Buyer's 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 I 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 an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me 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!). I 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. I 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. I 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.

My Testimonials

Michael & Thelma H.

Big shout out to Darin! We appreciate all of his time, energy, and support! Thank you!

Mariana A.

Personal, knowledgeable, organized, and dedicated. Darin helped us organize all our pre-listing tasks down to the littlest details.

Pam P.

Darin is a real star as a realtor. His enthusiastic, positive, thoughtful, and fun personality made buying a home so much easier. I’m so glad I connected with him.

Patty R.

Darin is amazing! Friendly and very knowledgeable! Gave us great advice and encouragement! The sale went fast and smoothly. I've already recommended him to others. And I feel I've gained a good friend in the process!

Anne V.

Darin was wonderful. His communication was excellent. He sent me care packages along the way to mark the progress through the process. I've never had anything like that before, and I have sold and bought many homes with other a...

Sunkanmi A.

Darin went above and beyond during the entire process, providing us with the latest market trends and options available. Always stayed on top of his work ensuring no loose ends. We really appreciate that he worked around our sc...

Robert K.

I have known Darin professionally since 2008. Darin is a focused sales professional with compassion, high ethics, and great attention to detail. We have become good friends over the years. I recommend him to service your real e...

Michael D.

Darin was great in guiding us through the entire purchase process. His follow-up and expertise made the entire process flow smoothly with no hiccups or delays. He not only helped us with the house but also drove us to various h...

Corissa H.

Incredibly attentive, responsive, and detail-oriented agent! The service that he provides is above and beyond, and is the type of agent who will remember your birthday, send you tokens of appreciation and so much more. If you w...

Blake W.

Darin provided excellent service on listing my home. I would recommend Darin to friends and family. Darin and his team exceeded my expectations by providing great customer service. They were super responsive and really took goo...

Sarah & Ken S.

We can never thank Darin enough for going through this life-altering journey with us, “Great Customer Service” doesn’t begin to describe what Darin provides. He is family in this process, the care, communication, and profession...

Julio D.

My wife and I entered into the housing market for the first time which can be overwhelming. Darin not only understood our needs and requirements for a house but also that we did not know every step on the way to becoming homeow...

Eric R.

As a long-time real estate agent from another state, I entrusted Darin to help us find and purchase a property in Seattle and it turned out to be a great decision. He worked tirelessly and with great enthusiasm throughout the p...

May I.

The best realtor ever hands down. When I first started looking into buying a home, I had another realtor, but I ran into Darin at an open house and he was very informative, patient, and understanding, and would answer my calls ...

Kat K.

Darin is such an amazing man! He is kind, helpful, and always has your best interest at heart. He is such a joy to work with. Always happy and brightens your day. He helped me buy a house in Everett. I hadn't planned on buying ...

Susan V.

I can’t recommend Darin highly enough. He listened carefully to what I wanted, adjusted nimbly and cheerfully when I changed my mind (more than once), and didn’t blink an eye when I wanted to look in 2 geographic areas, one rat...

Kathy K.

I really need more than 5 stars available to convey how highly I recommend Darin! Mine was not a straightforward nor cookie-cutter need. I needed an unusual situation - a new kind of loan, a fast qualification on a property I l...

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Passionate about real estate, deeply rooted in King & Snohomish Counties. With diverse skills in East Asian Studies, Landscape Architecture, and a creative flair for design, I offer a unique perspective.

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