1. Education: You want to feel confident that you are making informed and educated decisions when purchasing your new home. I will help ensure that you understand financing options, closing costs, market conditions, home inspections, the purchase and sale agreement, addendums, escrow, title insurance, homeowners insurance and more.
2. Preparation: When you find the perfect home, you need to feel confident that you are in a position to submit the right offer and preparation is the key. I will work with you to understand your budget, choose your lender & loan program, get a pre-approval letter, develop a plan of action based on your goals, set parameters for working together and explain what to expect at each step in the process.
3. Knowledge: As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. My expertise will translate into a more enjoyable and successful buying experience for you. Areas of expertise include real estate contracts, current market conditions, mortgage and Seattle neighborhoods. I live and specialize in West Seattle, so I have first hand knowledge of schools, shopping, transportation, pricing, parks and other important characteristics that are important to you and your family.
4. Professionalism: These are more than just adjectives! You can expect honest, reliable and trustworthy representation from an agent that has earned a respectful reputation not only with his clients, but also with other agents.
5. Consultation: Please consider me your personal real estate consultant. While I will not "sell" you a house, I will commit my efforts to helping you find the home that is right for you and then provide you with all the information necessary to make the right offer. I will research market comparables, help you determine the market value of the home, make sure your offer includes the terms and conditions you require and ensure that you submit the strongest offer possible.
6. Negotiation: Once I have presented your offer, I commit to aggressively negotiating on your behalf to assure that you receive the best deal possible, which includes much more than simply price, but also necessary closing costs, contingencies and time frames. Negotiation takes place throughout the closing process and is crucial to resolving issues that arise so you can proceed to closing comfortably knowing your concerns have been addressed.
7. Communication: I realize the importance of excellent communication while you are making one of the largest purchases of your life. I am constantly in contact with you by phone, email, fax and in person during the entire home buying process. Once we have mutual acceptance on an offer, you will receive a list of important dates and a timeline for the closing process. I will be responsible for delivering all paperwork to all parties as necessary, including escrow, title, lender, appraiser and of course, you.
8. Organization: You'll feel comfortable knowing that even if you are too busy to keep up with the home search, paperwork, or important dates, that you can count on my focus on organization. I pay very close attention to detail and will be sure to be organized and prepared every step of the way.
9. Flexible Schedule: I understand the challenges of scheduling around busy life and work schedules. I am willing to be flexible and meet as necessary within your schedule, often times in the evenings or on weekends.
10. Follow Through: The home buying process can get complicated and there are multiple individuals involved in each transaction. I've learned from experience not to expect everything to magically work out as expected, so you can be confident that I will be constantly following up with all parties involved to insure a smooth and timely closing.

The Home Buying Process 101
When buying a home, each situation is truly unique! Although many steps in the process vary depending on the specific circumstance, here is a basic outline of the home buying process to help you understand what to expect.