies to clear. All important steps along the way!
7: Close
Once we clear contingencies, your attorney will be able to schedule our closing. Typically a day prior, we will perform our final walkthrough of the home to confirm everything is as it should be, and all mechanicals/appliances are working. Closing dates are estimated at the time of going under contract, you will get a firm date usually 1-2 weeks prior to closing.
8: Long-Lasting Relationships
Once we close, I still want to be apart of your homeownership journey! I have a plethora of resources and contacts to share if needed, and look forward to watching you make your new house a home!
Subscribe
Stay Up-to-date & Check Out The Latest Properties
Looking to buy a home, sell your property, or just wanting to educate yourself more on the region for future planning? Stay up-to-date by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.