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Hello!Thank you for choosing to put your trust in me tobuy a new home. Every member of my team iscommitted to ensuring that ALL of your real estateneeds are met and exceeded! I’ve created this bookfor your convenience, and I hope it will be a valuableresource. While the entire process is outlined foryou here, please know I will stay in constant contactwith you. Your experience will be unique, and I willadjust our service according to your wants andneeds. My focus is on your complete satisfaction.I hope this buyer's guide answers any questionsabout the home-buying process. While the entireprocess is outlined here, I want you to know thatyour experience will be unique. We will adjust ourservices according to your wants and needs. We'refocused on your complete satisfaction.My team and I are here to help with your real estateneeds. So please don't hesitate to reach out!Lauren CallawayLauren CallawayBroker/OwnerBest, 03MEET THE TEAM04ABOUT ME05WHAT WE DO06OUR PROMISE07STEPS TO BUYING A NEW HOME08BUYER INTAKE09PREPARING TO BUY A HOME14HOME SEARCHTABLE OFCONTENTS16OFFER & CLOSING20MOVING IN
Lauren Callaway(903) 280-8360lauren@phcompanies.orgBroker/OwnerAshlyn Rybiski(903) 716-6381ashlyn@phrealty.orgOffice ManagerBrigette Waits-Garcia(501) 993-4130brigette@phcompanies.orgCOOTHE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP PH REALTYSHARE THE VISION AND VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITYMEET THE TEAM
ABOUTMEAs a top-selling, award-winning REALTOR® and Broker licensed in Texas andArkansas, I specialize in helping sellers get their homes ready to sell for topdollar and helping buyers turn properties into their dream homes. I will notsettle for anything less than the best, and that is what you can expect from me:the best marketing, the best service, and the utmost professionalism.My background in fashion and interior design has been invaluable in the realestate industry. As the owner and lead designer of PH Design Firm, whichspecializes in custom remodels and new construction, I can bring a creativeapproach to marketing homes for sale and help buyers envision the potential ofa property they may have yet to consider. Voted Best Real Estate Agent and Best Designer/Decorator in FSLM's 2023Best of Texarkana Readers' Choice Awards, I've earned certifications as a NARGreen Designee, Certified Supreme Auction Agent, Pricing Strategy Advisor,Expert Level Staging Design Professional, Residential Construction Certified,New Home Specialist, Residential Remodeling Specialist, and Luxury HomeMarketing Specialist. Known as a style virtuoso, I can help you achieve all yourreal estate goals.Lauren Callaway
We are a full-service, fullylicensed "boutique" realestate and design firmfocused on our clientsand customer service.Our market knowledgeand research techniqueshave proven that weprice to optimize sales. Ahouse that looks amazingat the right price means asale! This knowledgetranslates to excellentnegotiation skills for ourbuyers and leads to thebest price for their mostsignificant investment!We are experts within theTexarkana Metro fordesigning and buildingyour dream home withthe top builders in ourarea. We stage new andexisting homes and use aprofessionalphotographer for stillphotographs and a 3Dmulti-floor digitalwalkthrough to marketour listings to stand outabove the rest! WHATWE DO
WE PROMISE TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND FOLLOW UP.WE PROMISE THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE SIGNING.WE PROMISE TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR PROPERTY.WE PROMISE TO GIVE YOU GOOD ADVICE.WE PROMISE TO RESPECT YOUR CONFIDENCE.OURPROMISE
STEPS TO BUYINGA NEW HOME12345Buyer Intake Preparing to Buy Home Search Moving InOffer & Closingbuyerquestionnaireexclusiverepresentationagreementwhat to expectprepare yourfinancesget preapprovedfor a mortgagecreate a wish liststart touringhomesnarrow your searchscheduling yourmoveclosingwriting an offernegotiate repairsinsurance andinspectionorder an appraisal
01BUYER QUESTIONNAIRESTEPONEBUYER INTAKE
01EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT02WHAT TO EXPECT03PREPARE YOUR FINANCES04GET PREAPPROVED FOR A MORTGAGESTEPTWOPREPARING TO BUY
EXCLUSIVEREPRESENTATIONIn order to provide thehighest level of servicepossible to my clients, Ionly work for those withwhom I have a signedagency agreement. Withsellers, that means alisting agreement. Withbuyers, that means abuyer representationagreement. Without thatagreement, I not onlydon't represent you, Ican't represent you.Without that agreement,you're a customer, not aclient, and I will owe myallegiance to the seller.This is not only for mebut for all agents,whether they mention itor not.Listing Agreements havebeen used for decadesand sellers havebenefited fromexclusiverepresentation due tothe Listing Agreement.Buyers deserve theexact representation,which can only beaccomplished throughan ExclusiveRepresentationAgreement.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MEWHAT TO EXPECTWHAT I'LL NEED FROM YOUBe honest and truthful about home desires and needs.Obtain lender pre-approval at the beginning of the realestate process.Communicate issues, questions, and concerns toREALTOR in a timely manner.Inform builders, for sale by owners, and other Agents atopen houses that you are represented by a REALTOR.Allow your REALTOR to contact builders and for sale byowners on your behalf.Provide any needed documents or information to yourREALTOR in a timely manner.Do our very best to ensure exceptional service to ourClient.Act as fiduciary representative of the Client, keeping allpersonal information confidential. Suggest financingoptions and refer Client to competent lenders.Assess market value of homes, research comparable sales.Strategize, prepare, and negotiate all offers and contractdocuments providing the maximum investment value forthe Client.Advise Client and negotiate any inspection issues andremedies. Coordinate closing details and ensurecompliance with offer details.Communicate at a high level. Respond to all inquiries in atimely fashion.
PREPAREFINANCESBUILD YOUR GREENFILEA green file contains all yourimportant financial documents.You will need it to securefinancing for your property. Thetypical green file should contain:• Financial statements• Bank accounts• Investments• Credit cards• Auto loans• Recent pay stubs• Tax returns for 2 years• Copies of leases for investmentproperties, 401K statements, lifeinsurance, stocks, bonds, andmutual account information.CHECK YOUR CREDITRATINGChecking your credit score witha lending institution isrecommended before buying aproperty. Three credit reportingagencies (Equifax, Experian, andTrans Union) are used by lendersto research your credit ratings. We can recommend experiencedlenders for residential,construction, commercial, andinvestment real estate fields.BE CAREFUL WITH YOURFINANCESNow is not a good time to makesudden career changes or largepurchases. You want toapproach your propertypurchase from a position offinancial stability.BEFORE YOU START SHOPPING FOR YOURPROPERTY, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE SOMEPREPARATIONS.
GET PREAPPROVEDFOR A MORTGAGEBefore you’re ready to starthouse hunting, you need toget preapproved for amortgage. If you don’t alreadyhave someone in mind, Ipartner with some of the bestlenders in the industry, and I'dbe happy to introduce you, soyou’ll be taken care of.To get preapproved, you needto apply with a lender. Thepreapproval process typicallyinvolves answering somequestions about your income,your assets, and the home youwant to buy.After your approved, yourlender will give you apreapproval letter that stateshow much you’re approved forbased on your credit, assets,and income.Pre-approvals are a dressrehearsal for yourmortgage and arenecessary to make aserious offer on a home.They typically expireafter 90 days and can berefreshed if you don’t findthe home you’re lookingfor in that time.
01CREATE A WISH LIST02START TOURING HOMES03NARROW YOUR SEARCHSTEPTHREEHOME SEARCH
YOUCREATE AWISHLIST1START TOURINGHOMES2NARROW YOURSEARCH3HOMESEARCH
01WRITING AN OFFER02NEGOTIATE REPAIRS03INSURANCE AND INSPECTION04ORDER AN APPRAISALSTEPFOUROFFER & CLOSING
NEGOTIATEREPAIRSThough some items, like prorating property taxesor HOA fees, will already have been addressed inyour offer letter, you may still have some items tonegotiate before closing.Your ability to negotiate can hinge on what kind ofmarket you're facing. In a strong seller's market, itcan be difficult to get concessions, since the sellercan simply go to their next offer. But if it's an issuethat will come up with any buyer — for example, anecessary repair that will get flagged by any homeinspector — you may still have leverage.Asking for a credit at closing rather than for theseller to complete needed repairs can help keepthe transaction moving. The seller simply rebatesyou an agreed-upon amount for specificimprovements. That can save you a bit of cashat closing, plus handling the repairs yourself(whether DIY or with a pro) ensures the work willbe done to your satisfaction.
INSURANCEAND INSPECTIONFINALIZE HOME INSURANCEWhen getting a loan, your lender mandates propertyinsurance whose cost varies with the institution andproperty price. Shopping around can save youhundreds yearly on homeowners insurance. Thesetips can help you save.Consider a higher deductible. Increasing your deductible by justa few hundred dollars can make a big difference in yourpremium.Ask your agent about discounts. Safety features like deadbolts,smoke detectors, alarms, storm shutters, or fire-resistantroofing can lower premiums. Over 55 or loyal customers mayalso qualify for discounts.Insure your house, not the land under it. After a disaster, theland is still there. If you do not subtract the value of the landwhen deciding how much homeowner’s insurance to buy, youwill pay more than you should.ORDER AND ATTEND INSPECTIONOnce the seller accepts your offer, you must havea licensed property inspector inspect theproperty within the time frame agreed upon in theeffective contract to purchase. You may elect tohave different inspectors inspect the property ifyou wish to obtain professional opinions frominspectors who specialize in a specific area (e.g.,roof, HVAC, structure). If you are purchasing acommercial property, then you will need to havean environmental audit done on the site for thelending institution. We can recommend severaldifferent inspectors. Depending on the outcomeof these inspections, one of two things mayhappen:Either each milestone is successfully closed and thecontingencies will be removed, bringing you one step closerto the close, orThe buyer, after reviewing the property and the papers,requests a renegotiation of the terms of the contract(usually the price).
ORDERAN APPRAISALWhen your home is under contract, you can’t moveforward with the sale until an appraisal is done onyour home. The outcome can affect whether or not you make itto closing and whether the price in the offer is theprice you’ll end up with on settlement day. We go the extra mile during this phase of being undercontract, meeting the appraiser at your home, andcreating an information packet that helps theappraiser have all the information he or she needs fora favorable outcome. You don’t want the appraised value of your home tocome in below the price you’ve negotiated with thebuyer, so we have a very specific process for makingsure that doesn’t happen!
01SCHEDULING YOUR MOVE02CLOSING DAYSTEPFIVEMOVING IN
AFTER SIGNING4 WEEKS TO MOVE2 WEEKS TO MOVE1 WEEK TO MOVE• Sort through every drawer,closet, cupboard & shelf,removing items you no longerneed or like• Donate or sell items thatare in good condition• Get copies of medicalrecords and store them withyour other essentialdocuments• Create an inventory ofanything valuable that youplan to move• Get estimates from movingcompanies• Schedule movers/movingtruck • Buy/find packing materials• Start packing• Contact utility companies(water, electric, cable)• Change address (mailing,subscriptions, etc.)• Minimize grocery shopping• Keep on packing• Obtain a certified check forclosing• Complete final walkthrough• Finish packing• Clean• Pack essentials for a fewnights in the new home• Confirm delivery date withthe moving company. Writedirections to the new home,along with your cell phonenumberSCHEDULINGYOUR MOVE
We will do a final walk of the home within24 hours of closing to check the property’scondition. This final inspection takes aboutan hour. We will make sure any repair workthat the seller agreed to make has beendone.FINAL WALKTHROUGHBring to closing: Government-issued photo ID Copy of the sales contractCLOSING TABLEVerify final repairs.Check for all items included in the sale.Copies of paid bills and warranties arein hand.No major, unexpected changes havebeen made to the property since lastviewed.BE SURE TOCLOSINGDAYCongratulations! It was a lot of hard workbut you are now officially homeowners!!Time to throw a party and get to know yournew neighbors!RECEIVE YOUR KEYS
CONTACT US420 E New Boston Rd, Nash, TX 75559903-716-6381 | www.phrealty.orginfo@phrealty.org | @ph.realty