A Guide to Buying a Home in Sherwood Park
Strathcona County – Ardrossan – Capital Region
Choosing to buy a home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life.
It requires a lot of planning, strategy and expertise. Using experienced REALTORS® like us will make the process run more smoothly – and a lot more fun.
Here’s a general overview plus a free downloadable Buyer’s Guide to help you prepare and understand what to expect on your home buying journey.
Before You Start Looking for your Next Home
“Money, Money, Money”
It isn’t just a fun old-school ABBA song. Getting your money and finances organized is an important consideration when you’re buying a home.
The first thing you’ll need is money for a down payment. This amount is (at minimum) 5% of the purchase price of the home you’re planning to buy. Second, you’ll need a mortgage broker to determine what you can afford. After working with over 1000 clients, we have a network of trusted brokers we recommend – just reach out and ask for a referral!
Picture Your Dream Home
Once you know your price range, it’s time to think about what type of home will best suit your lifestyle. Consider things like access to schools, recreational facilities, what the neighbourhood is like, commute and more. Drive around neighbourhoods. Make a list of needs vs wants.
Choosing a REALTOR® is an important step. You’re going to spend a LOT of time with your agent visiting houses.
Step 1: Find the right real estate agent for you
Just because your friend’s cousin’s husband is a real estate agent doesn’t mean he’s the best for YOUR particular needs.
How many sales has your agent negotiated? How many years experience do they have? Are they familiar with your desired community? Be sure to read testimonials and online reviews.
The Hodges & Mohr Experience
We meet in person or via video call to make sure we’re a good fit for each other. We’ll ask you oodles of questions to make sure we understand your needs.
We listen and learn as much as we can about you, your family, and your needs today and tomorrow. Once we’re clear on your needs, we’ll use our decades of experience to scour our networks and MLS for the perfect home.
Step 2: Stress-Free Search
Most agents will set up MLS.ca auto-notification for any listings that meet your exact needs (price range, size, location, etc.). They’ll update you frequently regarding new listings and schedule appointments with sellers.
The Hodges & Mohr Experience
You select all the houses you want to see, and we mean ALL. There is no limit. Your perfect home might be the 1st or 25th house we see, so don’t leave anything out.
We arrange everything for you so you can view houses based on your schedule, not the other way around. When you’re available, we’re available. We’ll do our best to make sure this is as stress-free as possible. If we notice stress sneaking in, we will address it and find solutions.
Step 3: Offer & Close
Real Estate Agents will help you place an offer that the seller will either accept, counter, or reject. After you’ve negotiated an offer, you’ll likely want to schedule a home inspection and deal with any repairs (the cost of which you can also negotiate with the seller).
The Hodges & Mohr Experience
You’ve found your perfect home. Now we’ll help you craft the perfect offer. We’ve negotiated thousands of deals and have an excellent reputation.
We’ll guide you through each part of the offer, and together, we will negotiate the best possible deal (price, conditions, possession).
We also know that sometimes unexpected situations pop up: unexpected repairs, junk left behind, or missing appliances. We work with you to solve any problems or questions that may arise. We’ve got your back.
Step 4: After the Sale
The journey doesn’t end when you find your home. There’s a lot of paperwork to process.
The Hodges & Mohr Experience
We communicate with your lawyers to make sure everything is signed, sealed & delivered on time.
With our combined 35 years in the industry and over 1000 deals, we can recommend mortgage brokers, lawyers, moving and cleaning companies. You’ll receive checklists and What To Expect emails so you’ll know exactly where we are throughout the process and what you need to do next.
Make sure you have a smooth move – Grab a FREE copy of our Buyer’s Guide
