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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

Schedule a Consultation
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

As first-time homebuyers, we could not have asked for a better realtor than Lessie Reyes. From the very beginning, she was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and always willing to answer our questions. Buying a home can feel overwhelming, but Lessie took the time to explain everything clearly and reviewed documents with us so we fully understood each step of the process. She was there to guide us from start to finish and made what could have been a stressful experience feel much easier. She also recommended a third-party home inspector who was amazing, thorough, and someone we completely trusted. Having great professionals around us made such a difference throughout the process. What we appreciated most was how much she genuinely cared. We never felt like just another client. She treated us like family and always looked out for our best interests. We are so grateful for all of her help in finding and purchasing our first home. If you are looking for a realtor who is responsive, caring, and truly dedicated to her clients, we highly recommend her!

— Joe K.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Lessie was an amazing realtor to work with for my wife and me. She helped answer all of the questions we had and took care of all the details leading up to closing on our house. We are planning on recommending all of our friends to work with Lessie in the future when looking to buy a home.

— Noah P.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Thank you, Lessie Reyes, for handling the sale of our home. You did a fine job of keeping us informed about everything every step of the way and suggesting good but reasonable handymen to do repairs. We appreciated your honesty and professionalism throughout the process. It was our pleasure to have you represent us.

— George & Deborah A.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Buying a home can be an incredibly stressful and overwhelming experience, but Lessie made the entire process remarkably smooth and manageable. Her extensive knowledge of the market, strong communication skills, and consistent updates helped us feel confident every step of the way. She was always available to answer questions, explain details clearly, and offer thoughtful guidance when decisions needed to be made. Lessie’s expertise and dedication truly set her apart. She took the time to understand our needs, advocated for our best interests, and ensured we were well-informed throughout the journey. Thanks to her support, we were able to successfully purchase our dream home. We are deeply grateful for her professionalism, patience, and commitment, and we highly recommend her to anyone seeking a reliable and exceptional real estate agent.

— Ron L.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

For almost 14 years, Lessie has been a great, reliable, honest, genuine realtor for my family and me, and more recently, she proved once again how much she's an experienced, reliable realtor in the Tampa Bay area. Would only do property deals with the help of Lessie.

— Zayd F.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19. My God fulfilled another promised into my life by providing Lessie to us. God already provided us with the best realtor agent way before thinking of selling the house. I truly believed that it is part of His amazing plan for me and my son (Jeremiah 29:11). Start fresh and move forward on this challenging journey of life and be used for His glory and honor. Lessie became my friend 2 years ago without thinking that she would be used by the Lord to set us free from this financial burden. As a dear friend, I opened my heart and my goals to her, and she listened intently. She is truly a gem to this industry due to the fact that her heart is not to earn a sum amount of money but to be a willing vessel of God to help her brothers and sisters who are struggling and in need. Lessie used all her marketing knowledge/wisdom, experiences, and computer skills to sell my house in just 2 weeks. Amazingly impressive, right? Such a blessing to choose her as my realtor agent. God sent indeed!

— Leonilyn S.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Lessie helped and guided us on this journey; she worked beyond our expectations and knows her craft very well. Assisted us and works hand in hand when situations arise, she is motivated, a trouble shooter, principled, and ethical. Thank you, Less, and kudos!

— Seller

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Lessie was an absolute rockstar! As first-time homebuyers, we were nervous and unsure of what to expect. But Lessie's expertise, patience, and guidance made the entire process seamless. She was always available to answer our questions, address concerns, and keep us updated on the progress. Her knowledge of the market, negotiation skills, and attention to detail were impressive. We felt confident and supported throughout the journey. We can't recommend Lessie enough! If you're looking for a top-notch realtor who truly cares about her clients, look no further. 5/5 stars!

— Sabrina A.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Lessie is the best real estate agent that I have worked with. She genuinely helps you. Lessie took care of everything for me, including little things that she was not even required to, for instance, getting a good, dependable handyman. Always punctual, valued my time, and overall did not hesitate to give me her genuine feedback, which I loved!

— Buyer

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

Lessie is now family. When we were introduced to Lessie, we had never met, but our friends said she would take care of us. One of the hardest workers I have ever met. When she is your realtor, you are in great hands! Truly the best!

— James B.

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Let's Make Your Next Move

Whether you are buying your dream waterfront home in Cory Lake Isles, relocating your family for a tech career in Tampa Bay, or liquidating an investment asset for maximum return, working with Lessie Reyes means entrusting your goals to an 18-year industry leader. By combining sophisticated mathematical market modeling with personal attention, transparent communication, and global buyer networks, Lessie ensures every detail of your transaction is executed flawlessly.

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Lessie Reyes

(813) 298-5541
[email protected]


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TAMPA, FL 33647