A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by our team will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Hire a Realtor

Step 1 to buying a home is hiring the right realtor, and yes, one from The Cedeno Group. A great realtor does not just open doors, we guide you through every step of the process, from understanding what you qualify for to connecting you with the right lenders and making sure you do not miss out on the best opportunities. Can you shop for homes and make an offer without an agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing to work with a professional who will find homes that actually fit your goals, schedule and guide you through showings, negotiate on your behalf, and protect you throughout the entire process while helping you avoid costly mistakes. Buying a home can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to be. That is where we come in. Let us take the stress off your shoulders and guide you home. Send me a message and let us start your home search today.

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Step 2: Get Pre-Qualified

Get prequalified so you know exactly how much you can afford. You should never start home shopping without first getting approved and understanding your numbers, including your estimated monthly payment and closing costs. Speaking with one of the preferred lenders at The Cedeno Group will not only give you clarity but can also open the door to programs such as 100 percent financing, where many of our clients have been able to purchase with ZERO DOWN. And if you are concerned about your credit, do not let that stop you from starting, our lenders can connect you with a FREE credit improvement plan to help you get where you need to be.

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Step 3: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). We 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.

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home

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Step 4: 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. We 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.

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Step 5: 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. We 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.

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Step 6: 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.

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Step 7: 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.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Highly recommend Realtor in North Carolina, works very close with home buyers and facilitates all what customer needs; gives you good advices on home when viewings days. She was available to talk 24/7.

— Leonardo Martinez

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Excellent service, organized, very polite, disciplined, detailed when explaining, very honest and responsible. He held our hand throughout the entire process and earned our trust. We were happy with his good work, we found the house of our dreams 😍 aaahhh he also speaks English & Spanish 😀 10/10.

— Fabby Maradiaga

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Working with Melisa Hernandez was an absolute pleasure! From start to finish, she was professional, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire process. Melisa’s attention to detail, excellent communication, and genuine care made what could have been a stressful experience dealing since we were dealing with a builder, she was there with me at every step of the build process. Couldn’t b...

— Juan Moncada

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Melisa is amazing! She went out of her way to help us look for a house at anytime. She made the process simple and guided us throughout. She was very responsive and professional, I would highly recommend her for anyone who is looking to buy a home for the first time.

— Andrea

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Melisa was great! She was very helpful throughout the whole process. she was honest and helped us find our first home. Every question or concern she was able to answer without hesitation. I highly recommend Melisa to help you find your home! Thanks Melisa!

— Diana Orellana

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Hello, Me and my brother just bought our home a month ago and we wouldn’t have done it without the help of our real estate agent, Melissa. She is honest, professional, very very responsive and very knowledgeable about the area. Not only with answering our millions of questions we had as first time buyers but in also being bilingual she helped our mom better understand the whole process along the way as ...

— Rashel Campanur

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Melisa is awesome. Very down to earth, great communicator, and will answer any questions you have throughout the process.

— James

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

she was very professional and also guided us through out the whole process

— Edisson

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Great people and great realtor love my cousin for all the help

— Jose Figueroa

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Thank you Melissa for your great work, congratulations

— Onis Alvarado

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Adriana was very patient with several properties we were looking at and willing to help. I would recommend for all your real estate needs!

— Andrea Maggio

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Adriana was a pleasure to work with! She helped us buy our home and made the process smooth and stress-free. Her organization, attention to detail, and strong communication really stood out. She’s a skilled negotiator and always had our best interests in mind. Highly recommend!

— Noe Pantaleon

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Working with Adriana was an incredible experience from start to finish. She helped us buy our home, and we couldn’t have asked for a better realtor. What stood out most was her exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail—she kept everything on track and made sure no step was missed. Adriana’s communication was clear, timely, and always reassuring. She made the entire process feel less over...

— Sandra

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Considero que Dios nos permitió encontrarnos en este camino, con un don de servir, mucha dedicación y compromiso en todo el proceso.

— Henri Castro

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Estamos muy agradecidos por el gran apoyo que recibimos esa gran ayuda. Para poder comprar nuestra casita Kathia es una persona muy buena y confiable pusimos toda la fe en Dios y toda la confianza en ella es una excelente persona y gracias a Dios y a ella ya 1 año con nuestra casa grasias Kathia !

— Ingrid Mejia

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Experimentar la alegría de tener un nuevo hogar es una sensación emocionante y gratificante. Katia hace todo lo posible para que puedas comprar tu casa, esta fue la mejor experiencia de nuestras vidas como familia al comprar nuestra casa con Katia Guerrero.

— Lesly Zuniga

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Estamos muy agradecidos por el apoyo que nos brindaron Kathia guerrero les agradezco muchísimo por avernos apoyado con nuestra casita es una felicidad estar en nuestro hogar gracias por ayudarme en todo

— Yeni Reyes

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Queremos agradecerle a Dios primeramente que El puso los recursos indicados para ver logrado uno de estos objetivos .les agradecemos por su motivación por el esfuerzo que hicieron en los más mínimos detalles

— Nurian Paguada

Work With Us

At The Cedeno Group, our agents are all fully bilingual in English and Spanish, ensuring seamless communication for our diverse clientele. With extensive experience in the real estate market, we go beyond traditional approaches, offering out-of-the-box opportunities to help clients achieve their real estate goals. Whether buying, selling, or investing, our team is dedicated to making the process smooth, successful, and tailored to each client's unique needs.