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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My Testimonials

See why my clients love working with me.

Lina Villalba

Gatien has been an absolute pleasure to work with. We moved out of state and Gatien rented our property in a matter of days and has been attentive every step of the way. Moving isn't always easy but working with Gatien has made...

PATRICIA A.

Gatien is a true professional and we were lucky to have him as our real state agent. Since day 1 he made the process so much easier. He helped us find the best apartment within the budget and that fit for our needs exactly. He ...

CINDIE S.

A smooth, seamless transaction that honestly could not have been any easier! Gatien is a true professional...very friendly, helpful and accommodating. He was a pleasure to work with from beginning to end. Looking forward for th...

JAKE L.

Gatien was a total expert at helping me navigate the crazy Miami real estate market. He helped me find the perfect home, and was incredibly knowledgeable about recent sales in the area. He made sure the closing process went smo...

GABRIELLE G.

Working with Gatien was a wonderful experience. He's incredibly knowledgeable and was a true advocate for us. We'll gladly refer our friends to Gatien and would certainly work with him again in the future.

REBECA C.

Gatien is a consummate professional. I recently had the pleasure of working with him on a transaction. He was able to structure the deal such that his buyer stood out among 20 other offers. His knowledge of real estate and the ...

CHRISTINA A.

Gatien helped us find our dream home in Miami! The condo market has been extremely competitive, so we were devastated when our dream condo was taken off the market. But Gatien followed up with the seller, until they agreed to s...

ZACK A.

Gatien was a pleasure to work with - professional, honest, empathetic, hard working, and highly knowledgeable about all relevant topics (the Miami market, the home buying process, etc). I will be recommending other friends of m...

ELIE J.

Gatien helped me find an apartment on West Avenue. He showed me over ten condos. He knew the area incredibly well. He’s extremely reliable and went the extra mile in the search. He’d contact properties that were recently delist...

IAN S.

Gatien was hugely supportive as I looked for apartments in Miami as a part of a relocation cross country. Beyond taking me to locations that met my specific requirements, he helped me navigate a complicated condo application pr...

STEPHANIE M.

Gatien helped me find my dream apartment by going above and beyond. He was able to negotiate a great price for me, and is a fantastic realtor in every aspect. He was very knowledgeable and took into consideration all of my need...

MICHAEL C.

Such an incredible realtor! Was able to operate a smooth move-in process for my apartment in South Beach, ultimately allowing me to feel at home in one of the best cities in the country! Most definitely planning on moving back ...

JOE H.

Gatien is extraordinarily attentive and thorough - he strives to fully understand a client's needs and follows through with amazing speed and precision. Would give the strongest of endorsements. A true professional.

MARC R.

I strongly recommend Gatien Salaun. Thanks to his great diligence, after a lengthy search, I was able to purchase a property that was exactly what I was looking for. You can't do any better than Gatien!

LILY V.

Gatien represented me as a renter and negotiated the contract to all the specifications I wanted. Very professional, attentive, and respectful. Completely recommend!

FIDEL H.

Gatien is an absolute rockstar. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on two home purchases, and on both occasions he helped me find properties with the exact features and qualities we wanted. He counseled us throughout wit...

MELISSA C.

Gatien was absolutely fantastic in helping me to sell my mom’s condo. I was in another state and I had never sold any property before. The condo had to be emptied, painted, new keys made. Gatien took care of hiring and supervi...

ANTON K.

Gatien has been a great help to us - working tirelessly to find a place and close the deal. He worked with us through the process and continued working after the close to make sure everything goes smoothly. Can't recommend him...

ANTHONY W.

It was a true pleasure working with Gatien! He was very attentive and patient with us. I highly recommend using him as your realtor.

MARIANELA O.

He was great. Helped us find our perfect first home, we searched for almost a year and he always listened to our “must have” and identifying exactly what we were looking for.

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BUYER'S GUIDE

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