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VIBE Real Estate Group, LLC

(512) 937-7626

Office

2500 Bee Caves Rd Bldg 3 Ste 200
Austin TX 78746 USA

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Our Step-By-Step

Buyer's Guide

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

Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2

Decide on Your Budget

Notice we said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3

Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4

Choose Real Estate Experts

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without real estate experts? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for agents like us to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will we help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but we also have knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where our expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let us show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Passion & Expertise

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. We are dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

schedule a consultation
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Step 5

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.

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Step 6

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 7

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 8

Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9

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 10

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. 

See Why Our Clients Love Us

Testimonials

Read what our clients have to say about working with us.

"Matt Morper was our real estate agent for our recent first home purchase. Moving from the Bay Area, we weren't very knowledgeable about the best family-friendly neighborhoods, school districts, etc. Matt's deep real estate experience and insight into the various Austin neighborhoods and communities helped guide us to our perfect first home. Matt was essential in helping us navigate the foreign land of working with a builder (new construction), the inspection/walkthrough steps, and just making sure that the process moved along smoothly. I'd highly recommend Matt! We will be looking forward to working with him in the future."
"Matt Morper was our real estate agent for our recent first home purchase. Moving from the Bay Area, we weren't very knowledgeable about the best family-friendly neighborhoods, school districts, etc. Matt's deep real estate experience and insight into the various Austin neighborhoods and communities helped guide us to our perfect first home. Matt was essential in helping us navigate the foreign land of working with a builder (new construction), the inspection/walkthrough steps, and just making sure that the process moved along smoothly. I'd highly recommend Matt! We will be looking forward to working with him in the future."
The LeCompte Family
"My husband and I worked with Matt, and we were looking for a home in Austin. We plan to move in about the next year and wanted to see how living in Austin would be. We walked into an open house and met Matt. Right away he was welcoming and personable in regards to what my husband and I were looking for. Matt went above and beyond to work us in his schedule the very next day to show us some houses and even drive us up a summit overlooking the city to see if we potentially wanted to build a home in the future. Matt's energy and determination for us to find our dream home was one of a kind. We are happy to say we will be working with him through the process of finding our very first home! We couldn't have a more perfect real estate agent who is flexible and caring to personalize our needs and wants as a priority! We are grateful to have walked into the open house and to have met Matt! Thank you Matt for all you do! Can't wait to work together on this journey!"
"My husband and I worked with Matt, and we were looking for a home in Austin. We plan to move in about the next year and wanted to see how living in Austin would be. We walked into an open house and met Matt. Right away he was welcoming and personable in regards to what my husband and I were looking for. Matt went above and beyond to work us in his schedule the very next day to show us some houses and even drive us up a summit overlooking the city to see if we potentially wanted to build a home in the future. Matt's energy and determination for us to find our dream home was one of a kind. We are happy to say we will be working with him through the process of finding our very first home! We couldn't have a more perfect real estate agent who is flexible and caring to personalize our needs and wants as a priority! We are grateful to have walked into the open house and to have met Matt! Thank you Matt for all you do! Can't wait to work together on this journey!"
The Gorzney Family
"I am extremely grateful to Matt for helping me buy my first home. Naturally, I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect and he made it all come together seamlessly. He knew exactly which homes to show me, was flexible with my schedule, did his research, and always came prepared for a showing. Buying a home is exciting and stressful all at the same time but with Matts's expert, I always felt at ease. If you want a house, choose Matt!"
"I am extremely grateful to Matt for helping me buy my first home. Naturally, I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect and he made it all come together seamlessly. He knew exactly which homes to show me, was flexible with my schedule, did his research, and always came prepared for a showing. Buying a home is exciting and stressful all at the same time but with Matts's expert, I always felt at ease. If you want a house, choose Matt!"
Buyer
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Mike Morper to find our home in Lakeway TX, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From the first meeting to the closing, Mike was incredibly professional, attentive, and patient. His expertise and guidance throughout the entire process made buying a home an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend Mike to anyone in need of a reliable and dedicated real estate agent!"
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Mike Morper to find our home in Lakeway TX, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From the first meeting to the closing, Mike was incredibly professional, attentive, and patient. His expertise and guidance throughout the entire process made buying a home an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend Mike to anyone in need of a reliable and dedicated real estate agent!"
Ankur D.
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VIBE Real Estate Group

(512) 937-7626

2500 Bee Caves Rd Bldg 3 Ste 200 Austin TX 78746 USA

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VIBE Real Estate Group

(512) 937-7626

2500 Bee Caves Rd Bldg 3 Ste 200 Austin TX 78746 USA