Are you purchasing your home in Colorado Springs? Brian L. A. Wess can help.

For a lot of people, purchasing a home is a stressful event. But with a little up-front planning, it isn't all that complicated. I like to provide buyers with an overview of the entire deal so they'll know exactly what they can expect. Here are my nine steps to buying a home. When you're ready to get started, just contact me here or e-mail me at . I'm happy to address any questions you have about this information.

Step 1 – Get ready to buy a home
Before you start looking for a home, there are many things you'll want to do. You'll want to put together an outline of must-haves, get an idea of what neighborhoods and school districts you'd like to live in, and start planning your budget. Keeping your mortgage payment less than or close to 1/3 of your monthly income is a good rule to go by.

Step 2 – Speak with a real estate agent
This is where I come in. We'll schedule a time to meet so we can talk about why you want to buy a home and get an idea of your plans for the future. We'll talk about the mortgage and housing industries, other economic factors that may potentially affect your buying decision today or in the future, as well as neighborhoods and schools in the Colorado Springs area.

In addition, I'll help you begin the loan process. There are some great mortgage professionals in Colorado Springs, and I work with a lot of them, so you'll be in great hands. They can assist you with deciding which kind of loan is best for you and help you get qualified.

Step 3 – Start looking for a home
Following our initial meeting, I'll begin finding available homes on the market that are good for you. I'll research many of the houses and eliminate the duds, and then we'll set up appointments to tour the houses when it's most convenient for you.

As we view houses, I'll show you the good features and bad ones. I'll also ask you what things you like and don't like. As a rule, buyers revise their must-have list as we view houses and some features become far more important than others. If that happens, I'll look through all the listings one more time and narrow it down to the house you've been dreaming about.

Step 4 – Understand the housing market
My knowledge of the Colorado Springs housing market is a leading aspect in your home search. I am informed of all the neighborhoods and schools, and I can alert you to some neighborhoods are "hot" and call for immediate action and others that are "cool" and allow for thoughtful examination.

As we view homes, I'll be sure to tell you if the list price has room for bargaining or if I believe the home is "priced to sell." Every REALTOR will claim to understand the market, but keep an eye out, and be sure to ask your agent a lot of questions. If it appears they don't know everything, contact me at 7195286672 or e-mail me at , and I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have. My understanding of the market will help you stay a step ahead through the entire process.

Step 5 – Find the home you've been looking for
I'm confident we'll find the home of your dreams in the Colorado Springs area. When that happens, I'll carefully develop your home purchase offer. The offer will be tailored exactly to your needs and the home, including some contingencies, such as getting financing, carrying out the home inspection, and a clean title.

When submitting your purchase offer, you'll want to submit "earnest money." This is a cash deposit submitted to a home seller to secure the offer to purchase the property, and it's usually applied to the cost of closing. If the seller accepts the offer, we should close on the property about 30 to 60 days after. This allows plenty of time for your mortgage financing.

Step 6 – Negotiate the deal
Most contracts don't close on the first offer – it's extremely common to receive a counter offer. But don't let it intimidate you. We'll discuss whether or not to take the counter offer, submit our own counter offer, or refuse the seller's offer and move on.

How aggressively we negotiate the contract depends on the state of the market. We'll also work within your financing limits. And when it's all said and done, we'll assemble a deal that's best for you.

Step 7 – Obtain a loan
After we sign the final contract, you'll begin working with your mortgage lender to close the loan. If you're already pre-qualified, this shouldn't take much time at all, but you'll need to keep in close contact with your mortgage lender. And I'll sort out all the property information your mortgage lender will need to close the loan.

Step 8 – Close the deal
You'll get a Loan Estimate (LE) of your closing costs from your lender within three days of accepting your loan application. This estimate depends on the loan amount, and RESPA requirements require that it has to contain all closing costs and be within a close range of accuracy. I'll go over the estimate and let you know if everything looks all right.

Then we'll close on your house. This will most likely occur at a title company or escrow office and will probably be a smooth and calm occurrence.

Step 9 – Move in
Congratulations! It's time to move into your new home. Enjoy it. And if you need anything or have any questions, just contact me at 7195286672 or e-mail me at .