Buying a Home in Western New York: Start With Being Ready
A verified pre-approval and a search built on your real criteria, so you can act the day the right home appears.
What buying a home involves in Western New York
Buying a home is a search, an offer, a financing process and a closing, and in Western New York the closing runs through attorneys. Most buyers are also doing something else at the same time: selling the home they have, moving for a job, or changing the household.
The people who call me say some version of "What do we do next?" The answer is a conversation about where you are trying to go. Being ready before you tour is how you win the home you want, because the buyer who gets the good home is rarely the one who saw it first.
Map out your next move before you need to make it.
Start with the situation you are actually in
The fundamentals of buying do not change, and the situation around it changes almost everything else. Start with the page that matches where you are:
- Moving up, when you are buying your next home and selling the one you own.
- New construction, when you are thinking about building.
- Moving to Western New York, when you are coming from out of state.
- Downsizing, when you are ready for less maintenance.
- Two households becoming one, when you are buying together.
- Buying in another state, when your move is somewhere I do not work.
If none of these fits, you are buying a home in the ordinary way, and the rest of this page is for you.
How buying runs, step by step
Every purchase I run follows four steps, and each one is written out on my buying process page:
- Ready gets you pre-approved by a lender and clear on how you and I work together.
- Educated shows you what your money actually buys here.
- Aligned builds the search around your real criteria.
- Locked covers the offer, the financing and the closing.
If you are weighing more than one of the area's three markets (the city, the Northtowns and the Southtowns), start with the areas I work in.
Buying while you sell
If you are selling a home to buy this one, the two sides run on one set of deadlines. I plan the order with you before you tour, selling first or buying first, and I show you what each one asks of your finances. Moving up shows how I plan it.
What the first conversation is like
The first conversation is not a pitch. I ask where you are trying to go, when you need to be in the home, what you want to spend each month and what you are most worried about. You leave knowing what your money buys here, what a verified pre-approval changes and what order makes sense.
You do not need to have decided to buy. If it is not the right time, I will say so, and I would rather tell you that than put you in front of homes you are not ready to write an offer on.
Her knowledge is next level and her communication throughout the entire process was wonderful.
Three markets, one search
The area I work in comes down to three markets: the city of Buffalo, the Northtowns and the Southtowns. Lancaster is the town that divides the Northtowns and the Southtowns. The Southtowns get far more snow than the Northtowns. The page on moving to Western New York shows how I help you choose among them.
Buying in Lancaster and across Western New York
I live in Lancaster and work across Western New York: the city of Buffalo, the Northtowns (Clarence, Amherst and Williamsville), the Southtowns (Orchard Park, East Aurora, West Seneca, Hamburg and Elma), and east of the city (Depew and Alden). My Lancaster page goes into this in more detail.
When you are ready to start, talk with me about your move, and I will lay out the order that fits your timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started buying a home?
Start with a conversation about where you are trying to go, when you need to be in the home and what you want to spend each month. From there I get you pre-approved by a lender and build the search around your real criteria.
Do I need to be pre-approved before I tour?
Yes. A pre-approval means a lender has verified your income, assets and credit, and it tells you what you can comfortably spend. A pre-qualification is only an estimate. I connect you with a local lender before any offer goes out.
Should I buy before I sell my current home?
It depends on your finances and what a lender will approve. I plan around two strategies, selling first or buying first, and show you what each one asks of you before you decide.
Can you help if I am moving from out of state?
Yes. I tour homes with you by live video and help you decide whether the city, the Northtowns or the Southtowns fits your life. If your move is somewhere I do not work, I can introduce you to an agent I know and trust.
Buying a Home by neighborhood
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Ready to make your move with Merritt Kreutzer Real Estate?