Buyers
The Home Buying Process
Buying a home is a big step! Whether it’s your first home, dream home, or tenth investment property, it’s a significant investment. I understand how important this is to you, and I’m committed to helping you find the perfect property that suits your unique needs. With a deep passion for real estate and a thorough knowledge of the market, I’ll guide you through every step of the buying experience, ensuring you feel informed and confident throughout the process.
Finding the perfect property is just one way I can assist with your real estate purchase. As a dedicated real estate agent, I have ongoing access to trusted experts in every related field, from lending to relocation, ensuring you have all the resources you need for a smooth and successful transaction.
- Initial Meeting and Consultation
- Timing analysis
- Your dream home
- Get pre-approved by a lender
- Set up a search on the MLS
- Look at properties on the online portal
- Go tour properties that you like
- Run CMA on potential winners
- Put it an offer
- Go under contract
- Make initial escrow deposit
- Begin the inspection process
- Negotiate repairs/credits
- Appraisal
- Review title and lien search
- Get final loan approval
- Final Walkthrough
- Close!
Home Buying Process
Step #1
Buyer Consultation:
- Introduction to the buying process.
- Timing analysis to align with your needs.
- Discussion about your dream home and essential features.
- Financial aspect overview with lending partner recommendations.
Step #2
Searching for Homes:
- MLS search set up for personalized home listings.
- Daily email updates with property listings.
- Initiate pre-approval process with necessary documents.
Step #3
Touring Homes:
- Set up tours for selected homes.
- Use a survey to track likes and dislikes.
- Narrow down top choices and continue the search.
Step #4
Making an Offer:
- Evaluate comparable home sales for a fair offer.
- Discuss and determine offer terms (EMD, closing date, inspection period, loan approval period, additional terms).
- Craft a competitive offer aligning with your needs.
Step #5
Offer Terms:
- EMD: 1%-2% deposit for a serious buyer.
- Closing Date: Typically 30 days with financing, 15 days with cash.
- Inspection Period: Usually 10 days for property inspections.
- Loan Approval Period: 21-30 days for final loan approval.
- Additional Terms: Discuss and consider other contingencies or terms.
Step #6
Under Contract:
- Officially under contract after offer acceptance.
- Initiate earnest money deposit (EMD) with the title company.
Step #7
Inspection Period:
- Conduct inspections, negotiate repairs/credits.
- Contract cancellation option within the inspection period.
Step #8
Loan Approval Period:
- Work closely with the lender for final loan approval.
- Appraisal to ensure the home value aligns with the contract price.
- Obtain home insurance and flood coverage if necessary.
Step #9
Title and Lien Search:
- Title search confirms legal ownership.
- Municipal lien search recommended.
- Survey ordered to check for property encumbrances.
Step #10
Closing:
- Receive closing disclosure (CD) and ALTA statement.
- Review and wire transfer final funds.
- Complete paperwork, become the new homeowner, and enjoy your new home!
Testimonials
EXCELLENTBased on 49 reviewsTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Janet I2024-09-20Joelle of Cross Street Realtors was excellent from the first contact through closing. She provided weekly updates on what I needed to do and what she would be doing. She answered my many questions quickly, and provided excellent advice on preparing my house for showing and setting the listing price. She helped make a stressful time go very smoothly. I highly recommend her!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Dinah Riordan2024-09-20I have had the pleasure of working with Joelle on several transactions and she is very professional in all of her dealings. Joelle takes great care of her clients, and gets things done!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Joanne Lund2024-09-11Hand down, the most professional realtor I have ever worked with! Joelle's expertise and knowledge is second to none, she has a very approachable but business-like way of getting things done without exposing her clients to all the minutiae that goes into buying or selling home to make the process as stress-free as possible.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Owen Devos2024-08-16Joelle has done a great job for is, multiple times. She is very thorough, detail oriented, and is in your corner during the entire transaction.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Anonymous2024-08-14Joelle was an asset during my house selling experience. She understood the market dynamic in the region, which was invaluable. She was very responsive; I didn't have to chase her down for answers. Most importantly, Joelle never pressured me to reduce the list price of my home so it would sell quicker even though the prospect of a sale seemed bleak due to extremely high interest rates and a low buyer pool. If I'm ever in the market again (buyer or seller), Joelle will be my agent of choice.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Cindy N2024-05-23My experience with realtor Joelle Dolch was wonderful! She explained every step and document that selling a house presented. She shared ideas and experience in making a good presentation so the potential buyers were able to see the advantages of the house that owners often take for granted. She was not only professional but she was also very caring and supportive during my emotional times. I am grateful that she was my realtor and I would highly recommend her to anyone selling their house, as well as looking for their next home.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Shawnicko Johnson2024-04-28We can't speak highly enough of our experience with Joelle Dolch. We were first-time homebuyers with very little knowledge about how to find the right place. We met with a couple of realtors before Mrs. Joelle, but we knew instantly that she was the one for us. She is honest, hands-on, and she really helped to take a lot of pressure off of us. We never felt forced to make an offer and when we finally found the "one" and ended up in a bidding, Mrs. Joelle walked us through every step of the negotiation process. She’s been very attentive to our every need and very thorough through every aspect of the home buying process. Her knowledge, expertise, experience, and connections continued to amaze myself and my husband. We were never lost or uninformed of anything & we truly couldn’t thank her enough. In our home we found everything that we wanted and some. Thank you Mrs. Joelle.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Mike Arajakis2024-04-26Joelle was exceptional to work with. Super-responsive, experienced, and she is great at keeping things on track. I hope that we can cross paths again very soon-!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Jordan Johnston2024-02-21Helped me through a very long process of buying a house. Was always responsive and willing to help, no matter the time of day.
EXCELLENTBased on 49 reviewsTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Janet I2024-09-20Joelle of Cross Street Realtors was excellent from the first contact through closing. She provided weekly updates on what I needed to do and what she would be doing. She answered my many questions quickly, and provided excellent advice on preparing my house for showing and setting the listing price. She helped make a stressful time go very smoothly. I highly recommend her!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Dinah Riordan2024-09-20I have had the pleasure of working with Joelle on several transactions and she is very professional in all of her dealings. Joelle takes great care of her clients, and gets things done!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Joanne Lund2024-09-11Hand down, the most professional realtor I have ever worked with! Joelle's expertise and knowledge is second to none, she has a very approachable but business-like way of getting things done without exposing her clients to all the minutiae that goes into buying or selling home to make the process as stress-free as possible.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Owen Devos2024-08-16Joelle has done a great job for is, multiple times. She is very thorough, detail oriented, and is in your corner during the entire transaction.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Anonymous2024-08-14Joelle was an asset during my house selling experience. She understood the market dynamic in the region, which was invaluable. She was very responsive; I didn't have to chase her down for answers. Most importantly, Joelle never pressured me to reduce the list price of my home so it would sell quicker even though the prospect of a sale seemed bleak due to extremely high interest rates and a low buyer pool. If I'm ever in the market again (buyer or seller), Joelle will be my agent of choice.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Cindy N2024-05-23My experience with realtor Joelle Dolch was wonderful! She explained every step and document that selling a house presented. She shared ideas and experience in making a good presentation so the potential buyers were able to see the advantages of the house that owners often take for granted. She was not only professional but she was also very caring and supportive during my emotional times. I am grateful that she was my realtor and I would highly recommend her to anyone selling their house, as well as looking for their next home.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Shawnicko Johnson2024-04-28We can't speak highly enough of our experience with Joelle Dolch. We were first-time homebuyers with very little knowledge about how to find the right place. We met with a couple of realtors before Mrs. Joelle, but we knew instantly that she was the one for us. She is honest, hands-on, and she really helped to take a lot of pressure off of us. We never felt forced to make an offer and when we finally found the "one" and ended up in a bidding, Mrs. Joelle walked us through every step of the negotiation process. She’s been very attentive to our every need and very thorough through every aspect of the home buying process. Her knowledge, expertise, experience, and connections continued to amaze myself and my husband. We were never lost or uninformed of anything & we truly couldn’t thank her enough. In our home we found everything that we wanted and some. Thank you Mrs. Joelle.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Mike Arajakis2024-04-26Joelle was exceptional to work with. Super-responsive, experienced, and she is great at keeping things on track. I hope that we can cross paths again very soon-!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.Jordan Johnston2024-02-21Helped me through a very long process of buying a house. Was always responsive and willing to help, no matter the time of day.