A step-by-step guide for home buyers in Central New York, created by a local real estate agent. It walks readers from the initial decision to buy through closing day, covering preapproval, house hunting, making an offer, inspections, and the final walkthrough. The guide includes worksheets for budgeting and upfront costs, checklists for evaluating properties, and tips specific to the CNY region…
This is a home buying guide created by Lauren Henophy, a licensed real estate agent with Oak Tree Real Estate, serving buyers throughout Central New York. It is designed for anyone who is thinking about buying a home and wants a clear, simple overview of the process from start to finish.
The guide opens with a welcome message and a 12-step roadmap. Steps 1 through 6 cover getting financially prepared, choosing an agent, getting preapproved, defining your search criteria, starting the house hunt, and making an offer. Steps 7 through 12 cover offer acceptance, inspections, mortgage and appraisal, title and closing preparation, final walkthrough, and closing day.
Section 2 introduces the homebuying team: real estate agent, mortgage lender, home inspector, appraiser, insurance agent, and real estate attorney. It also explains the importance of knowing your numbers, income, debts, credit, savings, and getting preapproved before searching.
Section 3 provides a worksheet for calculating a comfortable monthly housing budget, including principal, interest, taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance, and HOA fees. It reminds readers to leave room for utilities, maintenance, repairs, and unexpected expenses.
Section 4 covers upfront costs beyond the down payment: deposit, inspections, appraisal, attorney fees, lender fees, title expenses, prepaid taxes, insurance, moving costs, and immediate repairs. Section 6 discusses location factors for Central New York: commute, lot size, public water versus well/septic, flood considerations, property taxes, school district, and HOA rules.
Section 7 offers house hunting tips, look beyond furniture and staging, and pay attention to roof, windows, heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, basement, foundation, drainage, decks, porches, garage, driveway, storage, layout, and lot. Section 8 provides a CNY-specific house check covering roof, heating, drainage, well and septic, property taxes, basement and water, and windows and insulation.