Buying a home
Get ready first. Then we find the home.
How Carolyn Cardoza helps you buy a home in Manteca and the Central Valley: pre-approval, the search, your offer, inspections, signing, and your keys.
The short version
Buying a home goes well when you know what comes next. I'm Carolyn Cardoza, a Broker Associate and REALTOR® with Realty 1 Team (CA DRE #00708846), and I've worked with buyers in Manteca and across the Central Valley since 2007. This page shows how I work, in the order it happens.
There are four stages. First we get you ready, which means a pre-approval and a plain conversation about how we work together. Next we search, built around what you actually want. Then we write your offer with the numbers in front of us. Finally we go through escrow together, from the inspections to the signing to the day you get your keys.
Through all of it, you make the decisions and I carry them out. I'm not a slick salesperson. I tell you honestly what I see, and if you want to sleep on a decision, you can. If you're not sure you're ready, that's fine too, because a conversation costs nothing. You can reach out here whenever you like.
Ready: Pre-approved, and clear on how we work together
When someone tells me they're ready to buy, the first thing I ask is whether they've been pre-approved for a loan, and with whom. A pre-approval gives you a real number to work with, so we only look at homes you can actually buy. If you haven't started, your lender is the first call to make, and I'm glad to talk it through with you. If you're using a VA loan, I find a lender who specializes in them.
Then I ask about you. What kind of house do you want? How big is your family? Where are you coming from? I'm not asking to sell you something. I'm asking so the search fits your life, not the life of an average buyer.
After that, I set up a time for us to meet. At that meeting I explain the buyer-broker agreement, which covers how I'm paid. Sometimes the seller pays my compensation as part of the deal. When the seller doesn't, you are responsible for it. I want you to hear that from me before we begin, and not at the closing table, so we go over it first and you can ask me anything.
One practical note: your lender will ask for pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns. Sending them quickly keeps everything else on schedule. The whole sequence is also laid out in my free buyer's guide, and if this is your first purchase, my first-time buyers page is written for you.
Get ready first. Then we find the home.
Search: Looking for your home, not every home
Once the paperwork is behind us, I start looking for homes. I search from what you told me, so you see homes that fit you instead of everything on the market. When one looks right, we set a time to go see it in person.
How many homes we look at is up to you. I don't push you toward one, because the right home is the one you'd be glad to come home to. If your wishes change along the way, or you see a few and realize you want something different, tell me, and I adjust the search.
Your budget stays in the picture the whole time. Because you were pre-approved before we started, you already know the number, and we aren't guessing. If a home on your list makes you wonder how it would feel month to month, your lender and I can go over it with you.
If you're moving to Manteca or nearby from somewhere else, you can read about the towns on my areas page and about relocating to the area.
Offer: Written with the numbers in front of us
When you find the home you want to make an offer on, my first question is exactly how much you'd like to offer. I also ask how much you're putting down, so the offer matches your real numbers.
Next I call your lender and tell them we've found a home. We go over the numbers together to make sure everything works, and we go over how long the escrow period will be. I would much rather catch a problem now than after the offer is written.
Then I pull the comparable sales and check two things: whether the price is in line with similar homes, and whether the condition is too. The answer tells us if the number you have in mind makes sense. Sometimes it does, and sometimes we adjust it, and either way the decision is yours.
Where it makes sense, I also try to get a little something extra from the seller. An offer is a negotiation, and negotiating is the part of this job I enjoy most. If you'd like to see the other side of the table, read how I sell a home, because I handle offers from that side every week, too.
Close: Escrow, inspections, signing, and your keys
When the seller accepts your offer, we confirm escrow and the escrow company. Then I check with your lender that the appraisal is ordered, so it can be finished within the time we have.
Next I call you and ask what inspections you want. A home inspection is typical, along with a roof inspection and a pest inspection, and you're welcome to add any others. All of them have to be done within your contingency time frame, so we schedule them promptly. When they're finished, we go over the reports together. If repairs are worth asking for, we ask for them and negotiate from there.
While your loan moves along, I keep watching it. When your lender says the loan documents have been sent to escrow, we pick a signing time, and I like to be at the signing. We fit your final walkthrough in around it, too.
You aren't finished until the escrow company tells us everything has been recorded and we're officially closed. As soon as I hear that, I meet you at the house. I make sure the extra keys and garage door openers are in the kitchen, I give you a gift, and then I let you settle in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What inspections should I get?
A home inspection is typical, along with a roof inspection and a pest inspection. You're welcome to add others, as long as they're done within your contingency time frame.
Can I ask the seller for repairs after the inspection?
Yes. We go over the inspection reports together, and if repairs are worth asking for, I ask for them and we negotiate from there.
Will you be there when I sign?
I like to be at the signing. When your lender tells us the loan documents have gone to escrow, we set a time that works for you.
Do you work with VA loans?
Yes. I always find a lender who specializes in VA loans, so the loan side is handled by someone who knows it well.
Keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Carolyn Cardoza?