Serving the Seattle area homebuyer

As a Seattle area home buyer you will want to be well prepared. That’s especially true in a market where sellers have the upper hand.  Regardless of market conditions, Gerhard Ade will help you navigate through the sea of choices and advise you every step of the way. If you are relocating to Seattle, Gerhard has walked in your shoes. He knows not only how to find a home but knows what it takes to make you feel at home. In his own words, here is how he will work with you.

Technology helps, but you decide.

Technology continues to change the home buying process. It is easy to find homes online and decide which ones are worth a visit. Thanks to technology we can estimate the value of similar homes. We can make an online offer within minutes and use digital means from the purchase all the way to closing the transaction.

Home buying is still a personal business.

As much as technology drives the process, the decision to buy a home is very personal. With the same online information, in the real world, two homebuyers will feel differently about the same home. Both will step into the home with the same knowledge and expectations, but only one will consider buying the home.

While better online visuals are useful, even the best virtual reality is no substitute for the real thing. Exploring a home from room to room and up and down the stairs is essential. What looked like a spacious living room online, accommodates only two armchairs. While the expansive master suite looked great on the website, we find out that it comes at the expense of the two other bedrooms. There is no guarantee that a home buyer will like in the real world what looked so good online.

Keys to success: timely information and clear communication

Whenever possible, we will first meet face to face. If this isn’t possible in person then we will connect with Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The better we know each other at the outset the easier it will be to communicate later. Remember, we will exchange dozens of emails and text messages. It’s easier to find the right words when you know each other.

What can you afford?

Most Seattle area home buyers need to finance their home purchase. Know what you can afford, especially if you are a first-time homebuyer.  There are many homebuyer assistance programs available. They are not limited to first-time home buyers.  In any case, consult a mortgage professional before house hunting. If you don’t know one, I can recommend one.

Working together online and on the ground

After we’ve established the search criteria, I set up an automated search on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. You will receive an email the moment a new home comes on the market.  You can rate the homes and make comments. I conduct additional research on your favorites. I will preview homes to save you time and gas.

As a rule, I will not let you buy a home that I would not want to list. My job is to protect your interests all the way to closing. I’ll take the time to explain the multitude of forms, preferably long before you have to sign any of them.  I will be there with you at the final signing with escrow.

The process begins online but it ends in a real place, your new home. My job is to get you safely from one to the other. If you are a Seattle area homebuyer, see how to get there, step by step.

P+ (425) 891 8213 or send me an email. Here’s where you can set up a free consultation that suits your schedule.

What one of Gerhard’s clients said.

“We knew our challenge to Gerhard was a tough one: find a 3-bedroom house on the Eastside within our budget and taking into account our divergent interests. Gerhard, confident he could help, showed us a number of homes while patiently explaining the ins and outs of the home-buying process.

Partway through the search, that third bedroom became a necessity, as our second daughter was born. Through his contacts, Gerhard found a 3-bedroom (with bonus room) 1 ¾ bathroom home with 2-car garage in Bellevue that fit what we were willing to pay.

We were thrilled! Our older daughter gets to remain in the same school, there’s plenty of room in the fenced backyard for our dog, and best of all, there’s a bedroom for each one of our family members (with extra room for visitors).

We couldn’t be happier. Through the entire process, the professional manner of Gerhard (and his team) made the buying and closing process, often a stressful time especially with a newborn, easy and even enjoyable!”

Matt and Angela