Five Phase Home Buying Process
Buying With Steve
- Outline your goals and desired outcomes
- Understand your buying timeline and constraints
- Research the current market
- Clarify and arrange your finances
- Consult with experts
- Evaluate options
- Formulate an initial plan
- Engage a Buyer’s Agent
- Search for properties online
- Analyze market data and trends with Buyer’s Agent and discuss implications
- Get mortgage preapproval
- Search for properties and work with Agent to coordinate showings
- Visit properties
- Evaluate properties
- Consult with Buyer’s agent on target properties and assess fit with needs
- Engage real estate attorney
- Work with Buyer’s Agent on offer/price strategy and deliver/negotiate offer
- Coordinate with Buyer’s Agent on offer acceptance and follow-up
- Attorney due diligence and contract review
- Coordinate with Buyer’s Agent on home inspection
- Negotiate and execute contract
- Work with Bank on underwriting information needs
- Property appraisal
- Co-op board application preparation, review and comment, if applicable
- Additional negotiated property visits for measurements
- Loan commitment and board application/approval, if applicable
- Prepare for and schedule move
- Final walk-through
- Schedule and close
- Get ready to move
- Prepare property
- Renovate / Furnish
- Move to and Enjoy your new home!
- Stay connected and offer support for future property needs
- Collect feedback and gather testimonials
- Assist with referrals for continued success
Work With Steve
Trusted
- “We couldn’t ask for a better real estate agent than Steve Segretta. He helped us sell our co-op apartment *and* buy our new condo, and we felt incredibly cared for in both transactions. Steve goes above and beyond, from sending thorough comp sheets to buying us a thoughtful gift when we closed on our new home. He was always reachable and extremely responsive, checking in when things took too long, spending as much time as we needed to talk everything through. Steve acted almost as a project manager for us; he found us a terrific apartment stager, a great real estate attorney, and seamlessly coordinated with all parties. Steve is warm, smart, committed to the job, and we’d recommend him to anyone looking in the New York area.”
- “Steve was very professional from the first meeting pertaining to the sale of my mother’s house all the way through the eventual closing.”
- “Getting matched with Steve on our home buying journey was like a little gift sent from above.”
- “A consummate professional – not pushy and never dramatic.”
- “One of the nicest and most thorough realtors that I have interacted with and that’s saying a lot since my sister works in the business.”
- “An expert in his field, and his professionalism, knowledge, and patience made the entire homebuying process smooth and stress-free”
- “Steven was patient, kind, responsive and trustworthy”
Client Focused
- “He was incredibly responsive, often returning an email or message within minutes”
- “He was super responsive and engaged through the financing process down to when I closed”
- “He aided with communication between all parties and made the entire home buying experience quick”
- “He was also always very responsive to requests and was a very effective gobetween on all fronts…we were so grateful!”
- “He was extremely responsive and made me feel comfortable and confident going forward with my purchase, even during a pandemic!”
- “If you’re looking for a patient, informed and responsive agent to guide you through NY’s real estate labyrinth, we recommend Steven.”
Value Driven
- “Incredibly smart, kind, responsive, and above all patient”
- “His extensive background in finance helped us navigate all the complex NYC real estate/financial/market questions”
- “His decades of experience living in Brooklyn added a wonderful local perspective, and his background in finance brought valuable analytic expertise to the table”
- “He armed us with extensive data to enable us to make the most informed decision”
- “Consistently presented us with solid due diligence and market analysis”
- “Steve quickly acclimated himself to an unfamiliar neighborhood and did a fantastic job”
- “I cannot emphasize enough how his knowledge of our area, his skills… and deep financial expertise helped us”
Buying Your Home
In the world of real estate, buying a home often comes with an array of complexities and considerations. As your dedicated Buyer’s Agent, I’m here to make your home-buying journey as seamless as possible. Let’s delve into how I assist my clients throughout this exciting process:
Facilitating Property Searches and Showings
Your dream home awaits, and I’m here to help you find it. We begin by discussing your unique circumstances, goals, and must-have criteria. I then employ advanced property search technology and set up real-time listing alerts to ensure you’re aware of new opportunities as they arise. Additionally, I scour the web, explore off-market listings, and collaborate with colleagues to uncover potential gems. Should you spot a property independently, I’ll guide you through evaluation, showings, and liaise with the seller’s agent on your behalf.
Access to Crucial Market Data
Informed decisions start with data. I provide you with comprehensive market insights, allowing you to gauge a property’s worth in the context of similar listings. From size and location to condition and price, we’ll assess each property thoroughly, ensuring you make an informed initial offering.
Recommendations for Trusted Service Providers
A successful real estate transaction requires a team of professionals. From mortgage bankers and home inspectors to real estate attorneys, I offer tailored recommendations based on my extensive network and personal experience. Your unique needs guide our selection of service providers, ensuring a smooth buying process.
Sharing Invaluable Market Knowledge
Navigating the real estate market can be complex, but I’m here to simplify it for you. As your Buyer’s Agent, I maintain a constant presence in the field, attending Open Houses, Broker Open Houses, and client showings weekly. My market expertise extends to tracking inventory, sales, pricing trends, and neighborhood-specific nuances. I’ll provide insights that may elude the untrained eye, helping you uncover hidden gems.
Crafting a Well-Structured Purchase Offer
Price is just one piece of the puzzle. Terms, conditions, deposit amounts, mortgage contingencies, and possession dates all play vital roles in crafting a competitive offer. I’ll guide you in preparing a compelling purchase offer that addresses all relevant considerations.
Skillful Negotiation
Negotiation is an art, and I’m your advocate in this process. Whether it’s ensuring you can fulfill your obligations or addressing seller concerns, I’ll tailor a negotiation strategy that aligns with your goals, aiming for the best possible outcome.
Managing the Journey to Closing
Between offer acceptance and moving into your new home, many details demand attention. Delays can occur, but they’re not insurmountable. I meticulously oversee each step of the transaction, keeping you informed and on track for a timely closing.
In essence, my role as your Buyer’s Agent is to provide professional representation throughout your home-buying journey. It’s important to note that these services typically come at no cost to you, as they are covered by the seller as part of their closing costs. Just as sellers rely on real estate agents for expert support, buyers deserve the same level of service. My goal is to make your home buying experience efficient and rewarding. Your journey to homeownership begins here.
Please Note: BHS has adopted the attached policy statement – Prior to showing a homebuyer a property or providing services: (1) BHS does not require identification from a prospective homebuyer, (2) BHS does not require a homebuyer to sign an exclusive brokerage agreement requiring the homebuyer to work only with BHS on all properties; and (3) BHS does not require a pre-approval for a mortgage loan in order to show a homebuyer properties. However, based upon the requirements of the seller, the building in which the properties is located, or others, some or all of the foregoing items may be required.