Embarking on the journey to homeownership in the historic city of Charleston, SC, can feel like an overwhelming task. But fear not, we’ve broken down the process into straightforward steps for you!
- Partner with a Local REPUTABLE Real Estate TEAM: The Charleston real estate market is unique and varied. Using The Paul Smith Team can provide invaluable guidance, from understanding neighborhood differences to making a competitive offer. A team also brings advantages that solo agents cannot. Redundancy in performance means that no matter what a single agent has on their schedule for that week you will always have a dedicated professional helping you move your real estate goals forward towards the finish line.
- Get Pre-Approved: The Paul Smith Team can refer you to our trusted local award winning lender to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This process helps determine your budget and gives a starting point to your search. Sellers will not consider any offers that don’t have a valid Pre-Approval letter attached so this step is critical to beginning the search. Guided In-person home tours with our team cannot begin until this step is done. This protects your expectations of home search and creates a realistic outlook of the specific cost of homeownership compared to your allocated monthly budget.
- Find the Right Neighborhood: Charleston is full of diverse neighborhoods, each with its unique charm. Explore areas of interest, consider commute times, school districts, and local amenities. Be sure the neighborhood aligns with your lifestyle. Whether it’s a bungalow on Folly Beach, an established home in Mount Pleasant, or a 6 bedroom home in Summerville, there’s no shortage of options in the Lowcountry.
- House Hunting: Now comes the exciting part – looking at homes! Tour properties that meet your criteria and budget with our dedicated and experienced team. Take note of each property’s pros and cons during the showings to review at the end of the day.
- Making an Offer: Once you’ve found the perfect home, one of our agents will help you make a competitive offer based on the local market and real time data only available to highly trained agents. We use custom strategies privately developed by our team to drastically increase the odds of your offer winning regardless of competition.
- Home Inspection: After your offer is accepted, we will help schedule an in-depth home inspection. This is crucial, especially in a city as historic as Charleston, to identify any potential issues with the property and negotiate repairs if necessary.
- Finalizing Your Loan: Submit financial documentation to your lender for final loan approval. Don’t make any large financial purchases like furniture or vehicle purchases during this time that would create excessive debt, reduced savings, or a credit pull. It may seem obvious but don’t quit your job in the days leading up to closing. Stability and checking with your lender before making any financial purchases is important not to cause an issue during the closing period.
- Closing: Once your loan is approved, you’ll head to the scheduled closing on the property. This involves signing a large stack of documents at a local attorneys office and paying your down payment. After all the paperwork is completed, the keys are yours! Congratulations, the home is yours!
Remember, the process may seem complicated, but each step gets you closer to owning a piece of charming Charleston, SC. Patience, persistence, and the right guidance will pave the way to your dream home.
The Paul Smith Team has expertly helped hundreds of clients successfully sell and buy their homes.
Whether you need a Listing Specialist or Buyer’s Agent our team can help make the process smooth, predictable, and trusted every step of the way!
If you would like to receive a more detailed “Buyers Guide” send an email to our team with the Subject Line “BUYERS GUIDE” and we will send you a free copy!
home@thepaulsmithteam.com
*There is more to the closing process that this overview did not mention like depositing earnest money, scheduling contractors for repairs, appraisal timing, arranging movers, scheduling utility transfers, wiring closing funds, required documents to bring to closing, etc.