Plan, plan and then plan some more when buying a home

Mortgage advisers: Sue Carlson, Scott Murray. Property type: Single-family home. Purchase price: $432,000. Appraised value: $475,000. Loan amount: $424,175. Loan type: FHA fixed. Contract opens: Oct. 8. Contract closed: Nov. 6. Backstory: Proper preparation and planning can’t be overemphasized. Sue Carlson and Scott Murray of RPM stressed this to their clients who were hoping to buy their first home. Everyone teamed up to navigate the preapproval process, outlining exactly how the transaction would flow from beginning to end.

The brokers established a timeline and informed the clients what documents would be expected throughout the process. The down payment, closing costs and monthly mortgage were established before the couple ever made an offer, ensuring there would be no surprises or hiccups once they found a home they wanted.

Attitude is another aspect of the process that can have a profound effect. Of course the clients spent months planning, saving and crunching the numbers, but their attitude saw them through the process as smoothly as possible. Securing a mortgage easily becomes cumbersome without a sensible approach. Perception is reality. Yes, many documents are needed these days, and if a client perceives the requests as a burden, then the overall experience is going to be a burden.

After months of shopping, Carlson and Murray’s client found a house. The transaction unfolded just as planned and closed on time without a hitch. Proper planning, communication and cooperation remain a winning combination. When all was said and done, the client paid her team the highest compliment and said buying a house is easy.