Map of the Home Buying Process

Purchasing a home in the St. Louis or St. Charles County area of Missouri, although exciting, can also be challenging. However with the right Realtor(s) and the right information, the process of buying a St. Louis or St. Charles County area home can be easier than you think. We help with everything from financing to home search to home procurement. Below we’ve mapped out the home buying process for you.

 

The Home Buying Process Mapped Out

Pre-Approval
This required process will help determine the price range for your home search, and give you the best position for when you put an offer on a home.

Necessities
Your buyer specialist will discuss with you the features you are looking for including size, style, location, amenities, accessibility to schools and other personal preferences and must-have features.

Home Search
Your buyer specialist will provide you with homes that match your criteria, but you will also have full access to the MLS System through TheBoehmerTeam.com. Register for Property Watch to save your favorite homes, store notes and receive automatic emails of new homes that match your search. Set appointments with your buyer specialist to tour any home that interests you. A qualified buyer specialist will have a variety of resources that are only available to licensed agents and should have access to homes that may not yet be marketed to the public.  They should be actively searching and assisting you with your search for your new home.

Submit an Offer/Negotiations
Negotiations can involve everything from settling on a sales price to concessions and financing. The Boehmer Team agents are trained, expert negotiators whose job it is to represent your interests during the entire real estate transaction.

Purchase & Sale Agreement
Once an offer on a property has been made by a buyer and accepted by the seller, they enter into a legal contract known as a Purchase and Sale Agreement. This document outlines the specific terms and conditions of the transaction and is acknowledged by both parties.

Inspections
Once a buyer and seller reach a mutual agreement on a property, a home inspector is brought in to determine if the home needs any repairs. An inspector will check items, such as the roof, basement, heating system, water heater, air-conditioning system, windows, plumbing, and electrical. Afterwards, buyers may have the opportunity to negotiate with the sellers to cover the costs of certain repairs or to ask for concessions.

Title Insurance/Survey
You will receive a full report detailing the property history for you and your lender to ensure there are no legal discrepancies between a new owner and the property being purchased. If you choose to have a survey performed it would be done at this time.

Final Loan Approval
You should already be pre-approved, but now that you've entered a contract to purchase a home you will be working more in-depth with your lender on your final loan approval. To learn more about this process, pay a visit to our Mortgage Center page on TheBoehmerTeam.com.

Final Walk-Through
Your buyer specialist will accompany you on a walk-through of the property before closing to ensure the home is in as expected condition and any agreed upon repairs have been performed to your satisfaction. This is also the time to double check that all closing details are completed and utility information is prepared for switch over.

Closing
Prior to closing, you'll receive a settlement statement outlining any fees that may apply to you. At closing, all of the paperwork is signed by the buyer and seller - both parties pay any settlement fees and the documents are officially recorded.  After closing is finalized and recorded, the home is yours. Enjoy!

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For our homebuyers, The Boehmer Team has dedicated buyer specialists on our team to assist your every need in the home buying process. Even in a competitive market, we're helping homebuyers make their home ownership dreams a reality. Contact The Boehmer Team to assist you in the home buying process or to request a printable home buying process map.

 

 

What To Know About Homeowner’s Associations

When looking at homes for sale in St. Louis and St. Charles County, Missouri you may notice “association fees” in the listing details. So what are these association fees? They are monthly or yearly dues to the homeowner’s association for the community where the home is located.

What is a homeowner’s association?

A homeowner’s association (HOA) is an organization within a planned community that creates and enforces rules for homeowners within the community. They are usually setup as 501(c)(4)organizations that collect dues to be distributed to maintain the community. If you purchase a home in the community, you automatically will be responsible for paying the association dues.

What does a homeowner’s association do?

Homeowner’s associations oversee and enforce a community’s covenants as well as assist in maintaining the quality of the community. This can include but is not limited to: maintaining common areas, sidewalks, streets, community clubhouse, community pool and playground equipment. They hire and distribute funds to the contractors that do the work. Also the association has to purchase and maintain insurance for community amenities covered by the HOA.

Are homeowner’s associations common?

According to the Foundation for Community Association Research, “the number of Americans living in HOAs is on the rise, growing from a mere 1% in 1970 to 1 in 4 today.” So they have become quite common as a way for communities to be maintained and keep home values at a premium.

How are homeowner’s association fees determined?

The board of directors of a homeowner’s association determines the amount of the fees. They do this by determining the projected annual expenses of the association and dividing by the number of homes.  Board members are usually homeowners from the community that volunteer and do not profit from HOA fees. In fact, they too will have to pay the HOA fees sometimes called assessments or maintenance fees.

How do I find out what a homeowner’s association covers for a community?

 

Each association has its own unique rules and policies. If you are planning to buy a home in a community that has a homeowner’s association, it’s important that you read the community’s covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) and bylaws. If the listing agent doesn’t provide these with the listing documentation, be sure to request them so that you know before you buy.

Generally homeowner’s associations offer a benefit to those living in the community. Combined funds keep the community maintained, home values up and offer the option to have a swimming pool, tennis court or other benefits that an individual homeowner may not be able to afford and maintain on their own. The Boehmer Team has helped many homebuyers who found the home of their dreams in a community with a homeowner’s association. In addition we’ve helped many sellers living in HOA communities sell their homes. We know the in’s and out’s of HOA’s and are ready to help you with your real estate needs even if they involve a homeowner’s association.

Additional references:

https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/other-non-profits/homeowners-associations

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hoa.asp#ixzz4boYWk 

http://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/what-is-an-hoa/