BUYING ?
At The Karsten Team, we are experts at representing our clients throughout the home-buying process. We act as trusted fiduciaries and operate on principles of trust, knowledge and exceptional service. By going the extra mile, maintaining clear communication and remaining accessible to our clients is how we operate.
What can you expect throughout the process when searching for your new home ?
STEP 1 : THE BUYER CONSULTATION
The first step is sitting down together so we can get to know you and create a plan to make sure your home-buying process goes smoothly. We will discuss your real estate needs, getting you pre-approved, searching for homes, the offer and negotiation process, the benefits of using an agent and the state of the housing market. We work with you to determine what you want in a home and what is important to you including location, size, style, condition, moving timeline, etc.
STEP 2 : PRE-APPROVAL
Arguably the most important step is determining your price range and affordability before searching for homes. By obtaining a pre-approval letter, sellers will have confidence in knowing what you can afford when submitting an offer. You are more likely to have your offer accepted than someone who is not already pre-approved. We aid you in this by helping you choose a mortgage lender and obtaining financing.
STEP 3 : NARROWING THE SEARCH
Technology has simplified your home search. We can alert you of new properties as soon as they hit the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and before they go active on many of the consumer websites you may typically think of when searching for homes.
▸ By setting you up with an automated home search, you will be notified of homes fitting your criteria as soon as they hit the market.
▸ We routinely search for off-market properties that are hard to find but may meet your needs.
STEP 4 : SHOPPING FOR HOMES
Your dedicated buyer specialist will suggest homes that fit your needs, schedule property showings and meet with you to tour homes in person. If you received an alert or found a home you want to tour, simply reach out to us and we will schedule a tour as soon as possible.
We will research recently sold homes and those currently on the market to determine the following:
▸ How much are comparable homes selling for?
▸ Have there been price reductions?
▸ How long are homes staying on the market?
▸ Does the home have resale value?
STEP 5 : SUBMITTING AN OFFER
Once you find the home for you, Drafting and submitting a strong offer/contract and negotiating any counter offers is what we aid in. Along with your offer, sellers will typically require you to provide an Earnest Money Check. This is usually around 1% of the price and will be deposited once your offer has been accepted.
STEP 6 : YOUR OFFER WAS ACCEPTED ! NOW WHAT ?
Congratulations ! Your offer has been accepted. We will continue to guide you through each step until you ultimately close and take possession of your new home ! The following is a bit of what to expect at this point in the process :
▸ Depositing your earnest money in a timely manner once your offer is accepted.
▸ We will request and obtain any property disclosure information.
▸ Order a title search and request all covenant information and documents.
▸ Appraisal will be ordered by your lender with the goal of justifying the price of the home and to protect you from overpaying.
▸ Closing & taking possession of your new home upon a satisfactory walk-through !
AND don’t forget to bring your driver’s license or official photo ID as well as wiring the required funds in advance of closing or having a cashier’s check made payable to the title company for your down payment and closing costs.
Congratulations on your home purchase !
SELLING ?
Selling your home in Colorado Springs for its highest value starts with preparation and a carefully crafted marketing plan before going live. We will guide you on best practices for staging your home for professional photo/videography, virtual tours and property showings. Your home will be syndicated to a variety of leading real estate platforms, websites and social media channels in addition to being promoted via printed marketing materials & direct mail.
Our marketing plan has the following 3 strategic goals :
PROMOTION
We’ll successfully promote your home to prospective buyers
LEVERAGE
We’ll leverage the efforts of other real estate professionals and their networks
INFORMED
We’ll keep you informed throughout the process and work with you to adjust or change any marketing activities as needed based on results.
STEP 1 : TRADITIONAL MAXIMUM NET PROGRAM
Our team consists of professionals, including skillful negotiators, top-notch photo/videographers and marketing experts. Our agents are trained to use strategies that have proven successful time and time again. You can trust you are in good hands while working with us to net you the most amount of money !
STEP 2 : INSTANT CASH OFFER
Are you in a time crunch and/or want to avoid the standard process of showing your home ?
We can purchase your Colorado Springs home with our Instant Cash Offer program so you can avoid any uncertainty.
STEP 3 : FIX AND LIST
Is your home in need of renovations before going live on the market ? We offer a Fix and List program in which we do all the hard work. We can pay for the renovations up front, leaving more cash in your pocket.
STEP 4 : TRADE-IN PROGRAM
Would you like to buy your new home without having to sell your existing home first ? This great program allows for the purchase of a new home without the stress of having to write a contingent offer and before having to list your current home on the market. Find peace in the comfort of knowing your home will still receive a full price, market-value offer after you have already purchased a new home!
STEP 5 : BUYER CASH OFFER
We have a network of buyers who may be ready to make a market-value cash offer for your home. This program allows our buyers to make a cash offer so you don’t have to worry about financing conditions: simplifying and speeding up the process for you !
DIVERSE OPTIONS !
Not everyone’s situation is the same, sometimes options are needed. To best help you, we offer a variety of programs to get your home sold. Please reach out to us to determine which of the following may be the best option for you.