FAQ

Whether you’re a first-time HOME BUYER or an experienced HOMEOWNER, buying a new home can be an exciting but sometimes overwhelming process. Before you start your search, it’s important to get organized and do your homework!

For a few ways to get started visit: knowyouroptions.com

To arrive at an “affordable” home price, we followed the guidelines of most LENDERS. In general, that means your total debt payments should be no more than 36% of your gross income. Contact us today for more info: Missouri 816-348-4817 / Kansas 913-254-2579

It is imperative to select a Realtor who understands YOU! One that you respect and whom you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and concerns with. Without a level of trust, you will not experience the full benefits of a full-time Realtor.

YOUR Home is OUR Passion! Our Full-time Realtors are passionate about helping YOU make your next move as exciting, personally beneficial, and financially rewarding as possible. The Gresham Group has been recognized for over a decade as being in the TOP 1% of Realtors in Metro K.C. We are very proud of the fact that our success is a direct result of the support of our loyal past clients who continue to refer us to their family, friends, and co-workers. We are truly grateful and honored for every home buyer and seller who trusts us to represent them and their family.

For starters, homebuyers should not always rely on the sometimes partial or outdated information that many online sources provide. But more importantly, a good buyer’s agent will still carry out many tasks in the buyer’s best interest — tasks that reach far beyond the property search function.

If a real estate agent works with a buyer or a seller for weeks or months without a resulting transaction, they aren’t paid for their time. REALTORS® only earn a fee paid by the seller at settlement closing.

Simply put, The Gresham Group makes the home buying process understandable and enjoyable. Our team places emphasis on Buyer education, whether a first-time buyer or seasoned home buyer. Our team offers unmatched personal service that greatly benefits our clients, from negotiations to providing trusted professional references, such as lenders and home inspectors. For many people, the process of buying a home can be overwhelming. We bring calm to the process to provide a rewarding experience that is as stress-free as possible.

As YOUR AGENT, we know the most effective ways to advertise and market YOUR home! As a member of our local real estate association (KCRAR), we have access to an extensive network of buyer’s agents AND LOCAL MARKET INFO that is not available to the general public. In addition to that, more than 50 percent of HOME SALES are cooperative sales, where a seller’s agent works with a buyer’s agent, giving Sellers who list with an agent the advantage over those who choose not to work with a real estate agent [source: National Association of Realtors].

Simply put, The Gresham Group makes the home buying process understandable and enjoyable. Our team places emphasis on Buyer education, whether a first-time buyer or seasoned homebuyer. Our team offers unmatched personal service that greatly benefits our clients, from negotiations to providing trusted professional references, such as lenders and home inspectors. For many people, the process of buying a home can be overwhelming. We bring calm to the process to provide a rewarding experience that is as stress-free as possible.

While most lenders stand behind what they advertise or promise, you should still do your homework before committing to financing. This is why The Gresham Group has built relationships with local lenders to better serve out clients, ensuring they are in good hands.

There is one Website that makes the loan officer investigative process relatively easy. The National Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) maintains a site providing consumer access to the administrative and license information for state-regulated mortgage lenders in all 50 states and the District. The NMLS Consumer Access site can be searched free of charge at www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

Generally speaking, you can figure about 2-5% of the purchase price as typical closing costs. Lenders are required by law to give you a good faith estimate (GFE) of what the closing costs on your home will be within three days of when you apply for a loan. But these are just an estimate, and many of the fees listed on the GFE can legally change by up to 10 percent.

To reduce the amount of money needed to get into a home, buyers will often ask the seller to pay some fee’s that are typically paid by the buyer (Buyer’s Closing Cost).

Even when this cost is added to the Sales Price, this may significantly reduce the amount of money a Buyer needs to come up with to close on their purchase.

For more information on closing costs visit: www.myfico.com

Many buyers opt to purchase home warranties, which average $350 to $500 for a basic warranty and $100 to $300 more for a warranty with extra protection. Buyers, particularly first-time buyers, like the fact that they can rely on a warranty to pay for repairs during the first year while they are settling into a new home.

To minimize unpleasant surprises and unexpected difficulties, you’ll want to learn as much as you can about the newly constructed or existing house before you buy it. A home inspection may identify the need for major repairs or builder oversights, as well as the need for maintenance to keep it in good shape. After the inspection, you will know more about the house, which will allow you to make decisions with confidence.

Find more information from the American Society of home inspectors at www.ashi.org