buyer's guide

BUYERS GUIDE Buying Your Home With the Expert Help of

Joseline Mucha

Introduction

About Joseline

Community

Windermere

Financing

Good Faith Estimate

The Search Begins

Making an Offer

Crafting a Winning Offer

Contingencies

Numbers to Know

Inspections

Escrow

Title

Pending to Close

Closing & Possession

Closing Costs Defined

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Know When Its The Right Time To Buy One of the most stressful issues home buyers face is the question of when the time is right to buy. My

rule is that you should decide based on your life and what makes sense to you, your family, your

plans and your finances. Then, use the information I give you about whats going on in the market

to decide how to buy: what kind of home to buy, what sort of loan to use, how much to offer, and

other strategies for executing your home buying plans.

Most avid observers of real estate agree that this is a great time to buy a home. But what factors

need to be considered when deciding whether it is the right time in your life to buy?

Shatter Your Fears With Education & Preparation Humans fear what they dont understand, and the process of buying a home is complicated

enough that even those who have done it a couple of times often dont completely understand

every detail. Before we begin, you can make a list of your fears, concerns and issues about buying

that make you nervous. Then, we can discuss those items, point-by-point; youll find that many of

them have solutions of which you were simply unaware.

Throughout your home buying experience, when something is not clear, ask questions until it is.

(even if you have to ask the same question a million times!) I want to make sure you are comforta-

ble every step of the way!

Work with the best agent . . . Joseline Buying a home is not an ordinary business transaction. In an ideal situation, I will learn all sorts of

private financial information, emotional and relationship details about you and your family, and I

want you to be comfortable. By learning these things, I have a better understanding of who you

are and can therefore translate your vision into a home. I promise confidentiality and trust and will

do everything in my power to find you the right home.

If needed, I will hold your hand and patiently explain real estate basics, local standard practices

and how market news applies to you (or not). I have a team of trusted mortgage, inspection and

escrow providers to refer you.

Joseline Mucha 1

ABOUT JOSELINE

Open, Honest & Drive to Succeed Among being passionate about the product and the service that I provide, I enjoy working with a

diverse group of good people, all presenting their own unique challenges. I continue to work

through these challenges, achieving positive results and fortuitous outcomes. I work from a founda-

tion based on service, loyalty, knowledge, and hard work. Through positive energy and a strong

knowledge of the market I will be the right realtor to represent many clients to come!

Knowledge & Negotiating Skills 1) Price. Knowing the price when listing your home or assisting in a purchase.

2) Negotiating. Knowing how to negotiate and being aware of market conditions and comparables.

3) Inspection. This can be the second round of negotiations. Knowing what is wrong and how much

repairs can cost are a crucial part of the inspection process.

4) Accessibility. I am always a phone call away and respond promptly to all ways of communication.

I Am Your Resource I strive to continue to be a resource to my clients long after they have settled into their homes. I

have strong relationships with business professionals in many different trades and professions, and

can refer you to the newest restaurant openings, bars, and events in your neighborhood. I am here

for you!

Joseline Mucha c. 206.747.7099

o. 206.448.6400

e. jmucha@windermere.com

http://http://joseline.mucha.biz/

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COMMITMENT

Windermere - Helping Homeless Families My commitment to serving our communities goes beyond providing the best in real estate services.

Since the beginning, through our Windermere Foundation (founded in 1989), Ive also reached out

to help address one of Americas most pressing problems homelessness.

Housing is Our Business Supporting programs that provide housing and related services to help homeless and low-income

families is a natural extension of our business. We assist homeless families by giving funds to a variety

of nonprofit social service programs for emergency and transitional shelter projects, temporary rent

assistance and daycare for families in need. Other activities include underwriting the cost of summer

camp, and basic necessities such as new school shoes, socks and underwear. I believe that building

a childs self-esteem is an investment in the future of our communities.

Every Transaction Makes a Difference What makes the Windermere Foundation unique is the way that it is funded. Every time a

Windermere agent sells a home, a portion of the commission goes to the Windermere Foundation.

Salaried employees and managers, as well as the public, make contributions. Since its inception, the

Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to non-profit organizations dedicated to fighting

homelessness, with less than one percent going to administrative costs.

Windermere & Community

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WINDERMERE

The Best Tools Windermeres structure allows offices to operate independently while retaining the benefits of being associated with respected brand benefits such as advertising buying power, agent benefits and powerful technology tools. At the same time, I am intimately familiar with my local communities, allowing me to provide knowledgeable and high-caliber real estate services tailored to your needs. As part of the Windermere network, I also take advantage of a variety of programs and innovative services including technology, marketing and education that I put to work in the local market. These innovative tools allow me to serve homebuyers and home sellers in a way that is unique to Winder-mere. Windermere has always emphasized professionalism. Our associates are the primary component to our success and growth. Weve worked very hard over the years to build our reputation as a com-pany whose representatives are fair, honest, knowledgeable and genuinely care about their com-munities. -Geoff Wood, Chief Executive Officer, Windermere Real Estate Windermere.com At the touch of a button, you can view thousands of homes throughout the West via Windermeres award-winning website, Windermere.com. From here you can effortlessly preview homes for sale, learn about my company and get information to help you make your buying and selling decisions. The easy-to-use site includes homes listed by Windermere as well as other real estate companies. Photo Gallery Allows you to view multiple photos of a home. PropertyPoint An exclusive interactive map search tool now featuring Google Maps. myWindermere A feature, which automatically notifies you via email of new listings that fit your criteria daily or week-ly. You can create multiple searches. Mortgage Calculator Determine if the home is within your price range. Builder Gallery For newly constructed homes, which can assist you in learning about the home, builder and development.

The Best In Seattle

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FINANCING YOUR DREAM

Getting Pre-Approved By getting pre-approved, you know exactly how much home you can afford. There is nothing worse

than finding your dream home, only to find out that you cannot qualify for a loan to buy it. A pre-

approval also strengthens your bargaining power when negotiating with a seller.

Determining how much you can afford before you begin your home search will save you valuable

time.

Pre-qualification vs. Pre-Approval Pre-qualifying for a mortgage generally helps you determine how much house you can afford. Re-

member, becoming qualified does not necessarily mean that you will be approved for a loan of that

amount. Pre-approval from your lender means that you have provided them with necessary paper-

work, and they have approved you for an actual loan. Having pre-approval for a home will put you

in a much better negotiating position, because the seller knows you are able to obtain your loan to

purchase their home.

Down Payment Most lenders require a 3.5 to 20 percent down payment.

I can help you locate a lender who will assist you in finding a financing package that best meets

your needs.

Preferred Lenders If you do not already have a lender, please let me know. I will put you in touch with one of my trust-

ed partners who knows how to get the job done.

The Buying Process

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GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE

What Is A Good Faith Estimate? The Good Faith Estimate or GFE is a form, which lenders are required to complete and provide to borrowers applying for a mortgage. It is intended to make it easier for borrowers to compare mort-gage offers from different lenders and it is required under Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) rules. There are actually tw