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Buying Your Highlands Ranch Home

Buying a Highlands Ranch home is a thrilling experience. And searching the Internet for the one you love can be a lot of fun ... until you start viewing homes in person and find what looked so perfect online meets your needs only partially. Why spend valuable time viewing 25 homes in person when you can find out beforehand that only ten of them fit your needs exactly?

When you contact me and let me know your preferences, I save you countless valuable hours by previewing homes for you and sending only those listings that meet your needs completely. For instance, if backyard and back-deck privacy is important to you, I screen out any homes without it. And if you’re from out of state, I act as your eyes here by taking up-close photos of a home’s details and emailing them to you.

Avoiding Pitfalls When Buying Your Highlands Ranch Home

With nearly two decades of experience as a Denver area REALTOR®, I’ve just about seen it all. And when you choose me as your Buyer’s Agent, you get that wealth of experience working on your behalf.

For example, from attending hundreds of home inspections throughout the years, I’ve learned the problems to watch for when buying a home. If you were buying an older home, one of my suggestions would be to get both a regular inspection and a sewer line inspection. Why?

After buying, if you have a sewer back up and it’s found you have a cracked or broken pipe that goes to the street and the pipe is on your property, it’s your responsibility. With a less-experienced agent who doesn’t know to suggest a sewer line inspection, such a problem could set you back $10,000.

Everything You Need To Know To Choose Your Highlands Ranch Home

Growing up in the Midwest instilled me with the Midwestern value of truthfulness, which my home buyers tell me they really appreciate. Because I want you to love your new home long after you move in, during your search I point out the negative qualities of a home as well as the positive.

For instance, if you’re from out of state, you’re probably unaware that here in Denver homes facing north have ice and snow in the driveway nearly all winter. But homes facing other directions get more sun, causing the ice and snow melt from the driveway. Only when all the facts — positive and negative — are on the table can you make the best decision.

And when you choose me as your Buyer’s Agent, you can rest assured that you’ll never be rushed into a purchase decision just so I can close a transaction. My guiding principle is the Golden Rule of doing unto others as I would have them do unto me. And I truly believe (and it’s been my experience) that business will come to me naturally when I do good by my clients, whether buyer or seller.

Avoid Paying Too Much For Your Highlands Ranch Home

Once you find the home you love, negotiating the best price and terms requires skill and finesse that only come from practice. I’ve been successfully negotiating real estate deals for nearly two decades, so I have a ton of practice!

Do you want your closing costs paid by the seller? That’s just one of the terms I negotiate for you. Do you need a particular move-in date? Usually, this, too, is negotiable. Then, there’s price. Armed with the latest statistics for your neighborhood, I look at what comparable homes have sold for in the last four to six months, and I look at the asking price of homes currently on the market. From these I determine the home’s fair market value and advise you on the correctness of the seller’s asking price. This helps you determine your offer, which I negotiate to get you the best deal possible.

Getting Your Purchase Transaction To The Closing Table

The real estate business has undergone dramatic changes during the last four years. Today, a transaction can fall apart for more reasons than ever before. Successfully guiding your transaction to the closing table requires an experienced real estate professional skilled at both organization and communication.

My first career — 14 years as a Continental Airlines flight attendant — trained me at a young age to be highly organized and an effective communicator. With responsibility for passengers’ lives, enforcing strict safety regulations and meeting demanding flight schedules, organization and communication were key to success.

In addition to having a dedicated closing coordinator on my team, I use my organizational skills to ensure that every due date, deadline, contingency and condition are met exactly as your real estate contract stipulates.

And because of today’s challenges with getting loan approval, clear communication is more important than ever to prepare you for what might arise. It’s not smooth sailing as it once was. A lot of loans simply fall apart during the transaction. An important part of my job as your Buyer’s Agent is to, first, make sure your lender is reputable. Then, I follow your loan transaction by keeping in constant communication with your lender to ensure there are no last minute obstacles preventing your transaction from getting to the closing table ... where you’re handed the keys to your new home.

So, enjoy your Internet search. And whenever you’re ready, call or email me and I’ll arrange showings for the homes you want to see in person. I do answer my phone if I’m not with a client. And I respond to email and voice mail promptly. So get in touch at your convenience, and let’s get acquainted.