The Home Buying Process

A Walk Through of the Champaign County Home Buying Process

You find the house.  You buy the house.  You live in the house.   It sounds simple, so why do I need a great Realtor to help with the process?

When you work with Waldhoff Gard & Associates you will have an experienced adviser to guide you through each step of the process.  Each step builds on the one before so you can naturally see the importance of making sure things are 100% correct.

Prior to finding your Champaign County home, Waldhoff Gard & Associates will schedule an initial meeting and consultation where we will…

  • Meet with you to discuss your plans, goals, needs and desires.
  • Walk you through the entire Champaign County home purchase process.
  • Explain Buyer Agency and what that means to you as a home buyer.
  • Educate you on sources of financing in Champaign County.
  • Ask you to complete a “Home Buyer Q&A” to assist us in identifying your perfect home.
  • Identify likely properties that meet your search criteria.

Upon Signing a Buyer Agency Agreement, Waldhoff Gard & Associates will…

  • Enroll you in our “Instant Updates for Home Buyers” system where you can receive daily updates on new listings and price reductions of potential homes.
  • Schedule times to meet and show you homes that fit the parameters of our initial consultation.   In this step of the process we will help you identify the pros and cons of individual homes and neighborhoods.  Whether you are looking in Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Mahomet or one of the other great Champaign County communities, we will keep you updated and aware of the market trends in that area.
  • Be available to answer your questions, show properties and make offers.

When we’ve found the right house and write an offer, Waldhoff Gard & Associates will…

  • Complete a market analysis of the home and neighborhood that you are interested in.  We do this to identify the hyper-local trends affecting your new home. Many homes are overpriced and a few are underpriced.  We will help you identify the actual market value of your next home.  Is it a steal or do we have a lot of negotiation to do?  We help home buyers answer these questions every day, it’s what we do.
  • Disclose and review known facts about the home and location.  Such as updates, renovations, neighborhood plans, construction projects, city updates and more.  We want you to know everything there is to know about this piece of real estate.  It is going to be your next home!
  • Assist you in putting your offer together using the Champaign County Association of Realtors recommended sales contracts.  This is the most stressful part of the process for most home buyers.  We will explain the real estate terms and conditions involved to make you feel comfortable.  The average client does not find enjoyment in the legal terminology of the purchase contract or it’s potential addenda.  You will have the full benefit of our experience and familiarity with the process.
  • Connect you with local legal professionals if you have a need that involves a legal professional.
  • Present the offer to the Seller’s Realtor and handle negotiations until an acceptable offer is reached.  We represent you in this process!

When we have an accepted offer, Waldhoff Gard & Associates will…

  • Ensure that every party to the agreement has a valid copy of the sales contract.
  • Make introductions, as needed, to local service professionals that are skilled in helping local home buyers.  These include home inspectors, radon inspectors, termite inspectors, well & septic inspectors and many more.
  • Begin the “closing process” with Waldhoff Gard & Associates.  This means you will be put in touch with  Sheri Brown, our closing manager.  Our closing manager will become your go-to source of information as you prepare for closing.  You can count on Sheri to ensure that every contingency and condition is met prior to the completion of your purchase.  Sheri’s primary responsibility is to provide you with 1st Class Service.
  • Maintain open lines of communications between you, our team and all other parties to the home purchase.  We will be available to answer any questions you may have.
  • Review and verify closing papers and activities as we proceed.  (Termite Inspections, Home Inspections, Appraisals, Loan Commitment, etc.)
  • Schedule and guide you through your final walk-through.
  • Attend the closing and celebrate your success!

We Are Ready to Get Started!

Call or click today to schedule an initial Champaign County home buying consultation.