a guide to HOME BUYING

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home is…

Where we make memories. Where we build relationships.

Where we celebrate milestones. Where we laugh.

Where we love. Where we dream.

It’s so much more than a place to live – and finding

that special place you want to call home starts with

finding a broker who understands that.

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an indispensable partner

With a wealth of online resources and countless reality TV shows

about real estate, it’s not surprising some homebuyers consider a

DIY approach when purchasing a new home.

But for most, a real estate professional is an indispensable partner in the home-

buying process. While today’s buyers are more educated about real estate

than ever before, all the research in the world can’t match an experienced

broker’s “in-the-trenches” understanding of what’s happening in the market

today. And when the most in-depth market knowledge is backed by the

best marketing and technology infrastructure in the business, the results are

unmatched. That’s where @properties comes in.

As a local, independent brokerage, @properties has the expertise, the

relationships, and the resources to make your home-buying experience

productive and, just as importantly, enjoyable.

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let’s get better acquainted...

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Began as a four-person

boutique brokerage

Started the @gives back Community

Fund to inspire charitable outreach

among @properties’ brokers and to

support local organizations

Expanded to Chicago’s

North Shore

Became the #1 residential brokerage

firm in Chicago in less than a decade

Overtook the title of Illinois’

largest independent residential

brokerage firm in 2013

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Co-founders Thad Wong and Mike

Golden named winners of the Ernst &

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Opened an office in New Buffalo, Michigan to

serve the Harbor Country resort-home market

Established @properties Wisconsin

with an office in Lake Geneva

Appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of

America’s fastest growing private

companies for the 11th time

Achieved a record

$9+ billion in sales

in 2017

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industry leader

@properties was built around a simple but elusive concept: provide

brokers and clients with the highest level of service in the industry

through cutting-edge sales and marketing programs and a culture

that values innovation, relationships, and a strong local focus.

What began as a four-person brokerage in 2000 has grown into the #1

residential brokerage firm in Chicago, the largest independent brokerage firm

in Illinois, one of the fastest-growing brokerage firms in Southeast Wisconsin

and Southwest Michigan/Northwest Indiana, and the 11th largest brokerage

firm in the U.S. by sales volume.

Despite tremendous growth, @properties still maintains its boutique feel,

collaborative environment, and commitment to being a local company that

serves both client and community. We are constantly evolving, but remain

focused on that one simple idea behind our founding.

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the buying process

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The Buying Process · 12

choose a broker

It’s important to ask potential brokers questions relating to their experience and

routines, and to listen for the questions they ask you to get a feel for if they’re

really intent on understanding your needs.

Experience in your preferred neighborhood and/or style of home is important,

but so is the comfort level between broker and client, because buying a home is

a highly personal experience. Your broker should be someone you like, trust, and

respect—and who feels the same way about you.

get pre-approved for a mortgage

In today’s home-buying environment, a mortgage pre-approval is essential. It not

only lets you know what you can afford to buy, but also demonstrates to sellers

that you are a willing and able buyer. What’s more, it gives you an important

head start in securing an actual loan commitment.

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create a wish list

Almost every home purchase involves some

degree of compromise. There are many variables

to think about depending on your lifestyle,

budget and future plans, but some universal

considerations include:

Location – Consider important factors such

as schools, transportation, and neighborhood

amenities like shops, restaurants and parks.

Type of Home – There are a variety of housing

styles to consider. Weigh the pros and cons to

narrow your focus.

Features and Amenities – Think about your

wants and needs, such as garage parking,

hardwood floors, outdoor space, etc.

find your home

At this stage of the game, you are ready to begin your home search. Here’s what

you can expect to do:

Review Listings – Your broker will present you with available listings. Beyond

price and property attributes, pay close attention to data like property taxes,

market time, and monthly assessments for condos and townhomes.

View Properties – Your broker will schedule showings and accompany you on

appointments.

Open Houses – If you’re attending open houses without your broker, be sure to

mention that you are being represented by an @properties broker. This will save

you from being inundated with calls from other brokers trying to represent you.

Compare Properties – Provide candid feedback to your broker after every listing

you see so he or she will be able to adjust their parameters in order to present you

with alternatives. When you find a home that suits your needs, your broker will

prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (or CMA) to help you formulate your offer.

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The Buying Process · 14

make an offer

When you find a home, it’s important to act quickly and make an educated offer

based on the strategy you and your broker have discussed. Your broker will draw up

a contract that includes your offer price and other terms and contingencies. Here

are some of the most common elements of a real estate contract:

Price – The market will determine the

final price, but your broker will help you

formulate an offer based on current

market conditions and comparable listings

and sales.

Mortgage Contingency – A mortgage

contingency stipulates that you will buy

the home subject to obtaining a mortgage.

If you cannot obtain a mortgage, and the

seller will not agree to finance the sale,

then the contract will be void.

Home Inspection Contingency – A

thorough inspection of the property by a

licensed home inspector protects you

against structural or material problems

that may not be detectable in a casual

walk-through.

Attorney Approval – Attorney approval is generally a one-week period in which

your attorney can review the contract and suggest alterations to help protect you

from any undue obligations. An attorney’s review is always highly recommended.

Earnest Money – Earnest money is a deposit, given to the seller, which secures the

contract until the closing. If the sale does not go through due to contingencies

covered in the contract, then the earnest money may be returned to the buyer.

Closing Date – This is usually the date the seller must vacate and the buyer may

occupy the property. Flexibility on the closing date can give a buyer a big advantage

over other potential buyers.

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negotiate counteroffers

In most transactions, there’s a fair amount of offers and counteroffers. Your

broker will draw upon his or her experience and market knowledge to offer

sound advice during a negotiation, and he or she can also serve as a buffer

between the buyer and the seller/seller’s broker.

contract to closing

There are dozens of loose ends to tie up between signing the contract and

closing the sale. Your broker will coordinate and oversee the following steps:

• Deliver earnest money with the seller or seller’s agent

• Recommend and schedule a home inspector and accompany the

buyer on the inspection

• Recommend real estate attorneys

• Obtain important documents, such

as property disclosure forms and

condominium documents (budget,

declaration, condo association minutes),

and deliver them to the buyer and buyer’s

attorney

• Recommend mortgage brokers and help

expedite the loan-application process

• Monitor all contingencies to ensure that

they have been met

• Recommend service providers for moving, home-improvement

and repairs

• Schedule a final walk-through. Both the buyer and buyer’s agent should

be present

• Coordinate and attend your closing

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The Buying Process · 16

closing

Your broker will work closely with you, your

lender, your attorney, and the seller’s broker to

make sure everything is in place for a smooth

and efficient closing.

Typically, a day or two prior to the closing, your

lender will forward all loan documentation to

the title company and let you know the amount

required to close. You will be responsible for

bringing the balance of your down payment and

closing costs (such as lender fees, title company

fees, and state and city transfer taxes) to the

closing in the form of a cashier’s check. At the

closing, your attorney will guide you through

the documents you need to sign, including the

bill of sale, the deed, and the affidavit of title.

after you buy

One of our core values is “Everything is Relationship”. We maintain relationships

with clients long after the closing. That means we’re always glad to help you find

service providers and tradesmen to perform work on your home or just make

life a little easier.

As you’re getting settled, here are a few situations you may encounter in the

coming months and years that are important to think about.

• Rebuilding Your Savings and Maintaining Financial Discipline – It’s important

to set up an automatic electronic payment with your mortgage lender, to avoid

costly penalties associated with late payments. Buyers should also make a plan

for gradually rebuilding their savings account.

• Refinancing – Keep an eye on interest rates even after you purchase your home.

If rates go down, you may be able to save money by refinancing. Keep in mind

refinancing is a major financial transaction with important implications. So be

just as diligent in a refinance as you were in securing your original mortgage.

• Home Improvement – Most new homeowners have at least a few projects they

want to tackle once they move in. Your broker has the network and resources

to help you find a variety of service providers to perform work on your home.

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online tools

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atproperties.com

Our website includes access to all properties listed in the local MLS along with detailed

community information and market trends. Sign up to customize and manage your

search, request notifications to keep tabs on the status of a home, find nearby open

houses, and save properties. Other features include:

• Enhanced property search functionality

that allows users to draw their search

area and sort through properties by

neighborhood, price, property type,

schools and transportation

• Listing detail pages with professional

photos, videos and floor plans

• Interactive maps embedded within

search results

• Advanced school district boundary data

• Video library that showcases

neighborhoods and @properties listings

• Parking availability rating powered

by Parknav

• Social sharing

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@properties’ interactive CMA

A Comparative Market Analysis (or CMA)

is one of the most important pricing

tools a real estate broker offers. This

report evaluates a home alongside other

properties – closed, active and pending

“comparables” – taking into account

variables like location, property features,

market times, and price changes.

@properties has created a new technology that takes the CMA to the next level. Unlike

a traditional, static CMA, @properties’ interactive CMA is up-to-the-minute accurate,

using real-time data from the local Multiple Listing Service. It allows you to add

comments to individual listings as you review the report, pin new properties to your

CMA, and receive e-mail alerts with information on newly-listed properties as well as

status changes to current listings.

Your @properties broker will prepare a CMA to help you formulate an offer based on the

market right here, right now.

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@agent app

Leveraging @properties’ “market within a market,” our brokers

use an internal mobile app for company-wide communication. The

exclusive @agent app allows our brokers to match homebuyers

with homes for sale, including pocket (off-market) listings. That

means our brokers have the inside scoop on properties that are

soon to be listed, giving buyers an early opportunity to view and

purchase during a time when others are waiting for properties to

hit the market.

Beyond connecting buyers and sellers, the @agent app aggregates

a knowledge base of every @properties broker in a searchable

database, making it a great resource for recommendations on

everything from vendors and service providers to local businesses.

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@gives back

What makes a house a home has just as much to do with what’s

around it, as what’s in it. That’s why @properties has always been a big

believer in helping to build strong neighborhoods and communities.

One way we do this is through the @gives back Community Fund, a 501(c)

(3) that was created out of the desire to inspire charitable outreach among

@properties brokers and to support the city that has allowed our company to

continually grow and thrive.

Each year, we partner with local organizations with an emphasis on

homelessness, education, youth development, health, and community. Past

and present beneficiaries include the National Foundation for Teaching

Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Christopher House, Teen Living Programs, Off the

Street Club, Maryville Academy, Deborah’s Place, Noah’s Arc Foundation,

Keith Relief, Imerman Angels, and the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation.

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