Buyer's Guide

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.

Scott H.

Ingrid was a fantastic agent who helped my family buy our first home. From always being available to answer questions to helping us get the best price for our new town home, Ingrid took care of us. Working with her felt like wo...

Mariella C.

We have worked with Ingrid for the last 13 years with the selling/purchase of two homes. We chose Ingrid because of her knowledge of the housing market in town; her expertise and her strong negotiation skills. She has lived and...

Eric D.

We were very fortunate to work with Ingrid in relocating from NYC to Darien. In addition to her market knowledge and transaction expertise, she was a tremendous resource for information about the town and very helpful in provid...

Adam A.

We moved from out of the area and relocated to Darien. She has a great knowledge of the area along with sub-sections of Darien. Very honest and has a great approach to learning what we like and are looking for. This helped to f...

Sebastian B.

Ingrid has deep local knowledge which helps make a more informed purchase. We were able to negotiate a large discount from the initial asking price, in part due to her very strong market knowledge. As a long-term resident of th...

Kevin T.

Ingrid is the best there is in Fairfield County CT. She was patient with our learning curve in finding our first home purchase. We would happily go house hunting and learn the different hidden aspects of what makes a place spec...

Adam C.

Ingrid was great. She took the time and the interest to find out exactly what I was looking for. She did not waste my time sending me to look at houses that did not suit my needs. She also gave me frank advice about different n...

Clare D.S.

Ingrid Hess is a true expert and professional, as well as a pleasure to work with. She is knowledgeable, passionate, and a skilled negotiator. As first-time home buyers, we couldn't have been more pleased with how quickly and e...

Angela H.

Ingrid was a pleasure to work with from the start. Not only was she able to help us locate and purchase our home, she also gave us an abundance of local knowledge and connections to ease settling into Darien. She is highly resp...

Frank C.

My wife and I have known Ingrid for over 30 years. During that time we have purchased, rented, and sold properties using Ingrid. Her expertise in all phases of real estate is unsurpassed. If your looking for an agent that is ca...

Emily H.

Ingrid Hess is phenomenal. Her situational awareness of the marketplace generated an efficient, two-day, above asking price sale. This was a tremendous relief to my sister and I as we were dealing with the emotions of selling o...

Meaghan D.

Ingrid was beyond helpful in the process of helping our family find our new home. She truly treated us like her own family. She was extremely patient as we narrowed down our preferences and guided us through the process as an e...

Michael C.

I’ve known Ingrid and her team for 15 years. I was lucky enough to cold call her agency and get transferred to Ingrid all those years ago. She’s helped us buy in Darien and then do an in town buy and sell where she sold our hou...

Johny C.

Ingrid Hess is just great! We moved out of the city last year and she helped us search and find a home in Darien all the while we had the distraction of work travel and a newborn. Ingrid was very patient, mindful of our budget,...

Justin C.

Ingrid is exceptional. Her first hand knowledge of Fairfield County, and Darien specifically, helped us in our home search tremendously and got us the house we were looking for in a terrific location. In addition, our purchase ...

Trudy H.

I enthusiastically endorse Real Estate Agent Ingrid Hess. She's a real pro, not only with marketing/sales but she was also invaluable in helping me prepare my home for the market. She even found me contractors to do the work. S...

Libby S.

Ingrid Hess is a stellar broker and individual. She brokered the sale of our mother's home, always maintaining a vision of not only our mother's best interest but also of the buyers' best interest. By following her expert advic...

Stephanie E.

Ingrid helped to sell my home a few months ago after I received her name from a friend. I cannot say enough good things about Ingrid. She met us several months before the home went on the market and it was immediately apparent ...

Susan S.

Ingrid sets the standard by which I measure all realtors. I bought and sold a house through Ingrid. She knows her local market. This means she knows the value of a property, whether you are the buyer or the seller. She is a gre...

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Ingrid Hess, CRS, GRI has worked in the real estate industry for over 3 decades and has amassed a renowned class of clientele and unmatched experience. She is your Darien CT real estate expert to help you get the most value when buying or selling your home. Connect with her today!

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