Expert Naples Buyer's Guide | MJ Team Real Estate Agents

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 we 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 agents like us to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will we help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but we also have knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where our expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let us 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!). We 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. We 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. We 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.

Testimonials

Robert

Michael was amazing. He made everything easy for me. Took his time and showed me as many properties as I wanted. He got me everything on my wish list at the price I wanted. I could not have asked for anything more.

Michael L.

Absolutely blown away by Mike and Jen. Incredible service. They went above and beyond to set us up in a new construction home at The Place at Corkscrew. We built the home from outside of Florida, and they were very helpful in a...

Gary K.

Very friendly and helpful from the beginning until the sale was final. After the sales, Michael and his staff helped with a few extra items. Like phone numbers for utility companies and Association paperwork. Thanks, Great Job.

Ryan Q.

We had a local realtor for the first 6 months make zero leeway on our home in Bella Terra. He said new construction in the area, our location in the neighborhood, and our price were why the house was not selling. We made the sw...

Fran H.

We were looking for a second home in Florida and had gone to many open houses in the Estero, Bonita Springs, and Ft. Myers areas. I have my real estate license in Massachusetts but do not know the Florida market, so when we met...

Lindy

We meet Mike through buying a second home in FL. He was always there to answer any questions. We had a very fast closing, I believe it was three weeks. Mike made sure he directed us to whoever we had to speak to or who to submi...

Ronald K.

Michael and his team were awesome from beginning to end on our home-buying experience. They were there to answer all our questions and to look out for us in picking the right house. I would highly recommend them for all your ho...

Jarrett S.

Mike was a pleasure to work with. He had the perfect demeanor and made my wife and I feel comfortable with him instantly. His knowledge of the area, his professionalism, and most importantly his listening skills are what really...

Chris G.

If I could give this 10 stars, I would. Our move from NY to SWFL happened quickly, less than 3 months. I joined a Facebook group in the area where we were moving and Michael’s wife, Jenipher, gave me tons of useful information ...

Jose R.

My wife and I recently purchased a condo in Estero. Mike and Jen provided us with quality properties. The whole experience navigated through remote showings demonstrated an extensive knowledge of the properties and affiliated c...

Kim P.

In a nutshell, when you sign papers with a realtor and he is able to sell your house and find you the one that is just what you've been looking for all in a 12 hour time span, you picked yourself a fabulous realtor. that my fri...

Ben B.

Sometimes in life you get Lucky and meet a sales person that exceeds all you hoped they would be. While Mike and his group fall into this category. I was trying to buy a home in Florida with Hawaii as my current home. Mike guid...

Scott R.

Michael Knoerlein and Thersa Ferguson were great. They provided us with the information and advice we needed, answered our questions in a timely manner, worked well with the others involved in selling our home, and followed thr...

Chuck H.

I had Mike representing me recently, on a purchase transaction. Mike was great to work with, he treated as if he was the buyer. Mike is very knowledgeable of the market, honest, always available to answer all my questions and a...

Clifton E.

Mike did a phenomenal job from my family always there when we had questions through the very end

Sarah M.

Michael and Jenipher are absolutely amazing realtors to work with. They found us the perfect home. Extremely knowledgeable, responsive and trustworthy. MJ Team took the time we needed to find the perfect spot. I highly recommen...

Jared S.

Jen (and Mike) couldn't have been easier to work with. We weren't easy clients as we are unabashedly picky. They were as patient as you can imagine. The patience paid off for both parties as they put us in the right home at the...

Max A.

Excellent results and service. Couldn't ask for more.

Kiki K.

Mike and his team were amazing!! The process was smooth and they were helpful at every step. I was also very happy with my mortgage broker Jeff Sosnicki at Northpointe! Great experience all around!! 😊

Kathy S.

Mike was very helpful and patient with our needs.

Work With Us

Our experience in advertising sales and lead generation for various industries has provided a solid foundation for achieving goals and exceeding client expectations in real estate.

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me

Leave a Message

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

Buyer's Guide

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