The Home Buying Process

Buying a home can be a very stressful event in one's life.  Luckily for you, JG Home Group is here to help. If you’re looking to buy real estate in the Houston or any surrounding areas such as Katy, Richmond, Cypress, etc., then you’ve come to the right place. If you are new to the buying process or just want a refresher, below are the steps to help you move forward on your next purchase. 

1. Get pre-approved with a mortgage lender

First things first, if you do not plan on paying cash for your next home then most likely you will be getting a loan. We recommend talking to at least two to three mortgage lenders until you feel comfortable with the one you would like to work with. If you do not know any lenders, we will be happy to refer you to some who have given great customer service and fee structures to many happy clients in the past.  Most sellers will not consider an offer if you do not have proof of funds or a pre-approval letter showing you can purchase a home. Because of this, we ask that all of our clients get pre-approved before we start the home search process. It’s also a good idea for the pre-approval so we are not looking at homes that are over your budget or missing any unforeseen issues that could affect your qualification for a loan. 

2. Find a real estate agent

The next step in your home search process will be to find a real estate agent you would like to work with. Attempting to find and buy a home without a real estate agent can be one of the most stressful things you can do. From setting up showings, valuing homes, and helping you with the entire contract to close process, this will be invaluable to having someone represent your best interests throughout the process. We would love the opportunity to help you with your home search to earn the position as your Katy or Houston area real estate agent. If you are curious how we get paid, we are paid from the sellers at closing. You as a buyer will get free representation from us and will not have to pay any commissions on your home purchase. 

3. Looking for your next home

Here comes the fun part, looking at houses! Once you are pre-approved and have your agent, it is time to set up online home searches. This website has all of the local MLS homes for sale. Just go to the advanced search section of our site to get your search started. After getting your home search set up, we will give you other tips and tricks to find other off-market homes that may be available. 

4. Making the offer

So we’ve found your next house, now comes the offer. Making an offer can be a tricky part of the home buying process. From knowing how long to have for your inspection period, whether to negotiate on the price or for seller contributions and many other aspects. We will talk you through this and give you specific advice depending on the situation. 

5. Inspections and preparing for closing

After we get your next home under contract, we will most likely be setting up inspections on the home. This is not a requirement, but it is highly advisable since the untrained eye can have a hard time finding all of the deficiencies in a property. After getting past the inspections, we will help you move towards closing, during this process we will handle things such as appraisals, surveys, and any other required documents needed by the title company or lenders.