This document provides an overview of the home buying process when working with a Coldwell Banker sales associate. It outlines key steps including determining a budget, getting pre-approved for a mortgage, deciding on a mortgage type, making an offer, and attending the closing to finalize the purchase. The sales associate can help find properties through multiple listings, open houses, and online access to over 600,000 properties.

1. Coldwell Banker ® Homebuyer Guidebook Finding & Financing a Home Made Simple © 2009 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker ® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

2. Buying Your New Home. Congratulations! When using a Coldwell Banker® Sales Associate, you will feel confident your search for a new home will be very successful. Let’s get started!

3. Steps to Get Started Determine your budget and how much you can afford. Get pre-approved for a mortgage. When applying, you’ll most likely need to furnish: Two most recent pay stubs. W-2 forms for the past two years. Federal tax returns for the past two years. Last two months bank statements. Long-term debt information such as credit cards, auto loans etc.

4. Getting Approved A lender will check your credit to see if you’re a good candidate for a loan. If your credit rating is poor, there are things you can do to improve it. Make sure the report is correct. If not, call to fix it. Begin to pay your bills on time. Use two to four credit cards so you can keep track of them. Keep a separate checking and savings account. Keep the same job for a few years.

5. Pre-Approved vs. Pre-Qualified Pre-Approved : confirmation the lender will give you a commitment to support your purchase. Pre-Qualified : an estimate of what you can afford. Being pre-approved makes you a more attractive candidate to the seller when making an offer.

6. Deciding On A Mortgage Fixed Rate Mortgage : the interest rate stays the same for the entire term of the loan. Adjustable Rate Mortgage: the interest rate is linked to a financial index and may fluctuate with market conditions. As such, payments may vary over the life of the loan.

7. Calculating Your Budget To estimate your budget, add up your total financial worth and then subtract all the cost in the purchase. Some expenses you may carry: Down payment Mortgage Insurance Taxes Points Attorney’s fees

8. The Fun Begins Before you search for your dream home, some things you should consider: Size of property Type of neighborhood you desire Quality of school system Nearby public transportation Urban or suburban

9. Multiple Listings Open Houses & Special Features As your Coldwell Banker ® Sales Associate, I can show you every home available on the market that meets your specific needs.

10. Online Access coldwellbanker.com provides access to over 600,000 properties. You can also find our properties on your smartphone! A few unique features include …

11. Online Access The Personal Retriever®: this convenient helper will search for a home even when you don’t have time to. Be alerted when new properties come on the market that meet your needs. The Learn Section: this provides helpful articles, tips and tools for buyers such as guidelines for inspections and home maintenance costs. Neighborhood Information: you’ll learn about the details of any neighborhood that interests you

12. Writing the Offer Once you’ve found the perfect home, I will write up the offer and ensure all paperwork and activities are completed so you can close on your property.

13. The Closing This is the meeting where the transaction is finalized. I will guide you through all closing procedures to make your home officially yours.

14. Thank You