You probably started the home buying process in one of two ways: you saw a home you were interested in buying or you consulted a lender to figure out how much money you could borrow before you found a home (sometimes called pre-qualifying). The next step is to sign an agreement of sale with the seller, followed by applying for a loan to purchase your new home. The final step is called "settlement" or "closing," where the legal title to the property is transferred to you.

At each of these steps you often have the opportunity to negotiate the terms, conditions and costs to your advantage. This booklet will highlight such opportunities. You will also need to shop carefully to get the best value for your money. There is no standard home buying process used in all localities. Your actual experience may vary from those described here. This booklet takes you through the general steps to buying a home, to eliminate, as much as possible, the mysteries of the settlement process. This information and more can be found at on the Official HUD website.

Special Offer For Home Buyers and Sellers using BostonMLS.com & MassMLS.com!
Allow us to refer you to a Boston & Massachusetts area MLS real estate broker, and if you decide to purchase or sell a home through that broker, we will instruct that broker to reduce the referral fee that agree to pay us, is if any, by 35%, and to credit you that 35% towards your closing costs. We often refer buyers and sellers to other brokers, they are happy to get the business. Often, a "buyer" or "seller" side referal can be 15% of what the broker nets in commissions. On a $500,000 sale, a "side" might be worth $15,000 in commissions. 20% of that would be $3,000. 35% back to you is over $1,000! That can go a long way towards paying the attorney, or towards your mortgage points! Send us an email and we'll be sure to get right back to you. Thank You, Robert Fontaine.