Buying a home in metro Atlanta. Clear steps. Strong offers.
The plan comes before the tours.
Your strategy meeting: where the plan begins
Buying a home in metro Atlanta goes better when the plan comes before the tours. It starts with a discovery call, then a lender if you're financing. Your buyer strategy meeting comes next and covers your goals, the process, the costs buyers can expect, and how we work together, so you have a plan and know what is ahead before you fall for a home. That's also when we go over the buyer agreement, and we don't tour homes until it's in place.
We help you find the right home and secure it on the right terms, with one team beside you at every step.
One of our buyers was weighing a home whose listing and tax record both said sewer. It turned out to be septic. They wanted a home connected to sewer, so they ended the contract and moved on.
We recommend a septic inspection whenever a home has septic, rather than relying on a letter or a pump service. We go over it at your buyer strategy meeting, and it's written into our buyer agreement. On one purchase, the inspection found a problem with the field lines. Our buyer was ready to walk away, and we negotiated for the seller to replace the entire system, about a $17,000 job. Without that inspection, they would never have known. That's one past sale, never a promise.
Buying can feel nerve-racking, especially the first time. What we find is that once you've sat down with a lender and understand what you need to do, it brings a lot of clarity. You have a clearer picture of how to get to your next move.
Bring your questions and your pre-approval, if you have it. If you don't already have a lender in mind, one option is for us to connect you with lenders our clients have had success with. If this is your first home, the meeting walks through the whole buying process, one step at a time. Read more for first-time buyers.
Start with what has changed.
When nothing on the market is a fit
Sometimes nothing on the market is a fit at that time. When that happens, we also look through our own database and the people we know, send mailers, and have door knocked a neighborhood. We don't do that every day, but we do it when a buyer needs it.
One of our clients was interested in a neighborhood in Peachtree Corners and didn't see anything that was a fit on the market at that time. We're always looking to open up opportunities for our clients, so our team door knocked that neighborhood. One owner had been thinking about selling, and that owner ended up selling to our client. That's one past sale, never a promise, but it's how we think about a search.
The same goes for financing. We've helped buyers who couldn't get pre-approved with one lender, because we keep strong relationships with lenders and understand the different loan products. Not every buyer will qualify, but one lender's answer doesn't have to be the last one.
What we handle: first showing to final signature
NRG Nguyen Realty Group stays beside you from the first showing to the final signature.
- Narrowing the field to homes worth your time, and touring them with you.
- A tour page for the homes you'll see, where you can rate each one as you walk it.
- Weekend area tours, if you are relocating.
- Pricing, terms and timing for your offer, built from real comparable sales.
- Negotiation, from the first offer through your due diligence period.
- Every deadline tracked, and steady contact with your lender.
- A final walkthrough and a review of your numbers before closing.
Keep the loan steady: five things to check first
Between pre-approval and closing, small changes can affect your loan. Check with your lender before you do any of these.
- Change jobs or start working for yourself.
- Open new credit, or finance a car or furniture.
- Move large sums of money, or spend your closing funds.
- Miss a payment on any account.
- Leave a debt off your loan application.
Your number: what payment would still feel easy?
A price range is easier to trust when it is built backward. What monthly payment are you comfortable with, including taxes, insurance and any HOA dues? The price follows from there. Count the cash you have and the cash you are willing to use, because those can be two different numbers.
Twenty percent down is the point where a conventional loan stops calling for private mortgage insurance, and it isn't a requirement to buy. Ask your lender to set two or three down payment options side by side, with the monthly payment and the total cash for each. Spending every dollar on the down payment leaves little room for closing costs, earnest money and the months after move-in.
Property taxes are set by the county where the home sits, and a condo or townhome adds association dues, so the same price can carry different monthly costs a few miles apart. We help you write out the full picture for the homes you are weighing, before you make an offer.
If you own a home now
A buyer who is also a seller has two deals to fit together. We plan the buying and the selling at the same time, and we map the options, from selling first to buying first, before you commit. Read more about trading up and selling your home with our team.
If you aren't sure a move makes sense at all, a low rate can make it hard to see. The Next Chapter Strategy™ is a complimentary conversation for exactly that.
Where to look
Our office is in Brookhaven, and our work reaches across Atlanta and surrounding metro Atlanta. If East Cobb is on your list, start there, or see every area we work in.
Ready to talk it through? Tell us what you're looking for, and our team will take it from there.
This page describes our general process. It is not legal, tax or lending advice.
Buyer questions
Answers, simplified.
Do I sign anything before we tour homes?
Yes. A written buyer agreement spells out how we work together and how we're paid, so there are no surprises later. We go through it with you first.
Should I buy now or wait for rates to change?
We can't tell you where rates will go, and nobody can. We can look at what you could buy today, what it would cost each month and what waiting would change, so the decision rests on your own numbers.
How long does it take to close in Georgia?
There is no state timeline. You and the seller set the date in the contract. A financed purchase usually needs several weeks, and a cash purchase can often close sooner.
Whose attorney is at the closing table?
Every Georgia closing is conducted by a licensed Georgia attorney, and in a standard closing with a loan, that attorney represents the lender. We talk early about whether you also want an attorney of your own.
What happens at closing in Georgia?
You do a final walkthrough, review your numbers, and sign at a closing attorney's table. Then you get the keys.
Keep exploring
You don't have to decide before we talk.