Buying with Greater Realty
A home that fits your life. A plan that helps you get there. Let’s bring your priorities, budget, and next steps into focus.
Your first home, your next home, your kind of greater.
Home inspiration · Stock photoYour needs and priorities shape the search.
Think beyond the price on the listing.
Get familiar with the steps before you take them.
The buying process
A clear plan makes the unfamiliar feel more manageable. Here’s how the pieces come together, with your priorities guiding each decision.
Tell us what you’re looking for, where you’d like to be, and when you hope to move. We’ll sort the must-haves from the nice-to-haves and discuss any lease, sale, or scheduling considerations that could shape your search.
Talk with a lender about financing options and preapproval. Then choose a spending range that feels comfortable to you. Being approved to borrow a certain amount doesn’t mean you need to spend it all.
Before arranging private tours, we’ll discuss your options, the services you want, and the written agreement that defines how we work together. Review its scope, duration, and compensation so you understand the relationship from the beginning.
Tour with your priorities in mind. Consider layout, condition, storage, upkeep, travel time, and how the property would work in everyday life. Keep notes after each visit so you can compare the details that matter to you.
Price is one part of your offer. We’ll also discuss earnest money, financing, inspections, other contingencies, and timing. Understand the choices and tradeoffs before deciding which terms you’re comfortable proposing.
After acceptance, work through contract deadlines, inspections, any required appraisal, and final financing. Prepare for closing, review the final walkthrough arrangements, and confirm when you’ll receive possession under your agreement.
The bigger financial picture
A little planning now can make settling in feel a lot better. Give these three parts of the budget a place in the conversation.
Plan for your down payment, inspections or testing, and transaction expenses. Closing charges may include lender and appraisal fees, title services, prepaid taxes or insurance, and agreed brokerage compensation. Ask what applies to your purchase.
Consider the full monthly picture: loan payments, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and any association fees. Leave room for routine upkeep, too. Your comfortable payment is a personal decision, even when a lender approves a higher amount.
Moving, utility setup, initial repairs, and everyday surprises deserve their own cushion. Discuss down payment options with your lender while keeping your other savings goals in view. A new address should fit the life you want to live.
Earnest money is an early deposit that is generally credited toward the amount due at closing. Your lender and closing provider can help estimate actual costs; the property, loan program, and negotiated terms affect the final figures.
A helpful head start
You don’t need every answer before you reach out. These starting points can make your first conversation more useful.
Save or print this page, jot down what you already know, and leave the rest open for discussion. Your priorities may become clearer as you explore your options.
Good questions. Clearer answers.
Every purchase has its own details. These answers give you a starting point for a more personal conversation.
It’s a helpful early step when you plan to finance your purchase. Preapproval provides a starting point, but it is not a guarantee of final loan approval. Ask the lender which information has been checked and what still needs to be verified.
Not always. Down payment requirements vary by loan program and eligibility. Ask your lender about available options, mortgage insurance, closing expenses, and the total cost over time. The smallest upfront payment and the best overall fit aren’t necessarily the same choice.
It describes the services your real estate professional will provide, the length of the relationship, and compensation. Those terms are negotiable, and compensation is not set by law. Read the agreement, ask questions, and sign only when it reflects what you’ve agreed to.
No. An inspection evaluates the property’s condition; an appraisal provides an opinion of its value. A lender may require an appraisal. Neither replaces the other. Your signed offer determines any related contingencies, deadlines, and contractual options.
Review the findings and contract deadlines with your agent before deciding how to respond. Further evaluation or negotiations may be appropriate. What you can request—and whether you can end the transaction—depends on the actual terms of your agreement.
Yes, but the timing needs a plan. Discuss financing, any sale contingency, closing dates, and possession with your agent and lender before choosing the sequence. Our selling guide can help you think through the other side of the move.
Explore more: CFPB: preapproval · CFPB: planning your down payment · NAR: buyer agreements
Let’s make your next move a Greater one.
Tell us where you are in the process and what you’re hoping to find. We’ll help you work out what comes next.
