If you are considering buying real estate in the Estero, Bonita Springs or Naples area I would be happy to assist you.  I realize that you some of you have considerable experience in buying real estate, but others may not.  With that in mind I would like to list the steps in the process to make things easier for you.

Common Concerns and Fear

I know that most people have concerns and fears when starting the process of buying a home.  These can range from concerns about items such as "what can we reasonably afford", "will our credit be approved" and "what are the closing costs" to fears of "pushy realtors who talk a lot and listen very little".  With that in mind I want you to know that I will listen to all your concerns, help you find the answers to your questions and most all I want you to know that I will never push you towards a property, but instead will try to guide you to the one you are looking for. With that in mind I had this site designed to provide you all kinds of information, not just about me, about our local area.  As you read thru this please feel free to click the blue words (hyperlinks) to answers to your questions about Estero.

Initial Contact

The first step towards buying your new home should be to contact an agent who can help provide you with local information about the local area.  You can feel free to contact me by phone or by email.  Feel free to give me the specific information you are looking for or to set up an appointment.

Travel

I realize that some of you are reading this while outside our local area in Estero.  With that in mind I have created a list of information to help travel to Estero easier for you.  This list includes includes airlines, airports, hotels, rental cars, taxis and restaurants.  In addition, many of you may want to have some fun while you are looking for houses so I have included information on attractions, beaches, fishing, golf courses and much more which are listed on the left hand side of this page.

First Meeting

Our first meeting at my office, a local restaurant, your home or even your favorite coffee shop. Wherever you feel comfortable.  Because it's important that I find out what you your needs and wants are in a new home at our first meeting I will ask questions and let you do most of the talking.  At this meeting my primary job is to "listen" and give you an opportunity to find out if you are comfortable working with me.

Second Meeting

Our second meeting will be a bit more detailed.  For instance I will try to provide answers to all your questions from the first meeting.  These answers can help you decide which neighborhoods best suit your needs, what price ranges of homes fit into the budget you have specified and can include information about schools, beaches, the local area, availability of utilities such as internet access and much more.  I may also make recommendations on areas to avoid - such as areas that will soon be undergoing major road construction., that may be subject to noise from airports, etc... At this meeting I will work to help you narrow down which areas are best suited for you (beaches, boat access, golf courses, etc) so that together we can start looking for homes.

Mortgage Pre-qualification

One of people's biggest fears during the home buying experience is finding the home of their dreams, making the offer, having it accepted and then finding that the monthly budget and closing costs either exceed their budget or that they may be turned down for the loan.  Even people with good credit sometimes get turned down for reasons that had not expected such as debt to income rations or having cosigned for loans for family members.  To help ease these fears I will help you thru the process of loan pre-qualification.

Looking at homes

There are many ways to look at homes.  You can of course search for homes via the multiple listing service on this website or if you prefer I can give you a printed list of the homes that most suite your criteria.  For that matter I would be happy to sort through the available homes and provide you with a shorter list of homes that I feel may meet your criteria.   One thing to keep in mind is that trying to look at too many homes in one day can be overwhelming.  So I recommend trying to narrow your list to three to five homes.  If these do not suit your needs then we make a trip on another day to look at more homes.

Traveling to Homes

We can drive my car to look at homes.  This not only saves you gas, and allows you to spend more time asking me questions but is generally going to be more convenient for you as you may be new to the area and I know these streets backwards and forwards.

Questions about Homes

If you have questions about the homes we see I will do my best to contact the owner and get you specific answers.

Home Selection

When you find a home you are in love with we will go back and verify that it meets all of your original criteria. Sometimes people get excited and forget what they originally started looking for. My job is to help make sure that this is a home you will be happy with for many years to come.

Make an Offer

Once you have found a home that you wish to own we will sit down together and I will assist you in making a purchase offer. I will help you with the wording, not just the dollar amounts, to include things such as "home must be left in a reasonably clean and undamaged condition", plus specific items such as working out an agreed upon time and date for you to take possession. It's amazing how often the little things today turn out to be the big things tomorrow. My job will be to help you write things in a way that there are no unpleasant surprises down the road.

Offer Accepted

Once your offer is accepted I will assist you with the details to make the transaction go successfully and we can also take a minute out to all do the happy dance and celebrate.

Appraisal

Part of getting a home loan approved is getting an appraisal.  I will be happy to assist you with this as I am a certified state appraiser.  For more information on my appraisal services you can visit my site at AppraisersNaples.com

Mortgage Final Approval

I will contact the Mortgage Broker for you (If you wish) and we can submit the necessary information to get the mortgage approved. I want to note here that there can be huge differences between one mortgage broker and another. Not just the money they charge you for the loan, but also in the way they treat you before and after your purchase. I set very high standards in who I will and who I will recommend to you as a mortgage broker. Not only do I try to recommend only those who offer you the best deal, but also those who will go out of their way to do things like come to your home or office to assist you in filling out forms and answer your questions and even come to closing with you in case there are any last minute issues to be handled at closing. I cannot stress enough that the wrong mortgage broker can cause all kinds of problems while the right broker can often solve problems that might otherwise have out the purchase of your new home at risk.

Closing

I will go with you to the closing. I will work with you to make sure that everything goes according to plan and in your best interests with representatives from the title companies, mortgage brokers, appraisers and of course the sellers. I will be there with you every step of the way.

Congratulations in Your New Home

I will do everything to make moving into your new home a time of great happiness. I will be happy to assist you with information on setting up your utilities, finding your local school information and anything else that I possibly can. In fact, I have already placed most of the information you will need about our local area, schools, utilities, shopping and restaurants here on my site to help you get started.

After the Sale

Whether it be a month after you buy your home or several years I always want you to feel free to come to me with questions about your home, the local area. I believe part of being your favorite real estate agent is also being your friend for life.