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01 Buying
Buying a home in Johnson County
02 The short answer
Buying a home in Johnson County
If you are buying a home in Johnson County, the work that decides your outcome happens before you tour anything. Know your real monthly number, get pre approved with a lender you trust, and write an offer you understand. I handle all three with you, at no direct cost to you in most transactions.
Buying is the single largest financial commitment most people make, and the industry has arranged itself so that the person guiding you through it is paid only when you buy something. I am aware of how that looks. The way I deal with it is to be useful before there is any transaction to be paid on, and to tell you plainly when a house is wrong for you.
That starts with financing. Before we walk through a single front door I want you talking to a lender, because the number a lender approves and the number you are comfortable paying every month are rarely the same. Once we know both, the search narrows honestly instead of expanding until something breaks.
03 Step by step
How buying works with me
We talk about money first
What you can carry monthly, what you have for a down payment, what down payment assistance you may qualify for, and what your credit looks like. I connect you with lenders. I do not lend, and I have no financial interest in which one you pick.
You write the list, we hold to it
Non negotiables, nice to haves, and the things you would trade. Then we tour against that list. If a home fails it, I will tell you, even when you are standing in the kitchen liking it.
The offer, explained before you sign
Price is one term of several. Earnest money, inspection period, financing contingency, appraisal gap, possession date and closing costs all move the real cost of the deal. We go through each one and what it exposes you to.
Inspection and negotiation
You hire a licensed inspector. I read the report with you, separate the items that matter structurally from the items that are cosmetic, and negotiate repairs or credits.
Appraisal, underwriting and close
This is where deals quietly die. I stay on the lender and the title company, and you hear from me the same day anything moves off schedule.
04 Worth knowing
Touring is the smallest part of this job
Most people picture buyer representation as opening doors. The doors are the easy part. The value sits in the offer strategy, the inspection negotiation, and keeping a lender and a title company moving in the same direction for thirty days.
Placeholder photoWhat does a buyer agent actually cost you?
In most Central Indiana transactions the seller has agreed in advance to compensate the buyer agent, which is why buyers often pay nothing out of pocket for representation. That arrangement is now negotiated and put in writing at the start of the relationship rather than assumed. Before you sign a buyer agreement with me you will see the compensation terms in plain language and what, if anything, they could cost you.
How long does buying a home take?
From accepted offer to closing, thirty to forty five days is typical when financing is conventional and the appraisal cooperates. The search itself varies enormously. Some buyers find the house in a weekend and some look for eight months. Being pre approved and decisive is what shortens it, not looking at more houses.
06 Get started
Book a buyer call
No pressure and no obligation. The first conversation is about your numbers, not about a house.
Trae reads every one of these himself. If you would rather talk now, call 317 478 0124.
07 Common questions
Questions people actually ask
Should I look at homes before I talk to a lender?
You can, and I would rather you did not fall in love first. A pre approval takes a day or two and it changes what we look at. Sellers also take offers from pre approved buyers more seriously, particularly when there is competition.
What is earnest money and do I lose it?
Earnest money is a deposit that shows the seller you are serious. It is credited back to you at closing. You lose it if you walk away for a reason your contract does not protect, which is exactly why the contingencies in your offer matter.
Can you show me a home listed by another brokerage?
Yes. I can show you almost anything on the market regardless of which brokerage has the listing, including new construction and for sale by owner homes.