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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 your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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. I may be able to steer you away from certain homes or neighborhoods, suggest hidden gems, or give you pointers that will help you find your dream home for the right price.

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home

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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.

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.

TESTIMONIALS FROM MY CLIENTS

Theresa H.

Hope Mazzola is by far the best realtor! She is an expert at recognizing your needs and has your best interest at heart.

Ava D.

Hope was outstanding: professional and kind. She was a pleasure to work with throughout and smoothly interceded on my behalf at multiple points giving me flawless guidance.

Jeffrey C.

Hope Mazzola is the real deal. Not a part time Real Estate Agent or someone who is not totally invested in the profession. Trust her process, she knows what she's doing and we love her!

William W.

Hope Mazzola is the absolute best! She really knows her stuff and isn't afraid to jump in and get a situation taken care of. She also has a lot of resources for every aspect of the process. You absolutely gotta have Hope!

Jennifer T.

I can't really say enough nice things about Hope. She was helpful and attentive, never pushed us and completely understood what we were looking for in a home. We will be recommending her to all of our friends in Westchester.

Ruth H.

Hope is amazing and a true professional. I've had the opportunity to meet thousands of agents/brokers throughout Westchester County, and Hope is top notch. You can't fake sincerity and she truly cares about her clients/customers.

Samuel P.

Hope is truly a professional and knows the real estate market very well! She was extremely responsive, always willing to go the extra mile and made the entire sale process as easy as possible for us! We would recommend her to a...

Chris B.

Hope has been with us from the start of selling our home until the closing, her knowledge of the area, the market and her professional skills were very helpful. We will be using her in about two months to sell another one of ou...

Seller

We can’t image a better realtor! We were so excited to have Hope market our home! She was amazing, with safety protocols, marketing efforts, and advice. The experience was amazing and we just couldn’t be happier! She is fantast...

Brooke J.

Hope is the consummate professional. She is incredibly responsive, very straightforward and extremely flexible. Hope was patient as I considered listing, then ended up renting out my home in Katonah. All of that and she has a g...

Rachel A.

Hope Mazzola is both highly knowledgeable about the local real estate market and the intricacies of selling an older home. Her assistance was invaluable every step of the way— from advising us on which offers not to accept thro...

Sara V.

Hope is an absolute pleasure to work with! She is knowledgable, highly responsive, willing to go the extra mile, and a lovely woman to boot! Can't imagine going through the process with anyone else. She's connected us with loca...

Seller

Hope did an excellent job as our agent. She provided answers to my questions in a very timely manner and helped me with much more than just the sale of our home. She has an excellent knowledge of the market and was spot on with...

Elizabeth H.

Hope was the most amazing realtor! We loved her so much! She was patient, caring, helped with our two little girls while we were looking at the homes and found us our dream home! We were so lucky to have her. Hope truly made ou...

Ellen W.

Hope Mazzola is an amazing agent! I am an Executor of an Estate and live over 400 miles from the home we were selling in Katonah. Hope arranged for all local service providers we needed to get the house on the market and to clo...

Seller

Hope has a good understanding of the local market and great strategies for marketing a house. She hired a stager who provided excellent suggestions for presentation. Also, Hope recommended several skilled and reliable contracto...

Jason G.

I have been in the Hospitality industry for over 20 years, 10 of those years in global leadership positions. Never in my life would I have expected, I would have one of my most impressive Hospitality experiences buying a home. ...

Seller

Hope was instrumental in my relocation out of state. She is beyond knowledgeable about the market and the town. She is a strong person to have on your side, and will negotiate well on your behalf. She was always available to an...

Daniel H.

We have worked with Hope for years and frequently consult with her about our real estate questions. She is very professional and always communicates quickly and clearly. She most recently helped us find a tenant for an investme...

Seller

Hope is a "Pro's Pro". There was not one aspect of my sale that was less than a Five Star. Hope was flawless. Her advise given from the staging of the house, throughout the sale process and through closing was invaluable. Hope ...

Work With

Hope has dedicated the last 22 years to honing her craft and knowing the current state of the real estate industry inside and out. There is a reason why Hope has stacked up accolades year after year but what does that mean for YOU? Hope is connected, respected, and working harder now than ever before to ensure a successful and amazing real estate experience. Here is the best advice:

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A STEP-BY-STEP FIRST TIME BUYER'S GUIDE

Step 1: Research

Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Step 3: Get Prequalified

Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home

Step 5: Find the Right Home

Step 6: Make an Offer

Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

Step 8: Select Your Loan

Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Step 10: Finish Paperwork

CONGRATULATIONS!

TESTIMONIALS FROM MY CLIENTS

Theresa H.

Ava D.

Jeffrey C.

William W.

Jennifer T.

Ruth H.

Samuel P.

Chris B.

Seller

Brooke J.

Rachel A.

Sara V.

Seller

Elizabeth H.

Ellen W.

Seller

Jason G.

Seller

Daniel H.

Seller

Work With

Follow Hope on Instagram

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Hope Mazzola

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