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"I
really enjoyed working with and felt very comfortable with Jim &
Connie. They were great! Thank you so much for being patient with me and
walking me through the whole process of buying my first home. I am so
glad Alice had referred you to me. I couldn't have asked for nicer
people to help me."
Jana
R.
- St. Paul, MN
(first time home buyer)
(More
testimonials ...)
Jana's
testimonial is what we love about our business... assisting
people like Jana to reach their goal of home ownership. Here
is what we did for Jana and what we do with all of our clients who have
purchased a home....
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Determine
how much home our client can afford:
Some of our clients need us to initially give them an idea of a
price they can afford. We than let them know what qualities to
look for in a lender. |
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Wants-Needs-Wishes:
It is important for us to understand
what our clients want in a home. We have them complete a quick
survey form which will allow us to pinpoint the home they desire.
We do not want to waste our clients time looking at homes that do
not match their criteria. We strive to maintain a low "home
viewings-to-purchase". We feel that our clients time is
valuable. |
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Home
Search: We search through various medias such as the Multiple Listing Service, classified
ads, internet web sites, agent networking, etc. Whether it is an agent
listed property, For-Sale-By-Owner or word-of-mouth or calling homes in
a neighborhood that is desired by our client, we will set up the
showing, convey the offer and help negotiate the terms for you. |
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Found
that home: Once our clients find that home, we compile and
analyze comparables to insure that our clients are making good,
sound investments. |
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Writing
Offer: We patiently work with
our clients on their price, terms, and
conditions for offer. The paperwork can appear to be overbearing, but
we make sure that our clients understand each document. We also converse
with the selling agent or seller direct (if not being represented by
licensed agent) to obtain as much information as possible. |
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Negotiate:
We negotiate hard in behalf of our clients. |
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Purchase
to close: This is a crucial period for our clients and we stay
on top of things. From insuring inspections are completed and
inspection items negotiated, to conveying and scheduling closing,
to ordering title and follow-up on appraisals. |
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Members
of a team: It is important that our clients work with good
professionals and we want to be sure that they get the best. These
members have included lenders, property inspectors, closers, attorneys, etc. |
"I can't thank you both enough for all of your help through my first home
buying experience. I appreciated your patience while looking at
properties and especially your expertise when it came to the
negotiations! You are an awesome team that I will highly recommend to
any future buyer or seller that I know. Thank you, again, for everything
and I really hope we will be able to stay in touch for a long time to
come!"
Sandra
K. - Maple Grove, MN (first
time home buyer)
(More
testimonials ...)
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We do not charge
our clients, any
additional fees that are labeled by other real estate companies as
'transaction fees', 'broker fees', 'compliance fees', etc. |
Of Interest to the Home Buyer:
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Are
you thinking
about buying a home? Read
this article to help you prepare...before you start to
look! Fill out the Home
Form and we will email you homes that fit your criteria. |
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If you are presently renting, fill out the RENT
vs BUY FORM to get comparative
cost analysis between renting and purchasing. |
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It is our desire to handle the
complicated home buying process. All
buyers should be represented
by a professional real estate agent.
If you are not represented by a professional when looking for a home,
you are swimming with the sharks.
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You should also have a lender who will
work hard to acquire the best financing package for you and be present at your closing. Go to our
financing/refinancing
section for contact information.
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Be
prepared before applying for home financing and checkout your credit
report. A great credit report will give you leverage for
better financing packaging. And you may find problems you never knew
existed and most likely can be cleared up in a short period of time. |
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There
are many misconceptions/"Myths"
when it comes to home buying. It's
surprising what some people believe when
it comes to buying a home.
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Have you heard from friends and acquaintances
who have bought a property and ended up with problems. A few hundred
dollars wisely spent on a home inspection or Title
Insurance could save you thousands of dollars!
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The
process involved between the acceptance of an offer to the final day of
closing seems to be quite mysterious to most people. Check out our
description of the Closing
Process to give you a better
understanding of what goes on. |
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To give you a feel on who pays what for
Closing Costs
read this article to let you (as a buyer) know what you may
be expected to pay. Read Costs
When Buying or Refinancing a Home if you would like further
explanation for each cost item. |
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You
will receive a settlement statement, a day or two prior to closing on
your new home or refinancing your existing home, which itemizes all of
the settlement costs. It is very important that you understand the costs
you are paying for and to ask your professionals about any cost you do
not fully understand. Understanding
The Settlement Statement explains each line item on this
standard HUD statement. Here is the complete HUD-1 Settlement
Statement form. |

If
we can serve you in any way, please let us know.
Contact
Jim & Connie Erickson

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