Leave a Message

Thank you for your message. We will be in touch with you shortly.

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

Choosing to buy a home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life. It’s a complex ordeal that requires a lot of planning, and instating the help of a knowledgeable Real Estate Agents to make the process run smoothly. To ready you for this, here is a general overview of what to expect and prepare.

main

Get Your Finances In Order

The first thing you’ll need to do is put money aside for a down payment. This amount is (at minimum) 5% of the purchase price of the home you’re planning to buy. Second, you’ll need to meet with a mortgage broker to determine what you can afford. Shopping around for the best rate is highly recommended.

main

Visualize Your Dream Home

Once you’ve established a price range, it’s time to decide what type of home will best suit your lifestyle. Think about things like access to schools, recreational facilities, what the neighborhood is like, and so on. Why you’re choosing to buy should help answer these questions for you — so think about it carefully. You may want to put this down in writing and create a needs versus wants list.

main

Meet With a Real Estate Agent

It’s important to partner with a Real Estate Agent you feel completely comfortable with. A Real Estate Agent can help you find your dream home, that meets both your needs and your budget. They will set you up with viewing appointments, and also help bring clarity to the complicated process of buying a home. You’ll want to go with an experienced and knowledgeable Real Estate Agents who you can be sure will represent your best interests.

main

The Search

Using the property search on this site and consulting with your Real Estate Agent, you will be able to find homes in your desired area. They’ll update you frequently regarding new listings and schedule showing appointments at the properties that look interesting to you.

main

Closing

Your Real Estate Agent can help you place an offer that the seller will either accept, counter, or reject. After you’ve negotiated an offer, you’ll need to conduct a home inspection and deal with any repairs (the cost of which you can also negotiate with the seller). Finalize your mortgage with a visit to your lender, and you’re ready to sign off on ownership. This typically takes place in a lawyer’s office.

Congratulations!

At this point, congratulations are in order! Becoming a new homeowner is one of the most liberating things you’ll ever experience. There are many benefits to home ownership — pride of ownership, the ability to make home improvements, building equity, appreciation — the list goes on.

Michael A.
Cody U.
Rey G. & Joe C.
Patty F.
Erin N.
Amy & Greg T.
Ian & Jessica K.
Susanne K.
Elise B. & Pete E.
Keith F.
Rachel S.
Michael M.
Jennifer V.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I purchased a home through TeamUp and had an exemplary experience. So when it came time to sell, I obviously came back to the same group! My experience with selling was truly perfect. TeamUp was well organized, communicated clearly, set realistic expectations, were always available and responsive, provided optimism, realism, energy and relevant updates real-time. Every aspect of the transaction that they...

— Michael A.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

There aren’t enough thanks I can give to Christopher Cornett for helping me with my purchase this spring. Even during the time of the pandemic, he handled every detail with professionalism and made it so comfortable and easy to understand it really was a pleasure. I can’t recommend him and his team enough.

— Cody U.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Working with Team Up Seattle, and Christopher Cornett, in particular, was a great experience. It often takes a while to find the right home, and in Seattle, have your offer accepted on a home. Christopher was patient, helpful, and fun throughout the entire process. His knowledge of the market and his advocacy for us in a competitive setting helped us feel taken care of until we found a great home. I can’...

— Rey G. & Joe C.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Melissa was a pleasure to work with. As soon as I requested assistance selling my condominium she responded and made herself available at my convenience. She listened to what I wanted and then gave suggestions with options for what to do to get my place ready for selling. I especially appreciated that she knew local trustworthy tradespeople who could help get my condo ready for viewing and would be able ...

— Patty F.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We were casually looking at houses when we came across one we loved, and we had to move quickly to get everything in place to be ready to make an offer. The Team Up Seattle team was extremely helpful throughout, and moved very quickly to get everything done, without skipping any important steps. As it turned out, the first house we were interested in had some major sewer issues so we passed on that one, ...

— Erin N.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Christopher was the perfect agent for us! He is endlessly patient, always brought an upbeat and positive attitude, and quickly got to know us and learned our unique preferences. He was always early to appointments, very communicative, and full of recommendations when we needed them, but also gave us space to come to our own decisions. Christopher has a strong understanding of the Seattle area offer negot...

— Amy & Greg T.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We hired Michael and his team to sell our First Hill condo in Seattle. We were moving out of state and would not be there during the sale process, so we were looking for a real estate agent to provide a comprehensive service with strong communication skills. We chose Michael and his team because of his immense enthusiasm, knowledge of the Seattle condo market, and beautiful marketing materials. The team ...

— Ian & Jessica K.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I can’t say enough great things about Melissa. We just sold our Seattle house which would usually be complicated enough during a pandemic, but we also live out of state and had to do everything long distance. Melissa went above and beyond, meeting with vendors to secure bids for needed work and then project managing the needed painting and repairs. She kept us in the loop every step of the way and someho...

— Susanne K.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Stop what you’re doing, pick up the phone, and call this amazing team! Michael Ackerman and Melissa Clark are, individually, amazing people and as a team, magnificent! Melissa was our primary contact and was with us every step of our journey selling our West Seattle home as we moved to Southern California. Day one, Michael came to our home with his team and we were blown away by their efficiency, profess...

— Elise B. & Pete E.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We chose Melissa Clark and her TeamUp associates to list our home because we knew we were getting an agent dedicated to delivering the most comprehensive team possible, including; staging, cleaning, landscaping, and painting. We knew this because we had witnessed her amazing team sell two of our neighbor’s homes. We were so impressed by how Melissa handled and orchestrated the sale of their homes that we...

— Keith F.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We were absolutely thrilled with our experience with Team Up! We needed to sell our house quickly to support relocation and left town before listing our home. They made the whole experience as effortless for us (not them) as possible. We interviewed four agents before choosing TeamUp, and we have absolutely no hesitation about recommending them. They have a vision and are able to successfully execute aga...

— Rachel S.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Melissa and her team helped my sister and me sell our house in Seattle and, while this review is long overdue, I can't recommend Melissa and her team enough. They were exceptional to work with, taking a lot of care with the house, leading us through the process, etc. etc. I'm really glad we chose her team and you'll be as well! Fantastic.

— Michael M.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Cait and the entire team at TeamUp Seattle provided exceptional assistance throughout our out-of-state home purchase journey. Cait's dedication was evident as she went the extra mile by creating detailed videos of potential properties and ensuring we were informed about new listings on a daily basis. The TeamUp Seattle crew also offered valuable resources for financing, insurance, and home repairs, showc...

— Jennifer V.

Work with Us

Work with Us

TeamUp Seattle has been successfully creating outstanding real estate experiences for our buyers and sellers in the Seattle area for 30 years. Our business is completely built around three guiding principles that motivate and drive us each and every day with each and every client.

Connect. Collaborate. Close.
Contact us today to find out how we can be of assistance to you!

Follow Us On Instagram

Work With Us

TeamUp Seattle has been successfully creating outstanding real estate experiences for our buyers and sellers in the Seattle area for 30 years. Our business is completely built around three guiding principles that motivate and drive us each and every day with each and every client. Connect, Collaborate, and Close. Contact us today to find out how we can be of assistance to you!