Jeff Edmisten and Ruthie Buck thank buyers for reviewing their homebuyer guide. Their mission is to connect buyers with the best home deals and provide uncompromising commitment to exceptional service. They help buyers search for homes, write offers, and guide them through the entire purchasing process. Their client testimonial praises how they went above and beyond to help secure a home across state lines. The guide provides tips on estimating home buying power from rent, benefits of ownership, choosing a lender and mortgage, the home buying process, and more.

1. Homebuyer Guide

2. Jeff Edmisten & Ruthie Buck
We want to thank you for taking a few minutes
to review this brochure. We appreciate the
opportunity to earn your business, and realize
that selecting a REALTOR to guide you
through the purchase of your home is a very
important decision.
Our mission is to connect buyers with the best
possible deal on their dream home. That is the
way we embrace every day and every client,
with a willingness to fight to protect every
dollar of our client’s investment.
Our promise to you is that we will provide an
uncompromising commitment to
exceptional personal service.

3. What our clients say…
A friend recommended Jeff to me as we searched for a home in Virginia while still
living in California. Jeff did all of the legwork for us as we house hunted from across
the country. He responded immediately to questions, was very thorough in his
responses, and demonstrated respect for our needs and wants in a home.
When we fell in love with a house that we saw online, Jeff went to the house the very
next morning to check it out for us. Jeff felt that the house was going to sell very
quickly, so we took a very big risk and put a bid on it without actually seeing it. While
some thought we were crazy, we had enough faith in Jeff’s assessment of the house
and the market to trust his judgment.
He ended up being exactly right. There were multiple offers on the house within days,
and Jeff went to bat for us when it came down to one other offer vs. ours. We had
given up hope, but Jeff pushed the sellers and their agent, and they ended up
accepting our offer.
I am writing this recommendation from the home that we are in thanks in large part
to Jeff and Ruthie. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Their hard work,
knowledge, expertise, courtesy, and respect for their clients and their needs is
invaluable to anyone wishing to buy or sell a home.
Kerry McShea
Stafford, Virginia

4. How much home will your rent payment buy?
• Many renters think that they really
can’t afford to buy a home.
• Here is a quick way to estimate how
much house your monthly rent
payment would buy.
• Multiply your monthly rent payment
by 175. For instance if your rent
payment is $1200 per month, that
same monthly payment would equate
to a home priced at approximately
$210,000.
This is only a quick way to estimate buying power, and
depends upon current mortage interest rates and multiple
other factors.

5. Home Ownership Builds Wealth
• Except in rare circumstances,
 Trade down in later years and
home owners build wealth with
use the equity you built to
their home.
buy a smaller home, thereby
reducing your debt.
• Homes generally increase in wealth
over time.
 Access your equity via a
home equity line of credit.
• Well chosen home improvements
can add significant value to your
home.  Reverse mortgage – have your
home’s equity providing you
monthly cash flow

6. Don’t Overspend
A word of warning…
YOU decide how much home you can
afford. Not your lender, or REALTOR, or
anyone else.
Your lender can tell you how much you
qualify for, but not what you can afford.
You should own your home. Your home
should NOT own you!

7. Picking a lender
Attributes to look for in a lender
 Straightforward and transparent
 Local approval and underwriting
 Understands the market & your goals
 Competitive interest rates
 Organized and detailed oriented

8. The Financing Process
 Determine your budget and
how much you can afford.  Two most recent pay stubs.
 W-2 forms for the past two
years.
 Get pre-approved for a  Federal tax returns for the
mortgage. past two years.
 Last two months bank
 Gather the documents statements.
 Long-term debt information
you’ll most likely need. such as credit cards, auto
loans etc.

9. Getting Approved
A lender will check your credit to see if you’re a good candidate for a
loan.
If your credit rating is poor, there are things you can do to improve it.
 Make sure the report is correct.
If not, call to fix it.
 Begin to pay your bills on time.
 Use two to four credit cards so you
can keep track of them.
 Keep a separate checking and
savings account.
 Keep the same job for a few years

10. Pre-Approved vs. Pre-Qualified
 Pre-Approved: confirmation the
lender will give you a commitment
to support your purchase.
 Pre-Qualified: an estimate of what
you can afford.
Being pre-approved makes you a
more attractive candidate to the
seller when making an offer.

11. Deciding On A Mortgage
Fixed Rate Mortgage:
The interest rate stays the same for
the entire term of the loan.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage:
The interest rate is linked to a
financial index and may fluctuate
with market conditions. As such,
payments may vary over the life of
the loan.

12. No prepayment penalty
Avoid loans with prepayment
penalties Some mortgages include a
clause that penalizes you for paying off
the loan faster or earlier than planned.
These penalties can cost as much as
several percentage points payoff
balance.
There are few circumstances where you
should be in a loan that includes a
prepayment penalty.

13. Calculating Your Budget
To estimate your budget, add up your
total financial worth and then subtract
all the cost in the purchase.
Some expenses you may carry:
 Down payment
 Mortgage
 Insurance
 Taxes
 Points
 Attorney’s fees

14. The Fun Begins
Things to consider:
 Size of property
 Type of neighborhood you desire
 Quality of school system
 Nearby public transportation
 Urban or suburban

15. Picking a neighborhood
Elements of a good neighborhood:
 Economically sound
 Great amenities
 Quality schools
 Low crime
 Stable ownership
 Pride of ownership

16. Choose your REALTOR
A great agent can help you find your
home, negotiate, supervise inspections,
manage the closing and MUCH more.
Your agent should…
 Educate and inform you
 Guide you, but not push you
 Advise you when to call in additional
experts
 Be a full-time agent
 Have great client references

17. Multiple Listings, Open Houses & Special
Features
As your Coldwell Banker®
Sales Associates, we can show
you every home available
on the market that meets
your specific needs.

18. Online Access
JeffandRuthie.com provides
access to every home sale listing
through the local multiple listing
service. (MLS)
There are many ways you can search
for your next home using our website.
The most popular method is using the
Real Estate Search form found
throughout the site.
Many others prefer the Communities
Pages, which provides instant access
to homes for sale within that specific
community.

19. Online Access
Searching homes from your mobile
device? No problem!
Our Coldwell Banker Home and
Lifestyle App makes searching for
homes on your smart phone or iPad
fun and efficient.
iPad Screen Shot
Get yours today!
Text "KP9" to 87778 to get the
Coldwell Banker Elite Home and
Lifestyle App.

20. Buyers Resources
There is more to JeffandRuthie.com
than just home searching. There is a
wealth of resources, like our free home
buyer reports to help you save money
and avoid costly mistakes.
FREE BUYER REPORTS
• Top Ten First Time Home Buyer Mistakes To Avoid
• 7 Secrets for Saving Thousands When Financing Your Home
• 4 Quick Ways To Buy A Home With Little Down
• 8 Secrets For Saving Thousands When Buying Your Next Home
• How To Avoid 8 Dumb Mistakes Even Smart Investors Make

21. Writing the Offer
Once you’ve found the perfect
home, we will develop a
Comparable Market Analysis
(CMA) of the property to find a
fair market value range.
This will help you decide how
much to offer for the home.

22. Writing the Offer
Then, we will write up the
offer and ensure all paperwork
and activities are completed so
you can close on your property.

23. Contingencies Think of contingencies in your
contract as escape hatches. You only
need them if something goes wrong,
but if it does, your contingencies give
you a way out… and protect your
investment.
Some contingencies that may be included
in your contract to protect you…
• Home inspection
• Radon inspection
• Termite inspection
• Well and septic inspection
• HOA documents
• Financing
• Appraisal

24. The Closing
This is the meeting where
the transaction is finalized.
We will guide you through all
closing procedures to make
your home officially yours.

25. Enjoy Your New Home

26. THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY
Jeff Edmisten & Ruthie Buck Jeff Edmisten & Ruthie Buck
Coldwell Banker Elite Coldwell Banker Elite
990 Bragg Rd. 990 Bragg Rd.
Fredericksburg, VA 22407 Fredericksburg, VA 22407
(540) 538-7222 Jeff cell (540) 538-7222 Jeff cell
(540) 455-8374 Ruthie cell (540) 455-8374 Ruthie cell
jedmisten@cbeva.com Jeff email jedmisten@cbeva.com Jeff email
rbuck@cbeva.com Ruthie email rbuck@cbeva.com Ruthie email

27. ©2013 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is
Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker® and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Each agent and broker is responsible for complying with
any consumer disclosure laws or regulations.