Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare for this moment, it's essential to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step buyer's guide was created to reduce the stress of buying a home and to help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.
First, we will connect for an initial consultation to discuss what you are looking for in your next home so I can help guide your search.
We will establish a mutual business agreement. This document is designed to increase transparency by laying out my obligations to you, in addition to details on term length, compensation, termination, exclusivity, representation, and property criteria. Once we are both aligned with the terms of the agreement, you will be asked to sign before I can show you or send you any properties.
If you are obtaining financing, getting a pre-approval letter from a lender before submitting an offer is important because it shows you are more likely to meet the proposed settlement date. A pre-approval letter and a good faith estimate from a lender will also give you insight into the projected down payment, closing costs, and expected monthly payment.
Using the Compass CMA tool, I will run market analyses on comparable properties in the area to give you a clear understanding of current market value. Together, we will identify your ideal home's location and amenities, and attend open houses in a range of
areas. I will listen to your continued feedback and activate a 'collection,'or specialized search for properties as they hit the market until we find a home you love.
My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home
Once we find the right home, we will collaborate on a competitive offer. The offer is an agreement to pay a certain price for the home if accepted and may include other terms, such as whether you are waiving any contingencies or in how many days you are willing to close. It is my job to guide you through the decision-making process to ensure you are confident with our offer.
It is my responsibility to coordinate all desired home inspections within the agreed timeline and contractual contingencies. We will also review and discuss the disclosures and preliminary title report. You may approve or negotiate credits and/or repairs. Prior to closing, we will schedule a final walk-through to verify the property is still in acceptable condition and any negotiated repairs were done.
Your contract is the agreement between you and the seller to purchase the property for a specific price. Also defined in the contract of sale are the settlement company, date of settlement, and earnest money deposit amount.
If required, an Escrow Deposit is the amount of money that the buyer will put in an escrow in good faith to demonstrate to the Seller that they are serious about purchasing the property. The money will only be deposited if the contract is signed and agreed by both parties.
If you are obtaining financing, your lender will let you know the list of financial documents necessary to provide to the lender, including a couple of months of bank statements, tax records, pay stubs, etc. Typically, you will have a mortgage contingency of
the agreed-upon length to obtain a mortgage commitment. Once your lender has all of your documents, they will review them and issue a Clear-to-Close, which means your loan is complete and the file will be sent to the title company for closing. Your lender will have an appraisal done on the property.
Congratulations! You are now a homeowner. Welcome home!
Valerie is the best of the best! We were first time home buyers relocating from Queens to Westchester. Valerie's extensive knowledge of the real estate market was crucial to our home search since we were not familiar with the a...
Val was amazing, making the process seemingly smooth when selling my dad's house. Listing the house, staging the house, and getting us multiple offers were only a few of the great work she did. Val walked us through the entire ...
Valerie is an incredible agent and is extremely knowledgeable about the housing market. After searching for a house for over a year with different agents, Valerie was recommended to us through a friend. Her professionalism and ...
Selling a house after calling it home for 32 years can be both emotional and overwhelming. And for me, it was! Fortunately, we had Valerie Cascione to guide us through this period of change. From helping us present our home in ...
Valerie was amazing throughout the entire process of looking for a house. She helped us to focus on things that were important to us when buying a house as well as things that didn’t bother us as much. Valerie really got to kno...
This was our second time working with Valerie and she did another phenomenal job! She helped us buy our first home a couple of years ago, and most recently helped us sell that home as we were moving out of the area. It was a pl...
There truly aren’t words that represent that kind of agent or person Valerie is. Valerie helped us buy our home 7 years ago and, without pause, was the person we chose to sell our home this year. She is meticulous in her attent...
Valerie is truly one of the best! She has a deep knowledge of Westchester towns and the market. I’ve worked with her to purchase a home and to view rentals and have enjoyed every interaction. She is responsive and takes great c...
Valerie is a true professional and her knowledge of the local market and its intricacies are beyond compare. I benefitted tremendously by working with her on the sale of my home and the ensuing search for a new place to call ho...
Working with Valerie to sell our home was a dream. She is professional, empathetic and really wants what’s best for her clients. I have and would continue to recommend her wholeheartedly! She goes above and beyond.
From day one of my home-buying process, Valerie was attentive, knowledgeable, professional, and easy to work with. She made sure that I understood every piece of the process and was transparent every step of the way. It is hard...
Valerie did an outstanding job representing us in the sale of our Ossining home. From determining the listing price, providing direction in preparing our home for sale, staging our home for photos and showing, evaluating the mu...
We consider ourselves very lucky to have found Valerie to help us find and purchase our new home in Westchester County, NY. She had endless patience for us as we explored the area by looking at different towns and home styles. ...
Valerie was our real estate agent for our first home purchase. She made the process extremely approachable and was communicative the entire way through. Valerie was always available to answer any and all of our questions. We wo...
We are first time home buyers, and we’re confident that we’re only in our dream home now because we worked with Valerie. In this tough market she kept us competitive amid multiple offers with her expertise, tenacity, and simply...
Valerie has been wonderful to work with from the time we met earlier this year. She’s an excellent listener, well versed and thorough through each step of the home buying process. We’re so grateful for the experience we had in ...
I have been working with Valerie for a long time through several transactions. I have been a realtor for over 40 years and Valerie just represented me in the sale of my home as I was not comfortable representing myself. Valerie...
Valerie offers her clients a full range of expertise that is bar none in Westchester. She has a wealth of knowledge about the local market and her honest and straightforward communication is refreshing. She guides you through s...
Valerie is a phenomenal resource if you’re looking to buy or sell a home. From start to finish, Valerie will showcase her extensive knowledge in the real estate market and process, combined with good instincts and an empathetic...
Whether working with first-time buyers or seasoned sellers, she goes above and beyond to ensure 100% satisfaction. Her clients benefit from her deep knowledge of marketing, pricing, and staging strategies, paired with her exceptional negotiation skills.
