How do I make an offer on a house on Whidbey?

❱ Negotiation

When making an offer on a home on Whidbey Island, your Windermere Whidbey agent will negotiate on your behalf regarding price, repair costs, contingencies, timelines, and more to get you the best deal.  After you make an offer the seller can either accept it, reject it, or make a counteroffer.

❱ Contracts

Next comes the contract: the legal agreement both the buyer and seller enter into once the buyer’s offer has been accepted by the seller. Signed by both parties, it outlines the terms and conditions of the sale and brings you one step closer to having keys in hand!

❱ Earnest Money

Earnest money, also known as a good faith deposit, is money put down before closing into an independent account to show the seller that you’re serious about buying a property on Whidbey Island. In return, the seller agrees to take the home off the market. When the sale closes, the earnest money goes toward the down payment or closing costs.

❱ Home Inspection

Once the Purchase and Sale agreement is signed, a home inspector is hired to examine the home’s health, safety, and major mechanical systems. If any issues arise from an inspection, you may be able to renegotiate your offer. Get to know the ins and outs of home inspections and how to hire the right inspector for a property on Whidbey Island: Home Inspection: A Reality Check from a Pro.

❱ Financing

Once your offer is accepted, the next step is to get final loan approval from your lender. They will evaluate your creditworthiness, the home's appraisal, its title history, and other factors to decide if they're willing to approve your mortgage. Take your time to explore financing options and break down your budget to give you the best chance of securing a mortgage loan.

❱ Title Report

This is a report for you and your lender detailing the history of the home you’re buying to ensure that are no legal barriers to purchasing it.  Your Windermere Whidbey agent and the title representative they help assign to your transaction will help you review this document should you have questions.

❱ Escrow

Escrow is an impartial third-party process in which documents and funds are deposited by buyers, sellers, and lenders to facilitate the closing of a transaction. At Windermere Whidbey we work closely with our local Escrow companies and have built relationships that facilitate more personalized communication and service.  To learn more, read our short guide to understanding escrow.

❱ Closing

During this final step of the home buying process, ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer, closing costs are paid, and several legal documents are prepared and signed, all leading to the closing date. After closing is finalized and recorded and the funds are disbursed, and the home is yours!  Here on Whidbey Island buyers are actually able to sign paperwork remotely for escrow, but the seller needs to have wet ink on the a few documents whether this means heading to escrow in person or deploying a  mobile notary.  A Windermere Whidbey broker will help coordinate this entire process.

❱ Real Estate Terms

Real estate involves plenty of industry jargon and acronyms that can be confusing. Check out our glossary of real estate terms to help you understand the language of the industry.

To learn more about the home buying process or to begin your home search on Whidbey Island, connect with an experienced Windermere Whidbey agent today: Connect with an Agent