Discover Your Dream Home

License #: CT RES.0756151

John Proto

REALTOR, SFR, SRES, MRP, USAA

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

M:: 203-228-4335

O:: 203-654-9189

It takes more than a trained real estate agent to understand the needs and concerns of buyer clients. It takes someone who has been there, someone who has the same concerns when they’re home shopping.

I don’t want to minimize the technical aspects of the home buying process though. Every year it becomes more complex. Between government legislation, environmental laws, mortgage documentation requirements and the legal aspects of a home purchase, the home buyer must be on top of all aspects of the process, or be helped by a professional.

I'm here to assist buyers and there’s plenty to do

Before You Look at Your First House

Here are the questions that each home buyer should ask:

How much cash is available for a down payment? The amount you have available for a down payment will affect what types of loans for which you can qualify.
Am I ready to write a check for the earnest money? Earnest money is a cash deposit made to a home seller to secure an offer to buy the property. This amount is often forfeited if the buyer decides to withdraw his offer.
How much additional cash will be available to pay for closing costs? There are certain standard costs associated with closing the sale of a house. These fees are split between the buyer and the seller, as spelled out in the sales contract.
What is the maximum monthly mortgage payment that I can afford? Most lenders will use the 28/36 rule to determine the maximum mortgage payment you can afford.

Real estate market data –How can you be expected to make price offer decisions in a vacuum? I spend a great amount of time and effort in collecting market data to help my buyers in their price negotiations. This data involves not only sold property prices by neighborhood, but also current listing pricing to determine the competitive nature of the market.

Thorough knowledge of your situation – Only through constant communication I can advise you properly in pricing negotiations. By understanding your motivations and financial capabilities, I can help you craft a price negotiation strategy with the highest probability of success.

Seller motivation research – While it’s not always legally possible to determine why someone is selling, there are things I can glean from their listing and price activity that will allow me to help you to negotiate from a position of strength.

It’s not all money – There are a lot of ways to negotiate a real estate deal, and they don’t always involve money. Perhaps the seller doesn’t have a lot of ability to work with you on price, but they can make other concessions that could result in a deal. I help you to take the best approach.

Inspections & Repair Negotiations - Price isn’t the only negotiation, as there will be property inspections and you may need to enter into more negotiating around property condition and repairs. I am an expert at this.

Contract to Closing - Every contract can be unique. The possibilities for contingencies are virtually endless. Some of the more commonly used contingencies would include: Financing, Home Inspections, Appraisal

Remember, just like everything else in real estate contracts, contingencies are negotiable. Always take care before signing that you are comfortable with all contingencies included in your contract. Likewise, take time to think about what contingencies you might like to have added.