Leave a Message

Thank you for your message. We will be in touch with you shortly.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying a Home

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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 a 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.

Schedule a Consultation
main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

Success Stories

They made the process easy for me at a time in my life when things were very stressful. They were able to negotiate a price I was not expecting! Then I was able to find my dream home.

— Savannah

Success Stories

We sold and bought a home with The Cole Team, and they are wonderful. They handled so much of the process and took the stress out of a very stressful time. All of their services are great. Marketing, pictures, print, and their staff. Thank you, Cole Team!

— Buyer & Seller

Success Stories

We don’t think there’s ever a stress-free time to sell, but we know Stephanie had our back throughout the entire process; day, night, and weekends made it as stress-free as possible. We think selling and buying at the same time is stressful overall. While it was very stressful, we 110% wouldn’t take it back for anything. We know it’ll be worth all the stress and anxiety we endured. We would recommend the...

— Mike & Alexa

Success Stories

They got us exactly what we wanted for the previous house, and they helped us get the exact house we had been looking for! We could not have done it with anyone else. When we met with Stephanie & Meriellen for the first time, we just really clicked with them. We especially liked their friendliness and honesty. We knew they'd be a good fit for our family.

— Natalie & Josh

Success Stories

The Cole Team was a pleasure to work with. Stephanie and Meriellen are extremely knowledgeable and such wonderful people. I highly recommend the Cole Team to anyone looking to buy or sell their home!

— Buyer | Seller

Success Stories

Their expertise in the market, high-tech marketing strategies, and top-notch negotiating skills helped our home sell quickly for top dollar.

— The Stango Family

Success Stories

The Cole Team was a pleasure to work with! Their expertise in the market, high-tech marketing strategies, and top-notch negotiating skills helped our home sell quickly for top dollar. They were always readily available to answer our numerous questions and provide any assistance needed to make the selling process run smoothly and easily. We would highly recommend them to anyone moving in/out of the area.

— Seller

Success Stories

The Cole Team went the extra mile in both the sale of our old home and the purchase of our new home. The Cole Team was instrumental in getting our home under contract for top dollar within a week of listing, and it was only due to their knowledge of the industry and their negotiating skills that we won the bidding war for the house of our dreams!! I can't recommend them highly enough!

— Buyer & Seller

Success Stories

What made the process even better for me was that I felt very, very comfortable with their knowledge of negotiating and with their knowledge of the marketplace. This new house is part of our family—it has made our family complete. We’re happier than we’ve ever been before. I believe it was because of the advice the Cole Team gave us; the sellers actually chose our offer, even though the other offers were...

— Tom & Rachelle

Success Stories

We've had the greatest home-buying experience with the whole Cole Team! Stephanie and the team have been quick and knowledgeable with all our questions and made our family home purchase an ease! We highly recommend them; they are simply the best!

— Buyer

Success Stories

The Cole Team was great to work with! We searched for a home for well over a year, and they always had great patience and understanding. The Cole Team was always flexible with any schedules and last-minute requests. They even wrote our contract on Christmas Eve; I'm not sure many others would be willing to do that. Highly recommend them!

— Buyer

Success Stories

The Cole Team was a godsend during this crazy time. They were able to sell our old home and find us our dream home in just a few short months. We can't thank them enough for their expertise and support.

— Alexa

Success Stories

Stephanie and the Cole Team were a pleasure to work with. They listened to our needs and found us the perfect home in the perfect location. We couldn't be happier with our new home and are so grateful to the Cole Team for their help.

— Samantha L.

Success Stories

When I was ready to sell my home in Forsyth County, Georgia, my only call was to Stephanie Patterson with the Cole Team. They took it from there and walked me through the process from start to finish. Their team made it as easy as possible, and we're amazing to work with.

— Tara E.

Success Stories

I called Stephanie Patterson with the Cole Team at Real to help us buy a home in Milton, Georgia, and sell a home in Forsyth County, Georgia. Stephanie was exceptionally helpful throughout the process, and I highly recommend her and her team.

— Stewart F.

Success Stories

For the second time, we are extremely happy we chose Stephanie and the Cole Team to sell and purchase our new home. Her expertise made what is normally considered a stressful life event into a seamless process. She provided all the necessary support and responsiveness to prepare our home for sale. Her marketing strategies to gain the most visibility for the sale of our home exceeded expectations. Moreove...

— Kat S.

Success Stories

We had an outstanding experience working with Stephanie Patterson of the Cole Team with Real to sell our home in Cumming, Georgia. She sold our house in just one day! The entire process from start to finish was smooth and professional, and we are so happy that we worked with her! Stephanie was an excellent communicator throughout every step of the process. She kept us informed, answered every question qu...

— M. Sobczak

Success Stories

We called Stephanie Patterson with the Cole Team at Real to help us sell our home in Forsyth County, Georgia, and I’m so glad that we did. She and her team were so easy to work with and did a fantastic job with every aspect of selling our home.

— Chuck M.

Success Stories

I called Stephanie Patterson with the Cole Team at Real Broker to help me purchase a home in Alpharetta, Georgia. It’s the third transaction that I’ve done with Stephanie. Her guidance and professionalism have always been exceptional.

— John S.

Success Stories

We had a wonderful experience working with Stephanie Patterson and the Cole Team at Real to sell our home in Cumming, Georgia. Stephanie was professional, responsive, knowledgeable, and guided us smoothly through every step of the process. She was always available to answer our questions and made the entire selling experience much less stressful. We are truly grateful for all her hard work and support. H...

— A. P.

View All

Home Search

Home Valuation

Meet The Team

Work With Us

Your home deserves this kind of attention. With experience helping over 1,000 buyers and sellers, we know how to market your property effectively, find the right buyer, and guide you through the real estate process with ease and insight. Schedule a call with our team to discuss your property and discover how we can create the best selling experience for you.

Contact Us
Get in Touch
Contact Details

The Cole Team with REAL Broker

M: (770) 316-3110
O: (855) 450-0442

[email protected]



44 Milton Ave
Alpharetta, GA 30009