Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

My Goal Is to Provide You with The Most Personalized Service that Is Designed to Help You Buy Your Dream Home

Schedule a Consultation
main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

main

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.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
Local knowledge Process expertise Responsiveness Negotiation skills There are good real estate agents, there are some great ones and then there’s Sam. He is amazing because he was there for us every step of the way. Before the home buying process we had no clue how to go about it. He sat us down and explained every step in the process. We recently moved into our new home in Levittown and it would not hav...

— Rich Maddela | Bought a Single Family home in 2018 in Levittown, NY ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
As first-time home buyers, my husband and I had no clue where to start and what to do when it came to buying a house. From the first time I spoke with Sam, he was extremely informative and upfront about the entire process from start to finish. After meeting him, sam was able to see exactly what we were looking for in a home. Within two weeks of working with Sam, we had an offer accepted on a home in the ...

— Stephanie G. | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
Sam is a phenomenal dedicated hard-working Real estate agent who goes above and beyond for his clients. He makes you feel welcomed the moment you meet him, he's kind, honest, and transparent. He is patient and listens to your needs. His work ethic goes beyond a five-star rating. He truly makes you feel as if he is helping a family member to purchase a home even though you have only just met him. He const...

— Elyse P. | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
The consummate professional!Independent and his own brand. Great staff and a wealth of knowledge and connections. After interviewing 21 real estate agents I hired Sam Islam on the spot, after speaking to him for only seven minutes. He came well-prepared with documents ready to sign and an explanation behind each one. Sam convinced me that he had great skills, experience, and excellent theories behind his...

— Seller | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
Working with Sam was a complete pleasure from the very first day until the very last. Sam is a great professional that is not only knowledgeable about the process of buying a house but he will go out of his way to make It a smooth and stress-free experience. As a first-time homebuyer, having Sam as my agent was a blessing; he helped me with the entire process and educated me about every detail that I nee...

— Buyer | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
Sam is a consummate professional who goes above and beyond to ensure that you are taken care of every step of the way. Sam provided my family with his undivided attention and was always available whenever I had a question or concern. He went above and beyond to provide us with a knowledge base in order for us to make informed decisions that worked for us and in the end, we ended up with our dream home! W...

— Johan M. | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
Sam is the greatest, he is extremely knowledgeable, caring, and really on top of everything. Sam is a one-stop-shop he will connect you with all the resources you need for your buying process. He then walks you through it and explains everything to you from A to Z. He constantly keeps you updated and you feel like you know exactly what’s going on, even if you don’t have a clue. I was a first-time home bu...

— Jessica J. | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
Sam is a great Realtor. He has the local knowledge of the market and keeps a good pulse on the trends of the market. I was able to sell my house in a planned and smooth transaction. He was able to price and show my house to many buyers on the same day which resulted in multiple offers. The method of his presentation on the house and pricing of the house was on point. I was able to sell the house fast and...

— Rony A. | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
Sam was amazing! We knew we wanted to purchase a home but then got set back. One year later he welcomed us back with open arms and was ready to work. He was aggressive with his searches and really listened to what we wanted. We found our home on our second day of open houses with Sam. In addition, his team was impressive and a pleasure to work with as well. All communication was smooth between all partie...

— Buyer | ★★★★★

WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY
I recently bought a property with Sam’s help and my overall experience has been great. Sam takes the time to understand his client's requirements. He is knowledgeable about the areas and counties in Long Island and uses his skills and expertise when recommending properties to clients. I was impressed by his Professionalism, communication skills, and responsiveness, and moreover his commitment and dedicat...

— Buyer | ★★★★★

View All

Home Search

About Sam

Let's Connect

Work With Sam

Hard Work, Integrity, and Honesty have defined Sam’s career that has given him a referral network second to none. Contact Sam today to start your home searching journey!

Let's Connect
Get in Touch
Contact Details

Sam Islam

(347) 804-8520

[email protected]



33 Jackson Ave
Syosset NY 11791