Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

Schedule a Consultation
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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

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WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Fast and responsive to all my requests. After looking at several properties in person with him over a span of a few months, Kyle discovered the perfect home for me and solidified the purchase.

— Timothy B.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was very helpful and patient with us. He understood our needs and thanks to him we live in a great house that we would probably never picked to go look at but it was by far the best choice for us.

— Andrej E.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Great agent and a wonderful person. We submitted 4 bids and came upon many frustrations in search of our first home. He was very patient during this extremely frustrating process. Very knowledgeable and genuine.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle is very professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. As I was from out of town, Kyle inspected the unit and provided a great perspective on the condition, thus allowing me to initiate the purchase process remotely.

— Bauer D.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was very professional and a joy to work with. I would highly recommend him for all your real estate needs. We bought a condo and Kyle was instrumental in finding out what we were looking for and showing us all the options available.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was professional throughout our sale. He provided good research to establish our selling price. Our sale was 98% of our listing price. His follow-through on questions was always prompt and informative. A real pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle Suhr goes above and beyond for his clients. He is professional and I highly recommend him. Kyle listed and sold my condo in twenty-four hours. Although there were some legal difficulties, Kyle assisted me with finding options that met the needs of closing the sale.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Super helpful, responsive, and willing to find the best home that fits me. My new home was the second home we looked at! Even though I closed on my house 2 months ago, Kyle still answers questions I have regarding being a new homeowner. 10/10 recommend. He knows his stuff!

— Buyer | Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
We gave Kyle specifications of what we were looking for, and since we were still up north, we were very selective. Kyle only provided the properties that met our specs, and with very few remote views, we came and purchased a property. Kyle helped arrange everything. Very professional.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was a wonderful find for an out-of-town purchaser. He was extremely helpful and answered all of our questions with skill and courtesy. He was a great help in anticipating any problems which could arise in purchasing a home in Bonita Springs. A wonderfully pleasant human being, also.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
I have recommended Kyle to my friend who was looking for a home. I found him to be very knowledgeable and showed me exactly what I wanted to see. He took his time and was not trying to tell me what I wanted or what he thought would be good for us. He was always available to look at homes. Enough said.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was recommended by some new friends who had just purchased a home in Spanish Wells. We started our search with Kyle and looked in almost all communities in Bonita Springs. He found us a home in Spanish Wells and helped us negotiate a good price. Judy and I were very happy with his excellent service.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Truly enjoyed working with Kyle. He demonstrated a level of local knowledge, diligence, initiative, and overall professionalism above and beyond other Realtors® I’ve experienced. He also exhibits a kind, thoughtful, and personable demeanor which lets you know and feel that he is truly interested in assisting with your needs.

— Charles T.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle is the quintessential Realtor®. He is very knowledgeable about the market and area and has a wonderful personality. He listens to what you're looking for and will find it. He goes above and beyond to provide a perfect ending. I highly, highly recommend Kyle to accomplish your mission, be it seeking or selling your home.

— Blair S.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle took plenty of time with us initially, to make sure he understood how we wanted to live and what we were looking for before he put together a targeted group of places for us to look at. The concise list saved a lot of time and covered exactly the type of homes we were looking for. He was energetic, and responsive, and made everything easy.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle is very knowledgeable, honest and goes beyond expectations to help his clients and make their experience the best it can be. We have been fortunate to have Mr.Suhr in our corner to make our purchase and would recommend him to others for a great experience. Others that we know that have dealt with Mr. Suhr have been impressed and would use his services and recommend him to friends.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Mr. Suhr is very friendly and professional in what he is doing. His support to find a house for us was great. Even though we are living in Europe, his communication level vocal and written form was excellent. Also, his very high engagement to find different tenants to rent out or saison was very helpful. Based on his professional and very serious work, we are going continuously with him to find another s...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was "Johnny on the Spot" whenever we contacted him for information or had a request to see a house last minute. When we had appointments arranged with him, he had very professionally prepared a notebook of all properties with pictures and information for us to refer to and make notes on. He knows the area exceptionally well. He also read me and my husband very well and was very patient. We definitel...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Very polite and well-mannered. Had excellent knowledge of the area and market trends for any area I was interested in. Went as far as doing research for empty land adjacent to the property I was purchasing. Spent two full days with me making sure that I saw any and all properties that fit my parameters. Sent me a gift card to a local hardware store with a thank you note after my purchase was complete. Al...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
We had a very good relationship with Kyle when moving to Florida from Michigan. Kyle listened to us and was able to show us what we asked for. He talked about places in the area that we would like to visit. Even about doctors and dentists. Kyle had to deal with our salesman long distance and was very professional. We are very impressed with the work he put in and would recommend Kyle to anybody wanting t...

— Bill C.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
In 2011, I shopped for houses basically long-distance living in Indiana. My 90-year-old mother would go on viewing trips with Kyle. I came down as often as I could and jointly we likely looked at 50 houses. Keep in mind it was a depressed market and I wasn't in the hunt for high-end real estate. Kyle helped me get my Florida home at a bargain price and after renting it for two years I live here year arou...

— P. Smith

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
We knew we wanted a house in VillageWalk of Bonita Springs. We were amazed at how different the same model of a house (Capri) could be in the same development. Kyle worked with us to identify important features and things to look for. We had very little negotiation so I can't rate him on that. Once we had a contract we had to return North. Kyle handled the long-distance purchase superbly. He was right th...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
I have professionally worked with Kyle for over 5 years. He has helped me sell and buy many properties in Florida. He is not only extremely professional but also personable, timely, thorough, and the best real estate professional I have worked with in my 50 years of conducting real estate transactions. He goes above and beyond the normal real estate agent/client relationships. I have been involved in man...

— Rj N.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Provided an outstanding set of properties for me to evaluate, in multiple passes, as I had a couple of different types of homes in mind. Then, we narrowed down to the best ones that fit my varied criteria, and Kyle was extremely efficient at setting up tours of the homes. Once we decided which to purchase, he was a major reason why we were able to execute a signed purchase agreement. He also was proactiv...

— Early S.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Our purchase was from out of state; so much of our interaction was via the phone. He brought our friend to the home we were interested in purchasing. He spent a lot of time with them, allowing them to take many pictures (for us), as well as, allowing them to ask many questions (not just questions we wanted answered but questions our friend thought we would want to know). He brought our friend back to see...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
My wife and I came to Bonita Springs, FL the summer of 2012, looking for a winter home. We had done online research and had several homes in mind that we wanted to look at and communicated with Kyle via email. After arriving in Bonita Springs, Kyle picked us up and showed us the homes we requested plus several more that he found matching our requirements. After viewing previously lived-in homes, we decid...

— Buyer

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I plan to bring my success to the local real estate industry to every client and beloved neighborhood. My expertise as a creative marketing liaison aligns traditional, digital, and social communications to offer strategic, creative counsel that meets client objectives while keeping them at the forefront of an authentic audience.

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Kyle R. Suhr

[email protected]
(239) 860-4663

26269 S. Tamiami Trail Bonita Springs, FL 34134