Buyer's Guide

Step 1: Select Your Realtor - The Sue Smith Team

Buying a home is one of the major decisions you make. Working with an experienced agent with local expertise will take the stress off your shoulder. Our team will guide you through your home search and help find relevant inventory, off-market properties included. Once you find a home, we will advise you on pricing, contract terms and the transaction process. We will negotiate on your behalf with your "best interest" in mind in order to help you achieve your real estate goals.

Step 2: Get Pre-Approved

As you start working with a Buyer's Agent, it is essential to determine what you can afford. Unless you are paying cash, working with a mortgage professional with local market knowledge is highly recommended. Your lender will calculate how much you'd be comfortable spending based on your cash on-hand for a down payment, your income and credit score. If you have any financial anomalies, such as bankruptcy, low credit score or gift money from family, your lender will identify actions to remediate those conditions so that you are pre-approved with the best loan types available.

Step 3: Find the Right Home

Understanding your motivation (pains - reason for moving, problems to solve; pleasures - desired features, locations, must haves) for buying a home will help keep you and your agent focused on your priorities. As COMPASS agents, we have access to a dynamic COMPASS Platform and a strong national network of agents to seamlessly search existing and upcoming listings giving you a competitive advantage. As we schedule showings to tour homes you are interested in, we will advise you on the condition of the home, location and community so that you will make an informed decision that meets your pain and pleasure requirements the best.

Step 4: Make an Offer and Negotiate Terms

Once you have selected a home of your choice, we will help you craft a fair offer based on market analysis and competition. The strength of your offer is based primarily on price, number of contingencies and length of terms. We will explain all terms of the contract to make sure you understand and agree deadlines, liabilities and clauses. Once you have submitted the offer, the seller may accept, reject or counter your offer. We will help you negotiate until all terms are agreed upon and signed by both parties and the contract is officially ratified.

Step 5: Manage Inspection and Appraisal

Whether inspections are part of the contract contingencies or not, it is always recommended. Inspection allows you to get a comprehensive understanding of the existing condition. If any major inspection issues are identified, we will ensure such repairs are completed satisfactorily prior to Closing. Assessment of value on the home is initiated by the lender, conducted by a third party appraiser. We will work closely with the Listing Agent to ensure a proper appraisal inspection is completed within the contract timeline. Title company conducts the title search, manages EMD and prepares documents for Settlement.

Step 6: Get Final Loan Approval

Your lender's underwriting team manages the final loan approval. If there is any unusual or unexplained income or expenditure, it may require you to explain in full. At this stage, it is essential that you cooperate with the underwriter expeditiously to avoid any delay in Closing. Once your financing conditions are fully underwritten, your Lender will provide you an estimated Closing Disclosure detailing the breakdown of costs required at Settlement. Your lender gives you the "Clear to Close" to proceed to Settlement.

Step 7: Closing Day!

Final walkthrough of the home is typically held prior to Settlement, often on the same day. We will accompany you to verify that the home is in the condition as agreed in the contract. During the Settlement, the settlement agent manages signing of documents, explaining line by line, if needed. The title company is in charge of disbursing the funds to the seller and the bank. Once you've signed all the documents and the deed, you are officially the HOMEOWNER. Congratulations!

Our Testimonials

Lisa and Ryan

Bryan + the entire Sue Smith team were the MOST incredible partners we could have hoped for when relocating to Northern Virginia

Leigh H.

From the first phone call I knew this woman was at the top of her game. Knowledgeable, super organized, compassionate, and personable are just a few of the adjectives that I would use to describe Sue.

Brian B.

Sue and her team are absolutely incredible! The team's dedication, hard-work and efficiency are the reasons we were able to sell our home. From the beginning Sue was warm, welcoming and positive - something we valued and needed...

Anju S.

Heran is a very professional and has tremendous patience. She made our house hunting stress free. Great communication and very responsive. We had very specific needs, and she showed us a lot of houses. Helped us to make our dec...

Adam S.

We have both bought a house and now sold a house with the Sue Smith team. If you are searching for the best Realtor® in the area, look no further because Sue is the real deal She and her team make the process of buying and sell...

Arras A.

Sue and her entire Compass team, especially Bryan and Krissy, were absolutely exceptional during our recent home purchase. In an extremely competitive market, their expertise allowed not only a successful purchase but also an e...

Chuck & Shari H.

In short, Bryan Smith knows the area, knows his business, and knows how to close a deal for his clients. His guidance was a major reason we only had to make an offer on one house. Having worked with 5 agents in multiple states ...

Daniel J.

Heran is the best real estate agent! She was my selling and buying agent when we moved this summer. She was professional and diligent. She truly worked hard day and night, weekdays and weekends. I highly recommend Heran and the...

Nazma S.

Heran was a gift! She guided us through the purchase process and made everything very easy. She was so patient and went beyond her ways to help us find the perfect house. I think she knew before we did that she found us our hom...

Ben M.

There isn’t a word to describe the experience I had with Sold By Sue - The Sue Smith Team. It was amazing. No stone was left unturned. From A-Z, they were on top of it. They made an exciting, but stressful time for me so specia...

Matt C.

Bryan was there and truly present on all calls - with a positive attitude, a true showing of empathy, and a wealth of knowledge on the process and sometimes tediousness of buying a home. Bryan treats real estate truly as a care...

Anand P.

It was a pleasure to work with Heran for our recent home search and purchase. She is very patient showing us around 10-15 homes and was very diligent in ensuring we make the best use of our time during home showings. She is ver...

Leslie B.

Selling a home can be an incredibly stressful process but Sue and her team make it almost pleasurable! Sue is a real estate professional's professional. Her knowledge, experience, guidance and communication skills are truly exc...

Jeni F.

Heran was like a gift sent from god. I would go out of my way to actively recommend her to anyone. She helped us buy our home as first time home buyers, and was knowledgeable, patient, and put our interest as #1 priority at all...

Ryan D.

Heran was instrumental in helping my family and I conduct a cross country move. She went out of her way to show us our home and provide information about the community where we wanted to live. She responded to our requests day ...

Roger S.

Her communication was great on both updates and ensuring we had plenty of lead time for items we needed to complete. The house sale was due to loss in the family. Sue understood was able to make what would normally be a sad and...

Ron & Lisa S.

Bryan patiently answered our (million) questions, helped set up several weekends worth of showings, and was an overall wealth of knowledge about the surrounding area. When we found "the" home, Bryan helped guide us to write a f...

Megan M.

Sue Smith gets our highest recommendation. She and her team have given outstanding service from start to finish in the sale of our home and purchase of another. Her marketing is innovative and thorough, her availability seeming...

Brandi G.

Sue was fantastic and, without hesitation, we would recommend her to anyone buying or selling a home. We were buyers and, while the market was challenging, Sue was confident and encouraging throughout our time with her. We appr...

Leanna L.

Sue Smith and her team are truly the best! Throughout what can be a stressful process, especially as a first-time home buyer and navigating this crazy competitive market, Sue guided me every step of the way! Sue is professional...

Work With Us

We don’t measure success through achievements or awards, but rather through the satisfaction of our clients. The Sue Smith Team are your trusted Real Estate Advisors.

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