Buyer's Guide

Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

My Testimonials

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Steve O.

Debbie helped us sell our home and purchase a new home. Selling my home was fairly easy, comparatively speaking, but not without its challenges. Her experience helped us to quickly navigate these challenges and get our home clo...

Seller

Debbie accomplished the impossible. I met with four Realtors and chose Debbie because of her warm manner, gentle but persistent follow-up, realistic evaluation of the local real estate market, and practical vision for necessary...

Faye B.

Debbie was wonderful! From the introduction to the closing, she was there for us. One would almost think we were her only client. We established a wonderful relationship and she helped navigate a pothole here and there that we ...

Teresa S.

Debbie is an incredibly effective and caring Realtor from beginning to end. We were relocating from out-of-state during the pandemic with three young kids - Debbie went above and beyond to make the house hunting through the mov...

Cami

Shanli is a good and trustworthy friend of mine since grade school. Recently, I met with him and told him I no longer wanted to rent an apartment and needed to close on a house in 3 weeks from the day we met for lunch. Without ...

Ian B.

Debbie was a huge asset to us while we were searching for a home. This was our first time buying and we were looking at very competitive locations. She was extremely patient with us as we worked our way through the process. She...

Eli

I had an incredible experience working with Shanli Alikhani! The way he took his time to walk me through and explain every question I had throughout the entire process really made me feel that much more confident in my decision...

Buyer

Debbie has a broad knowledge of the greater DC market, which proved incredibly valuable to me as I wavered between buying in several area cities. She listened to my "wants" and ably navigated me to a great new home that checks ...

Buyer

We were very happy with our experience working with Debbie. She worked closely with us at every step of the home-buying process, from considering a property for purchase all the way through closing escrow. Her knowledge of the ...

Jim K.

We could not have been more pleased with Debbie Shapiro as the Realtor to sell our home in McLean. Debbie is a sales professional and knows how to sell. Her knowledge and expertise were evident in pricing our home, negotiating ...

Veronica N.

Debbie is fantastic! She is extremely knowledgeable about the area, very responsive, and has excellent taste. As a first-time home buyer, she guided us throughout the process, and because of her help, we found the perfect home....

Amelia D.

We had a fantastic experience working with Debbie. We started looking at the beginning of January and a month later we found our perfect home! Debbie was responsive, proactive, and always looking for ways to help make the home-...

Sara S.

Debbie was a fabulous partner in helping us through the intimidating process of buying our first home. She was patient and responsive as we looked at many homes while our needs evolved so we could find the best home to meet our...

Josh N.

I cannot emphasize enough Debbie’s knowledge and professionalism. She will not only make sure you understand the ins and outs of what you’re purchasing, but she also has your back through the whole process. My wife and I will r...

Seller

Debbie Shapiro worked tirelessly to help us prepare the house for the market, guided us in making choices for repairs and upgrades to show, and when the sale took place followed through until we were settled in our new space an...

Jon L.

Debbie has an excellent understanding of the market and the entire sale process. She was excellent at guiding us through the purchasing process and giving us valuable insight throughout. I would definitely recommend Debbie to a...

Danielle M.

Debbie did an amazing job selling our home. She really went above and beyond our expectations, and she has a great knowledge of the market. It was a pleasure working with her!

Madan K.

Excellent agent to sell your home quickly. She is available whenever you need her to do it for you. My wife and I are very impressed and satisfied.

Mike M.

I highly recommend working with Debbie. She is knowledgeable, quick to respond, and always looks out for her client's best interest. 5 stars!

Billy N.

Debbie does a great job managing the condo that I rent in Arlington. Always responsive and courteous!

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A Step-by-Step Buyer's Guide